How many times have you heard of or met a taxi driver or cleaner in an English-speaking city who arrived as a refugee and used to be a doctor or engineer at home? The stories exist because they are real. You may have met more than you realise. Some such people would have gone to classes such as ‘English for work’ or ‘English for refugees’ hoping to learn the language to get themselves back into their profession. Instead, they may have found the institute or community class’s expectations were that they find menial labour roles and learn language . . .
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