‘I Can’t Write!’
Working with refugees and other learners with low levels of
English is challenging for ESOL practitioners.
Many of these learners may have had little or no education in their
first language. Changing mind sets from
‘I can’t’ to ‘I can’ is something we are doing.
In partnership with Ayrshire College, we offer SQA accreditation at ‘ESOL:
Preparation for Literacies’ level.
ESOL lecturer Orsyla Dunn from Ayrshire College and Susan Wilson,
Adult Learning, presented a workshop at the recent Community Learning and
Development Standards Council Conference in Dundee, to showcase this best
practice model.
- · Understand basic classroom language in English
- · Identify and form basic numbers in English
- · Identify and form letters of the English alphabet
- · Identify and name the sounds and letters of the English alphabet.
The audience was invited to evaluate the assessment and
consider its effectiveness in measuring success.
Receiving accreditation for their learning is highly
motivating for ESOL literacy learners.
It is a move away from deficit centered thinking and can provide hope
and opportunities for progression.
The workshop will be presented nationally, at the NATECLA (National Association for Teaching English and other Community Languages to Adults) Conference in Birmingham in July.
Susan Wilson
