Re: Diana's ESOL and IT through a C&G qualification
At Leeds Thomas Danby we also offer ESOL IT classes and embed the language/literacy but offer instead an IT qualification through AQA Entry Level ICT - http://www.aqa.org.uk/qual/elc/ict_c.php
We have run ESOL IT successfully for many years and have 300+ students at present, from E1 to Level 2. Many students add this class onto their ESOL classes. For the fee-payers, they get language embedded and an IT qualification at a more affordable price than they would pay for an ESOL course. Again, its looking for ways around funding which keeps ESOL students in the classroom and in regular contact with language.
Stephen
-----Original Message-----
From: Diana Tremayne [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 03 December 2007 08:55
To: stephen woulds; [log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: ESOL: language / literacy
At E3 and above we are offering C&G literacy as the qual but it is a semi embedded qual - eg ESOL and IT. The IT and other language aspects are covered by the RARPA system (RARPA stands for Recognising and Recording Progress and Achievement)which seems to be becoming a bigger thing. Basically it means that a mini portfolio is created to evidence this. This is still new for us so we have yet to see how it works and if the learners will then progress to mainstream courses. The ESOL learners are not mixed in with literacy learners though so the delivery has changed very little...
Diana
-----Original Message-----
From: ESOL-Research discussion forum
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of stephen woulds
Sent: 02 December 2007 16:37
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: FW: ESOL: language / literacy
On behalf of Cheryl who makes some very interesting comments with regard to placement of ESOL students in literacy classes. Given James' research into this area I'm sure he would be interested to read of Cheryl's experiences.
Stephen Woulds wrote:
at Leeds Thomas Danby our ESOL provision adopted City & Guilds literacy qualifications, from E1 to E3. This served two purposes, to add additional literacy practice to existing ESOL provision, and second, through creative funding, the college was able to offer free literacy classes
As you ask, Stephen, here is another approach:
Birmingham Adult Education has taken the opposite approach: all our L1/L2 ESOL classes have been re-classified as literacy. Students cannot transfer from one to the other in a single academic year. An L1 learner in an E3/L1 class can take the full battery of ESOL exams, but a similar L1 learner in a L1/L2 class can only take the National Literacy exam. The City Council wants free classes to continue, but is unwilling or unable to find extra funding, so the whole system has been squeezed.
I have two of these classes, and so far my approach has been to continue to teach the full range of ESOL skills, because the students have all expressed needs for speaking, listening and writing, and because teaching reading in isolation would be less effective. The students will only be examined in reading, however.
Some colleagues and I have asked our manager if we could work out a form of report or certificate for our centre which would recognise achievement and progress in the other skills, but we have not yet had a response (beyond 'we could do that'). I am prepared to administer in-class exams at the end of the year with written reports, and the students would like that as a second-best to external exams. I would like to know what others are doing. Would a portfolio-based qualification be better?
BAES is also offering a few 'welcome to ESOL' classes to spouses who have not yet been in the UK for a full year. These are two hours a week only. Preference is given to those who will be able to transfer into regular classes soonest. Officially there is no assessment, initial or diagnostic, but unofficially, a colleague went through the applications and made a rough sort, as our centre has just begun two of these classes.
We certainly have students who don't fall neatly into ESOL or Literacy, and I have had students in ESOL classes in the past because the literacy classes were full at their level, or because they had needs which the literacy tutors found difficult to meet. I do think that literacy tutors should have a component of ESOL in their training-particularly in areas like teaching grammar and vocabulary. I have had very little training in initial literacy or in supporting students whose first languages use non-roman scripts and could have done with a larger literacy component. I had some basic literacy training when I was re-entering Key Skills teaching several years ago. I feel able to teach higher level literacy, though not necessarily to deal with learning difficulties. One of my colleagues teaches E1 exclusively, and she is brilliant at initial literacy and second language literacy, but has had to learn by doing.
The manager of the GCSE and Literacy programme in our area has taken quite a positive approach, trying to co-ordinate initial interviews and assessment and has taken account of ESOL tutors' recommendations such as having a women-only literacy class. I wish, as an adult education programme in an area with many educational needs, we could register people for a Skills for Life programme of X hours and then work out an appropriate allocation of time. So one student might have 4 hours of ESOL plus 2 hours of reading and writing, while another might have the opposite, or 4 hours of general ESOL plus 2 hours of extra speaking and listening, or numeracy or IT.
Cheryl Thornett
ESOL tutor
Birmingham Adult Education
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