I was an early and voracious reader and my childhood world was greatly expanded through the books I devoured. It's fair to say I take literacy for granted.
And although New Zealanders are not universally literate, our society operates on the assumption that people are.
Learning English here is challenging enough, with all our idioms, our strong accent, the exceptions to grammatical rules and perplexing spelling and pronunciation. But what if you never had the opportunity to learn to read and write in your own language?
That was the case for one of the learners we met, who had grown up in a country devastated by a vicious regime, where a quarter of the population died in less than a decade. In such turmoil, there was no possibility of education.
So this "new New Zealander" was faced with many challenges on coming here - adjusting to a different culture, learning a new and very different language, plus navigating a society that is not based on oral learning but presumes the ability to read and write.
It was sobering to reflect on the size of this task.
It's one thing to imagine it, though, it's another to find yourself in another's shoes, even if briefly.
It did seem like some other trainee tutors were enlivened and enthusiastic about our Arabic lesson, as we took turns repeating phrases and asking our neighbours questions. Me, I was very freaked out.
I discovered I don't have any gift for languages when, at 16, I was obliged to study a second language. I'm not one to be fazed by exams but the prospect of my final oral Spanish exam kept me awake at night.
I was reliving that experience when it was my turn to repeat a simple phrase in this fascinating language made up of an alphabet of incomprehensible marks and sounds I've never heard before.
What a powerful experience, to be dropped into being confused, overwhelmed and scared of being wrong. I hated it, even as I noted the value of the learning. There's no question we'll be better tutors because of being given this glimpse of what it's like to be immersed in a language you don't understand.
The course for home tutors is being led by Jane Blinkhorne, who's been running what is now English Language Partners in Whanganui for 16 years. She's a migrant herself - from across the ditch - and frank, funny and fearless.
These days the service is funded by the Government to provide multiple English language classes, run by ESOL professionals, with an increasing emphasis on workplace language skills.
Its volunteer tutors back up the formal classes or provide home-based learning for those who might be housebound with children for instance, or working long hours.
Ameera, our surprise Arabic tutor, arrived here some 20 years ago from Egypt with her husband, who was coming to a specialist job at the hospital. She still attends the international women's group meeting English Language Partners hosts each Friday.
She was educated in French and English, she explained over afternoon tea, but had little experience or confidence in speaking English conversationally when she came to New Zealand.
Ameera told us a story about when her family first arrived in Whanganui (at 5pm: "Where are all the people? Does nobody live here?!") and ventured out to the shopping centre for the first time.
They were flummoxed by how to call a taxi to return to their motel. Noticing their confusion, a woman approached them and asked if she could help. She called a taxi and told the driver where to take them.
The next day, a bouquet of flowers arrived at Ameera's motel unit, welcoming her family to Whanganui.
Even after decades had passed, it was still evident how much it meant to receive that gesture of welcome from a stranger.
Rachel Rose is a writer, gardener, fermenter and fomenter.
