WHEN tutor Sue McNatty took her students fishing to give them a Kiwi experience she got help from an unexpected quarter.

Russian migrant Pavel Sedouch (left) was walking nearby on Wellington waterfront and heard cheers and laughter when Sue’s English-as-a-second-language class caught their first fish, so joined the group to offer advice on how to use their gear.

Pavel turned out to be a keen hobby-fisherman, who was happy to show some advanced techniques.

“It was absolutely great to see how he tried to explain to David [(Jiwu) Gong] (right) how to use his fishing rod,” says Sue.

His English skills were about the same level as the students’, but he found a way to explain his ideas.

A tutor at Whitireia Community Polytechnic’s Wellington campus, Sue prefers her students to practise their language skills outside the classroom: “I want the students to be prepared for situations like this. And it works! This is the best example.”

Other excursions include visits to art galleries and shows, and when Sue suggested going fishing, David and classmates Eman Almousa and Yin-Lien Chen were keen.

David brought his own fishing rod and Sue provided additional fishing gear and bait.

The group met in the classroom, where they went through a checklist before heading off to the waterfront.

Yin-Lien was the first to catch a fish, but only seconds later Sue followed her student’s example and pulled out another one.

By lunchtime, they had two fish each and Pavel contributed at least another half a dozen.

David said he learned a lot: “I know where I can go fishing in Wellington now.”

NOTE: We’ve had varied opinions about what kind of fish the group caught, with “spotty” the most common.

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.