Everything is different about the roads here. Was it important for you to get lessons here?Ī: Yes absolutely. You said that you’d driven in Syria for many years. G: So next you moved on to thinking about your practical test. To be clear – you can only listen to the test in English, not your first language. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who’s still learning English. You have to request in advance if you want to listen to the test as well as read it. This way if I didn’t recognise a word written down, I might understand it when I heard it. It really helped during the test to wear headphones and listen to the questions as well as read them. ![]() I passed the theory test second time around. The resource costs around £25 and was really worthwhile. What really helped me was a resource that CHARIS Community Sponsorship Group purchased from ABEL Drive for Life which enabled me to read the questions in English and then listen in Arabic while I studied. How much did you study?Ī: 2 months after I arrived, I began studying 3 hours a day at least 3 days a week for around 3 months. A lot of the vocabulary in the theory test is very specific! The other barriers were affording lessons and being able to understand the examiner in the practical test. The theory test has more than 1000 questions and you have to take the test in English. G: What challenges did you face to get a driving licence?Ī: The biggest challenge was the language barrier. I’m a key worker and if I wasn’t able to drive, I don’t know how I would have been able to keep working. There’s not much public transport beyond the town centre here.ĭuring the coronavirus pandemic, having a car enabled me to get to work safely. We live in a small town in the UK and I very quickly realised that I needed a car. If I wanted to continue driving after that point, I needed to obtain a UK driving licence. Under UK law, I was allowed to continue driving in the UK using my Syrian licence for 1 year. ![]() When I arrived in the UK, I had a valid Syrian driving licence. Why was it so essential that you pass your driving test within your first year here?Ībdullah: I’d driven in Syria for many years. Gordon: You passed your driving test 10 months after arriving in the UK.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |