The 46-year-old Taiwanese woman barely spoke a word of English and simply asking someone on the street where she could buy a bottle of milk would take up to five minutes.
She came to New Zealand with her husband, Yu-Hsin Lin, to create a better life for their children and she had grand visions of continuing her career as a nurse.
However, her English skills were not up to the required standard to nurse in New Zealand hospitals, so she decided to improve her written and spoken command of the language by taking classes at English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).
Mrs Lin became fluent and confident in her new-found English skills and within months she became a tutor for the government organisation.
Being able to speak English was liberating and eventually - if not inevitably - she became her original tutor's boss when she became a member of the ESOL governance committee.
In 2000, she graduated from the Massey University College of Education, with a postgraduate diploma in early childhood education, and by 2004, she had graduated from the University of Otago College of Education, with a master of education (distinction) degree.
"I was so proud because English is my second language and to get a masters with distinction . . ."
A PhD in early childhood education and health promotion is also under way, but Mrs Lin said she had put the degree on hold while she established her new cafe, Formosa Delight.
She is proud of her achievements and puts them all down to ESOL and its education techniques.
"When I arrived in New Zealand, I just wanted to survive.
I never dreamt I would own my own cafe and graduate with a master's degree."
Mrs Lin is one of hundreds of people who learn to speak English as a second language each year and all will next week celebrate Adult Learners Week.
An awards ceremony will be held next Wednesday at 5.30pm in the Clifford Skeggs Gallery, Dunedin.
