Update!

The summer holidays have finished and the Learning Shop is back to business as usual.  Staff, tutors and students have returned from their holidays, those with childcare issues over the summer have started back, the ESOL tutor training has been undertaken (with very good feedback) and the next wave of Tutor Training starts on 27^th September.  Projects are up and running again and the admin staff are busy with new registrations and more phone calls. Yes, business as usual!  We are all looking forward to the next few months and the team hope to bring in some new innovative ideas which we will be sharing with you.

As per usual we have to thank all our volunteers for their continual support, and if you would like to add any comments to this blog, please do so!

Beyond our Control!

Those who attend the Learning Shop will have noticed the noise that is fairly constant, due to the work being undertaken on the outside of the building.  We do apologise for this (and also the occasional deluge of water from above!) but the work has to continue and we look forward to the finished project in a few months.

Hello From Girvan!!

Our beautiful seaside town and lovely South Carrick villages have enjoyed a nice summer with plenty of visitors! However, this has not stopped our dedicated team of tutors and students from meeting! All through the summer they have continued to meet in the Carrick Opportunities Centre which thrives with all sorts of activities-yoga, therapies for Carers, lip reading, confidence building courses, textile courses (CLD).The Job Centre is also in the centre with Adult Learning and Community Learning and Development!

This environment suits our students very well. Many of our students come from small villages and knowing people are coming and going for various reasons puts them at ease, confidentiality being very important to them.

 As well as our one to one pairings we also have a reading group for our ESOL learners and any of our other students who would like to build up their confidence within a group. In our group we choose a book or short story which I read out loud, we discuss the plot, characters, etc and then the students take turns in reading it back. I give help with pronunciation and meaning of words. They all encourage each other and have fun! We have students from all over the world because many come to work at Turnberry Hotel. At the moment we have people from Italy, Spain, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, China, Mauritius! and Scotland! If you, or anyone you know, would like to come along it takes place on a Tuesday morning from 9.30am-11.45am in the Carrick Opportunities Centre, Henrietta Street, Girvan. Telephone number 01465 716600 and just ask for Elaine Fitzsimmons.

Finally we have a punctuation and grammar session that meets on a Tuesday from 11.45am-12.45am where any problems are gone over.   This is popular with our ESOL students, so we have it directly after the reading group. It is available to everyone though.

If at any time you are passing through Girvan please come in and see me! I am the Literacy Development Worker you don’t often see and I would love to meet you!

Elaine

2013 ESOL TUTOR TRAINING

Thursday + Friday 15^th/16^th August

The adult learning team  provide  English as a second (or other) language  (ESOL) classes in the community.      This intensive 2 day course offers literacy tutors an  opportunity  to expand their skills and work with ESOL  learners.   Over the two days you will    

·         be introduced to the ESOL teaching methodology

·         gain awareness of how it feels to be an ESOL learner

·         learn  how to plan and deliver a programme. 

·         gain awareness of   working with learners from pre-beginner to intermediate level

·         be better equipped to work on a 1:1 basis or assist in larger groups.  

 ‘An Introduction to Working with ESOL Learners’ is SCQF accredited at level 6.    Tutors who are interested in receiving accreditation for their work will be offered an opportunity to do so.

The course may  be repeated later in the year.  Contact the Learning Shop to register your interest and for more information

Susan Wilson 

ESOL Update!!!

The ESOL classes will commence week beginning 5^th August 2013 with our Survival English course.  This two week course will be taught in the John Pollock Centre by Liza Donaldson from 6-7.30pm. 

All the other courses will commence week beginning 19^th August:

Monday: access 3 level in John Pollock Centre from 6-7.30pm. Teacher is Susan Wilson.

Monday: access 2 level in the Learning Shop from 6-7.30pm. Teacher is Ann Gentilomo.

Tuesday: access 2-3 level in the John Pollock Centre from 1-2.30pm. Teacher is Susan Wilson.

Wednesday: access 2 level in Learning Shop from 6-7.30pm. Teacher is Liza Donaldson.

Thursday: pre intermediate level in Learning Shop 5.15 – 6.45pm. Teacher is Irene Lamont.

Thursday: intermediate level in Learning Shop 7.30 – 9.00pm. Teacher is Eileen Opiolka.

Friday: access 2-3level in John Pollock Centre from 9.30- 11.00am. Teacher is Susan Wilson.

If you think you know someone who may benefit from attending one of the classes please contact Ann.Gentilomo@south-ayrshire.gov.uk or call the Learning Shop on 01292 263304.