Jasmine Balsyan and Lilit Boghosyan

Jasmine Balsyan and Lilit Boghosyan were both born and brought up in Armenia. Jasmine came to the UK five years ago and Lilit has lived in Bristol since 2002. They know of very few Armenians in Bristol, and Jasmine and Lilit formed a close friendship. They came to Silai less than a year ago to learn English.

Jasmine: My name is Jasmine Balsyan.
Lilit: My name is Lilit Boghosyan.
Jasmine: I was born in Armenia. She is twenty six, and I, forty seven.

Lilit: I was learning at the Stapleton Road, a church, and one time our teacher he told us the lady is coming from Silai for Skills, who wants to go you have to just tell her. I haven't got indefinite stay in UK, now I have, but I haven't before, about five, six months ago and later she told us we can't take people who haven’t got indefinite stay. I just say "No, I want to learn English, I would like to come and see how it's going and everything."

Lilit: I think with ladies it's good because we are all just women,
Jasmine: Yes, that’s good.
Lilit: Without men. My husband, he is happy, all women, so yes he is happy
Lilit: Yes I can see a difference when I came to Silai for Skills, I can see a big difference, it’s much better than before.
Lilit: When I was living in hotel, like it's kitchen and chicken, they sound similar. I went to see the receptionist, and I said "Can I have chicken's key?" and they just....oh my God! After that I take my dictionary, and I learn, maybe, twenty or thirty words a day? I just learn quickly, just for understand.