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ESOL Enews, Issue 3 - April 2009
Welcome to Scotland's ESOL Enews. If you would like to share information about local ESOL activities or events, or resources you have used or developed, please contact us. Contributions should be brief (100 words maximum, to include contact details for further information). If this Enews has been forwarded to you, please register here to receive your own copy.
Latest National News
Discussion Day on National ESOL Development Proposals
The National ESOL Panel will be holding an event on 29 May 2009 at Stirling Management Centre to discuss the preliminary recommendations from its three Working Parties - Professional Development,Curriculum Framework and Funding Principles. This will be a chance for ESOL practitioners and managers from Community Learning and Development Partnerships, Colleges and the Voluntary Sector to influence the final recommendations which the Working Parties will present to the National Panel in the autumn. If you would like to attend the Discussion Day please complete this form.
Recent Migration into Scotland: The Evidence Base
The Scottish Government published the National Institute for Economic and Social Research report Recent Migration into Scotland: The Evidence Base on 26 March. This review uses evidence from a range of published and unpublished sources, including datasets, surveys and qualitative studies, across the two main areas of economic and employment impacts and social impacts.
Homecoming
As part of Scotland's Homecoming year, SQA are running the Scotland and Me creative competition for SQA approved centres. All you have to do is develop a piece of creative work inspired by one of the five Homecoming Year themes which are Robert Burns, Great Scottish Minds and Innovations, Ancestry, Golf or Whisky. The creative piece of work could be a piece of music, a poem, a short story, artwork, photography, a design or a research project. Entries are welcome from individuals and class groups. The closing date for applications is Tuesday 30 June 2009.
Scottish Economy enewsletter
Over the past months, the Scottish Government and its agencies have been focussing on activity to help businesses and households through the recession. The Scotland Government's economy enewsletter will keep you up to date with the latest developments. Register for your copy here and take a look at the other enewsletters available from the Scottish Government.
NATECLA Conference and Exhibition 2009
The theme of NATECLA's 2009 conference is Facing the future - responding to changes in ESOL. It will take place from 10-12 July at Leeds Trinity and All Saints, Horsforth, Leeds. The conference programme includes workshops, a resources exhibition and opportunities to share your views and network with colleagues. Clive Upton, Professor of Modern English Language at the University of Leeds will give the keynote address on the Friday evening. NATECLA personal members may apply for a bursary and there are substantial discounts for bookings received before 8 May.
Latest Local News
Homecoming Celebrations in West Dunbartonshire
As part of their Homecoming celebrations, West Dunbartonshire Council's Community Literacies and ESOL team held an event on Friday 13 March 2009 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Scotland's famous poet, Robert Burns. ESOL and adult literacies learners enjoyed the local piper piping in the haggis, Burns poems, songs, Scottish food and traditional dancing from a local dancing school. The learners now have the opportunity to enter the SQA competition Scotland and Me. Further information about their event is available from Kimberley Moffatt, Community Literacies Worker on 0141 562 2414.
Working with parents in the Highlands
The Highland Adult Literacies and ESOL Partnership has been working with local schools to support the parents of their ESOL students. With the help and support of head teachers, ESOL classes for parents and other family members have been organised in five schools in different areas across the Highlands. Tutors initially centre lessons around helping parents to understand the local school system using school handbooks and newsletters for resources. The parents and children improve their English language skills and the courses also help to improve communication between teachers and parents. Further information about the programme is available from Mary Rhind, Adult Literacies Co-ordinator or ESOL Co-ordinator Judie Holliday.
Scottish Borders ESOL Parents Group
The Community Learning and Development (CLD) Department in Scottish Borders Council piloted a 12-week ESOL parents group in Langlee Primary School, Galashiels. Creche facilities were provided and the class was publicised through all local schools and other community contacts. The project aimed to improve English language skills, help parents support their children's learning, increase awareness of and access to local support services, and to promote integration in the local community. Individual learning plans guided the learning content and all parents achieved their identified goals.
Several parents are now accessing other opportunities in the local community, including volunteering with a youth music group. The group is now a free-standing learning and social support group and, with support from CLD, is seeking a Lottery Award. For more details contact Oonagh McGarry, CLD Officer, Langlee Complex, Marigold Drive, Galashiels TD1 2LP on 01896 755110.
Moray Gives Family ESOL a Sporting Chance
The Moray ESOL Project, jointly-funded by Moray Council and Moray College, ran a successful family language programme in partnership with Elgin City FC. The six week course, held at Borough Briggs, was attended by eight learners from three families. The learners participated in English language lessons with the second part of each session comprising a coaching session with an SFA coach. The delighted participants received their certificates of attendance after meeting and greeting the first team before kick-off at a home game. For further information contact Jim Maguire on 01343 559 989
Working Together to Support Migrant Workers in Angus and Perth
A £500,000 European Social Fund project is being rolled out by Angus and Perth Colleges. The project aims to improve English language, ICT skills and cultural awareness of 520 migrant workers and to enhance their opportunities within the Scottish labour market. A secondary aim is to enhance employers' understanding of the needs of their migrant workers. College or workplace-based teaching and learning is extended by the use of Scottish volunteer interlocutors for speaking practice. Use of the inter-college virtual hub also allows learners to access state of the art language learning materials from home. For more information contact David Cohen, Project Leader on 01241 432 633.
Learning and Teaching
Jazz chants help ESOL learners
Tutor Eileen Opiolka likes to use jazz chants with ESOL learners to help them learn natural rhythm and the flow of speech, as well as specific collocations. She sometimes uses Jazz Chants Old and New by Carolyn Graham (OUP) but prefers to write her own "It's more fun to make your own for specific teaching points, especially if the class is in two teams, with question and answer parts."
Here's one Eileen wrote for practising comparatives:
Slower than a plane
Slower than a plane.
What's slower than a plane?
A bus in the rain
Is slower than a plane.
And quicker than a bus?
What's quicker than a bus?
A motorbike for us
Is quicker than a bus.
But a bike is dangerous,
A bike is not for us!
But it's cheaper than a car
And it takes you just as far.
And my dog and my cat?
Can a bike take all that?
No, a bike is far too small
If you want to take them all.
Or you can go by train.
It's cheaper than a plane
And quicker than a bus
And it isn't dangerous
AND IT TAKES ALL OF US!
ESOL Practitioner Network
The ESOL Practitioner Network met in Edinburgh on 17th February to discuss workplace ESOL and the presentations from the meeting are available here. If you would like to join, or find out more about the network, please contact Jackie Borge.
Professional Development
Toolkit for Design and Delivery of the PDA: Introduction to Tutoring ESOL
SQA has developed a Tutor Toolkit for centres intending to deliver the recently launched PDA: Introduction to Tutoring ESOL (G91E 46). This toolkit supplements the information provided in the Unit Specifications, the Arrangements document and the Assessment Exemplars for the qualification. Intended as a helpful addition to these support documents, it provides centres with supplementary material and guidance on course design and delivery. The toolkit will be available in PDF format on the SQA website and a small number of hard copies will also be available. Also, a further training pack is being developed and will be available in spring 2010.
Writers for ESOL Training Pack Wanted
SQA is embarking on a project to develop a training pack for the PDA: Introduction to Tutoring ESOL and would like to hear from practitioners working in the community and voluntary sectors who have experience of training ESOL tutors and of writing training materials. Further information is available from Jennifer Macdougall.
ESOL Website
The national ESOL website provides information on ESOL courses currently available across Scotland and on professional development opportunities for ESOL practitioners. It also features resources for practitioners and learners and links to a range of guidance and support for ESOL learners. You can also find further information on how Scotland's Community Learning and Development Partnerships and Scotland's Colleges are supporting the national ESOL strategy.
If you would like to put details of your course on the website, please contact Isabel Russell.
Return to ESOL Practitioners' Network main page