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The worst one I heard about was a young Pakistani man who had already passed Entry 1 and 2 exams with us at college. He didn't realise we could give him a letter for the Home Office, but went to an organisation in Luton (apparently a franchise from a legitimate F.E.college). He told them he had been at college but they advised him that our (Cambridge Skills for Life) certificates were 'no good' and that he should sign up with them for a short course. He did one or two weeks with them, where they coached him through an Entry 1 speaking exam, charged his family hundreds of pounds, then gave him the standard letter for the Home Office saying he had progressed from pre-entry to Entry 1. I told him to get his father to complain, but I don't know if they followed it up. The problem is that these organisations spring up when people are desperate - like the young Bangladeshi wives who can't access ESOL provision for the first year they are here because of the residence rules, and waiting lists, but then barely have any time to go to classes before they need to apply for ILR. I have a couple in my class who have 'done' Entry 1 speaking this way through a private organisation before they ever got into a legitimate ESOL class. You could argue the crash courses are providing an essential service for people in this situation, but the opportunities for abuse are frightening. Linda Oaklands College, St Albans Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 08:34:21 +0000 From: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: private ESOl provision To: [log in to unmask] Hi, I have had a similar experience with an E1 learner in Birmingham. Her husband paid £700 for which she attended a centre 3 times - once for an assessment, one day of coaching for her exam and one day to take her City and Guilds ESOL Speaking and Listening exam at E1. They then gave her a letter confirming she had studied English and Citizenship using NIACE materials and had improved her langauge skills by one level. Once she had received this letter and her exam certificate her husband then withdrew her from her legitimate ESOL classes at the college. When she told me what was happening I was disgusted and sent an e-mail to the Home Office but to no avail. It undermines all the hard work that is put in by genuine providers, tutors and learners and makes a mockery of the system: do exam boards know that their exams are being administered in these circumstances I wonder? It is certainly something that needs stamping out! Alex Halliday, ESOL Tutor MBC Birmingham Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 08:43:42 +0100 From: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: private ESOl provision To: [log in to unmask] Hi All I have also had reports of this happening in Sheffield. One of my Turkish students studying at E2 at Doncaster College went to Sheffield and did a 3 day course which ended in the citizenship test. She paid a similar fee. Unfortunately had the learner told me about this she would have realised that she didn’t need to do the test as she had progressed from pre-entry to entry 2 in the 3 years she had been studying with us, and as such would only have needed a confirmation letter from the college along with her photocopied certificates and her application. If any of you want the contact details I’m sure I can get them. I have warned my learners, but am sure there are desperate people who attend such courses. Naomi Nikhata From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Isabel Arnold Sent: 30 June 2009 17:19 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: private ESOl provision Who was collecting information about private ESOl provision? I have found out that one of my good E2 students, who is anxious to renew her visa/ get permission to remain etc, paid £300 last week to a provider and for that she got a pack of black and white downloaded/photocopied? E1 learner materials unit 1 to 10 to work through at home, a test in a month's time and a certificate. I asked if the provider looks at her work and she said she hands it all back at the end. I saw an evaluation sheet she is expected to fill in all about the quality of the provision; tuition etc. I have yet to ask if they have provided her with a CD/cassette to accompany the materials. She doesn't know anything about the test, examiner etc yet. Contact me if it is you that wants the info. Isabel Arnold Beyond Hotmail - see what else you can do with Windows Live. Find out more.*********************************** ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds. To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ESOL-RESEARCH.html A quick guide to using Jiscmail lists can be found at: http://jiscmail.ac.uk/help/using/quickuser.htm To contact the list owner, send an email to [log in to unmask] *********************************** ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds. 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To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ESOL-RESEARCH.html A quick guide to using Jiscmail lists can be found at: http://jiscmail.ac.uk/help/using/quickuser.htm To contact the list owner, send an email to [log in to unmask] _________________________________________________________________ With Windows Live, you can organise, edit, and share your photos. http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/134665338/direct/01/ *********************************** ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds. To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ESOL-RESEARCH.html A quick guide to using Jiscmail lists can be found at: http://jiscmail.ac.uk/help/using/quickuser.htm To contact the list owner, send an email to [log in to unmask]