esol for resettled refugees national learning event · esol for resettled refugees:...

ESOL for Resettled Refugees:COSLA’s National Learning EventMonday 30 October, 10am – 3pm

WelcomeTara McGregor, Research Scotland

Councillor Kelly Parry, COSLA’s Community and Wellbeing spokesperson

RT Hon Brandon Lewis, Minister of State for Immigration

We are Language Rich: Celebrating the Bountiful Sources of Language in ScotlandProfessor Alison Phipps

UNESCO Chair: Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts

COSLA Conference

Alison Phipps

UNESCO Chair: Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts

The Refugee Provocation to Scotland

“You are stingy with your languages you do not speak to us in the street”

Welcoming Our Learners: Scotland’s ESOL Strategy 2015 – 2020

“That all Scottish residents for whom English is not a first language have the opportunity to access high quality English language provision so that they can acquire the language skills to enable them to participate in Scottish life: in the workplace, through further study, within the family, the local community, Scottish society and the economy. These language skills are central to giving people a democratic voice and supporting them to contribute to the society in which they live.” p.6

Learning to be more like a home

2 years of rapid, focused and willing expansion of language work with refugees

• At policy level – new strategies

• At classroom level renewed energy and focus

• At community level - befriending

Political Economy of Languages

• Differences in provision: refugee language vs ordinary vs elite language learner

• Woefully inadequate language provision in UK.

• Number of hours has been counted (10,000)

Scotland is Multilingual Country

• Scotland has passed laws focusing on Gaelic and BSL

• Scotland has remarkable linguistic resource

• Language models are shifting from being based on deficit to based on plenty

Language Befriending

• Holistic practice

• Embedding languaging into every transaction

• Enabling each other

• “In my language we say….” – the pedagogy of the street.

• Teach and learn everywhere. It’s not life long learning so much as learning everywhere.

English Last

• Translanguaging is what the whole world does

• Language humility

• Bring your resources to the classroom

• Multilingual policies should be default and norm in all local authorities.

• Mother languages first – the only advantage in face of everyone else’s advantages

Re-Wilding Languages

• Get out and about

• Bring more multilingual arts

• Beyond literacy patterns

• Re-wilding the practitioner

If it’s good for refugees, it’s good for everyone.

• Live in languages;

• Love in them and with them!

• Don’t be stingy

• Add to the abundance.

Our Learning JourneyMazen Habib, learner and former business owner and accountant

Duncan Carmichael, Learning and Employability Officer and SQA Coordinator, Stirling Council

Jonathan Sharp, Refugee Support Officer and Syrian VPRS Coordinator, Stirling Council

Translation provided by Zakaria Berrada, Global Language Services

ESOL in the Syrian Resettlement Scheme

Mazen Habib; ESOL learner, former business owner and accountant

Duncan Carmichael; Learning and Employability Officer and SQA Coordinator, Stirling Council

Jonathan Sharp; Refugee Support Officer and Syrian VPRS Coordinator, Stirling Council

Team Stirling: Motivating & Engaging

Motivation for learning

• Priority on arrival = education and employment

• Responsibility to help family adapt

• Need employment to rebuild life

• Regain self-esteem


Mazen’s Journey

• First 4 weeks – “Emergency English”

• General ESOL classes

• English summer course – Stirling School of English

• Blended delivery of Beginners ESOL and Employability Support

• Gaining qualifications

• Vocational English and Forklift training


Aims for the future

• Placement in a local company

• Use forklift licence to find temp work in warehouse. Combine work and study

• Continue with ESOL with Council until ready for College. Try short course at college to begin

• Retrain in bookkeeping/Accounting Technician


Feelings on arrival Feelings now

Fear Confident

Boredom

Impatience to progress

Challenged and stimulated

Optimistic for the future


Working within and between authorities

• Shared services with Clackmannanshire Council• Initially shared delivery of ESOL Classes

• Then commissioned to provide ESOL

• Working across Stirling Council services collaboratively• Con:

• Not knowing what other services do

• ESOL brought it late and perhaps different priorities

• Pro:

• Utilising the skills of a wider team

• Holistic approach to meeting learner needs

• Building staff skills and capacity


Working with 3rd Sector Organisations

Working in partnership with the voluntary sector

• Stirling School of English• Shared delivery of ESOL Classes• Summer School

• Stirling Citizens for Sanctuary (SCfS)• Befriending• Conversational English / English in the community• Walk and Talk• Joint training• A source of volunteers within ESOL Classes


Teaching principles

All our classes are delivered by qualified ESOL tutors in a CLD setting, our approach is:

• Learner-centred, flexible and responding to issues in learners’ daily lives

• Structured and aiming towards their goals


“Emergency” English

• Started within 2 weeks of arrival

• Approximately 9 – 12 sessions

• The course covered: • Pronunciation and basic sounds in English

• Sharing personal details (name, age, country of origin, family details)

• Numbers (1-100, dates, simple time, British money and prices)

• An introduction to the Western Script (direction of reading, alphabet, letter formation and sounds)

• Useful phrases and cultural differences (greetings and emergencies)

Upon arriving, all families received a separate course with a tutor to ensure English basics were covered as well as an initial assessment of their levels and areas of development.


Blended English and Employability

• General ESOL

• ESOL Literacies

• Literacies

• Numeracy and budgeting

• Personal Development

• Computing

• Vocational Language

• Employability Support

Participants attend between 12 and 16 hours of learning a week.The programme is blended and comprises:


Meeting the needs of the individuals

We have been supporting the learners holistically, and in addition to the ESOL and employability support, we are delivering:

• “Inspiring Women” Course

• Story-telling Course

• Life skills support

• Help to find volunteering opportunities


Some issues faced when arranging provision

• Child care• Crèche versus Nursery provision

• Families placed in separate communities• Local learning versus transport costs

• Widening access to provision• Exclusive SVPR provision versus provision open to all

• The role of ESOL• Function in community versus employability support


The impact of funding

• Additional ESOL funding = more development time and more hours per learner

• Recognition of the importance of ESOL and accredited learning to programme


Key learning points

• Key priority is concurrent delivery of ESOL and employability

• Supported and independent study

• Work with befrienders and recognise and support their role in helping learners integrate


Plans for the future

• Engaging local employers to provide more work placements

• Introducing the learners to Forth Valley College’s wider vocational training and qualifications

• Building a service that will outlast the Syrian Crisis

• Sustainable provision and staff skills

• Harnessing the goodwill that has come out of the Syrian Programme to build capacity and provide lasting support to other refugees and other non-native English speakers

Contact DetailsDuncan Carmichael; Learning and Employability Officer and SQA Coordinator, Stirling Council

01786237517 [email protected]


01786233040 [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

ESOL in the Syrian Resettlement Scheme

Mazen Habib; ESOL learner, former business owner and accountant

Duncan Carmichael; Learning and Employability Officer and SQA Coordinator, Stirling Council


Introducing the New Guide

Tara McGregor, Director

Research Scotland

What we did

A series of four regional events

Follow-up interviews with 11 practitioners and 20 learners

Development of a new guide – good practice for those involved in planning or delivering ESOL for resettled refugees

A national learning event – today!

About the Guide

Based on experiences of those we engaged

Explores challenges

Shares learning

Designed to be accessible

Style

Narrative on key themes

Local examples

Material and tools

Further reading

Reflective prompt questions

What it covers

1. Introduction

2. Context

3. Key challenges and opportunities

4. Strategic planning and resourcingLocal contextWorking effectively with partnersUnderstanding needs and

opportunitiesChoosing the right model for your

area

What it covers

5. Delivering ESOLOvercoming barriers to learningPlan, do, reviewWhat works wellManaging mixed ability groupsManaging gender issuesHaving difficult conversationsManaging and supporting

volunteers

6. Material and tools

Finalising the Guide

Available on our website

Final comments by 10 November

Then final draft sent to COSLA

PDF made available on COSLA website shortly after

Copies available in foyer and area for comments

Q&A Panel

Lunch and Networking

Back in main room by 1.10

A Chance for Reflection

Tara McGregor

Prompt questions

What (if anything) have the speakers today inspired you to think about, in terms of your own work?

What (if anything) would you like to do differently?

Note any pledges – personal statements of change - on a post-it note for posting on the wall of the main room

Supporting Refugee ESOL Learners – Rewards and Challenges

Lyn Ma and Celia Fisher

Senior Lecturers in ESOL

Glasgow Clyde College

Working with ESOL learnersCelia Fisher - Senior Lecturer ESOL Glasgow Clyde College

[email protected]

Lyn Ma -Senior Lecturer ESOL Glasgow Clyde College

[email protected]

Rewards and Challenges“ESOL students are diverse but do have certain things in common.

They desire to somehow forge a better life than the one they left behind.”Melanie Cooke and James Simpson – ESOL a critical guide

• Making a difference

• Students motivation to learn

• Building positive teacher / tutor relationships with students

• Suitable Resources

• Range of Levels

• Ostrich or Saviour

The ESOL learner from a refugee background

• Diverse educational backgrounds

• Jagged profiles

• Life situations that affect learning

• Expectations of the learner

Diverse backgroundsjagged profiles & expectations

• What do students already know/ don’t know?

• What are their strengths/ weaknesses?

• What are their expectations of the ESOL provision?

The effects of trauma, grief and loss

• Difficult to concentrate & retain information

• Undiagnosed PTSD / other mental health conditions

• Physical ill health

• Anxiety about family in own country

• Anxiety about new life

• How can you manage this in a class?

Role of the ESOL teacher / tutor“ The classroom time is lesson time, and that is the time when they can just be a student and switch off” Melanie Cooke et al

Teach English……. and, and, and……..

• Signpost students to appropriate agencies where possible

• Set clear boundaries about what their class time is for and when it is

• Provide a place that is calm and safe and where learning can take place.

• The classroom doesn’t have to be four walls

• Remember to take care of yourself and your team – otherwise you can’t do your job effectively

Useful Resources

• Literacy resources suitable for ESOL learners – not adult literacy learners

• ESOL readers – promote independent learning- especially Gatehouse

• ESOL Activities / Exploring British Culture

• ESOL course books- English File, Cutting Edge,

• British Council NEXUS

• Mr Bean !

• The Arrival – Shaun Tan

• Songs

• Worksheets own or others

Scenarios that you may encounter….

• In small groups look at this possible situation you may encounter in a class. Chose a spokesperson to feedback to the whole group.

Example:

A student wants to stay behind after class to tell you about his problems with his housing situation. He is not happy with the area he lives in and would like to move. He is a low level learner. You have already given him a lot of time and attention.

1. Discuss what your response might be.

2. What are challenges for you in helping him in your particular locality ?

Scenarios

• 1. There is a unit on family in your course book. You know some of your students have lost close family members.

• 2. One of your students has recently had very bad news from her/his country and is very distressed.

• 3. You have noticed one of your students is very sleepy and you ask what is wrong. They disclose to you that they are feeling suicidal.

• 4. A low level student has been absent for a number of classes. You are concerned about them.

• 5. You have a couple of outspoken students who seem to have very strong, but opposing political opinions, and you sense a growing undercurrent of antagonism between them.

Thank you

Close

www.researchscotland.org

[email protected]

0141 428 3972

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