ESOL Article
Tackling ESOL and Community Cohesion
By Jenny Johnson, Head of Cactus TEFL January 2008 Over recent months, the government has displayed an ongoing lack of vision in its policies regarding ESOL provision (English for Speakers of Other Languages), keeping both the teaching industry and public guessing. Where previously a large amount of money was earmarked for ESOL classes, with funding mainly aimed at Further Education colleges, these resources were capped last year amid much controversy. Meanwhile, demand for English courses continues to rocket across the UK, with official figures suggesting a triple fold increase from 2001-2005. With means-testing for courses being introduced, free classes have been restricted to those on benefit or who qualify for tax credits. Now the government has announced a public consultation following a national campaign by lecturers, students, community groups and unions to defend ESOL. The u-turn comes amidst fears that curbing funding would inevitably exclude and marginalise some of the most vulnerable groups in society. Overall, it’s been a somewhat baffling and directionless approach to the issues around ESOL, with no consistent strategy for long-term provision. The government needs to develop a coherent policy which maximises resources from within the local community. It’s widely recognised that language training is one of the single most important elements in helping newly arrived migrants, or those already settled in the UK, to integrate more fully into society. So what can be done to provide English training to those groups that are in greatest need? And, given the lack of investment into ESOL teacher training, where will all the English teachers actually come from? The recent move by central government to empower local authorities to assess English provision is certainly a step in the right direction. Councils obviously have a much better local knowledge and understanding of where money needs to be spent and which groups should receive free lessons. There also needs to be a greater balance between ESOL funding for employment and for more general social integration. To date, much greater emphasis has been placed on teaching English to improve employment prospects and help people fill out application forms or prepare for job interviews. However, English classes for housewives and mothers are just as important in providing overall community cohesion. The government also needs to trust in what local people can do for themselves. By working with community groups and local colleges, councils can provide the environment and facilities for initial ESOL training at grassroots, with teachers recruited from within the community. Rather than wasting public money on translators from every possible language into English, councils should be trying to galvanise the support of the community. There are schemes in operation where volunteer teachers from all walks of life are being trained in the skills needed to become English teachers, giving their time to train local people in isolated groups. This approach effectively kills three birds with one stone. Firstly, it provides English lessons for those individuals who slip through the current funding restrictions, unable to afford the £900 it takes for ESOL lessons. Secondly, it provides volunteers with the skills and support needed to take their first steps on the career ladder as English teachers and finally, it helps to further develop community cohesion. Another important issue is for Further Education colleges to focus more specifically on training for ESOL teachers rather than pure EFL (English as a Foreign Language). The number of people who can afford to go aboard abroad to teach English is diminishing and resources should be channeled into addressing the shortfall in teachers for adult immigrants instead. There is obviously no one-size-fits-all solution to the UK’s ESOL crisis and the government is now actually listening to concerns from the public and teaching bodies about funding. However, its approach needs to be consistent to be successful and work from the ground up, taking a long-term view of ESOL provision and empowering local communities to help themselves.
