Saudi Student Presents To Hundreds At Summer School After Mastering English

A Saudi Arabian student has his sights set on a career in engineering after mastering English in just over six months. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Omer Alamri has returned to his native country having arrived at Wrexham Glyndwr University in January. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Omer attended the popular summer school throughout July and August – visited by more than 300 people this year – and even gave a talk on his life. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

When he came to North Wales he had difficulty in understanding, let alone speaking or writing in English, but made “excellent progress” and now plans to further his academic studies. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Dr Leila Luukko-Vinchenzo, Head of the Language Centre at Wrexham Glyndwr, said: “We very sad to say goodbye to Omer but delighted by the excellent progress he made in such a short period of time. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“With determination on both his and the tutors’ side he left here fluent in speaking and understanding the language.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Dr Luukko-Vinchenzo added that Omer even delivered a presentation in English about growing up and living in Saudi Arabia to more than 100 students at the institution. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“His presentation was fantastic and closed the international and multicultural summer school, attended by almost 300 students from all over the world,” said Luukko-Vinchenzo. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The much-improved improved reading and writing skills he’s acquired will no doubt reward him on his way to a brilliant career. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“If Omer managed to learn English with a completely different writing system from his native Arabic to a standard to cope with academic studies in British universities, then that should encourage us all to learn at least basics of another European language just to better appreciate our foreign holidays, or even to boost our career prospects in the modern global world.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Foreign languages taught at the Centre include French, German, Italian, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Any language course can also be offered externally for company employees to share lessons without leaving their premises. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​