Reading Group – 9.30am – 11.30am, Friday morning in The Learning Shop

Just a wee update on how our Reading Group works!

Starts off with an Englishman, a Scotsman – but no Irishman!  And that’s the students.  Good mix of students from home and abroad – 5 in total presently and hope to be 6 by 27^th September.

I read the story aloud.  I don’t mind interruptions as some of the Group are foreign students who may not understand all the words.  We read one chapter at a time and discuss what’s happened and what we think may happen. We also have lively debates on issues raised within the story – we can be a noisy bunch.   This also gives the students a chance to highlight any words/phrases they don’t understand.   After every story we complete a Story Review.  Usually for homework I ask the students to read a chapter from the story and send me a small write up by email.  That way I can pick up any spelling/grammar problems.  This works well.

Mostly we read Quick Reads.  Most are good though we have had a few bad ones too – the Group don’t waste any time in letting me know if they think a story is not good.

 We can recommend Quantum of Tweed, A Sea Change, Full House and Wrong Time Wrong Place.  But found Hell Island and Hostage not very enjoyable at all.

And if you are feeling a bit more adventurous there is Seige, a good story but a full sized novel.

Let me know if you would like to join in or if you have any students you feel would benefit from joining the Reading Group.

Wendy.kerr@south-ayrshire.gov.uk

ESOL Tutor Training 2013

Well done to Elaine Valentine, Lisa Masiello, Alison Keaney, Angela Pawlicka, Ruth Hart, Sharon Maclean, Lesley Shepherd, Fiona Crowe, Laura Clews, Jayne Stevenson and Maggie Bunnett  who attended the two day ESOL tutor training course on the 15^th and 16^th of August 2013.   The training aimed at giving tutors an awareness of how to facilitate learning sessions for ESOL learners.   Tutors had an opportunity to experience what it is actually like to learn another language and learn some of the ESOL ‘jargon’ such as; drilling, modelling , realia and gestures.    The opportunity to attend the ESOL tutor training will be offered to all tutors who have completed their literacy tutor training.    Most of our newly trained tutors are now helping both literacy and ESOL learners.   All that remains to be said is welcome to the world of ESOL!

Ann Gentilomo

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.

Inspirational!

When all your colleagues pull out all the stops to wish you well in your retirement, you’ve got to be delighted

That’s the way I felt on Wednesday evening at my retiral ‘do’ in the Town Hall. I loved my presentation picture, loved my flowers, loved my gardening tokens, loved my afternoon tea treat at Turnberry. I guess you could say I was pretty pleased!!

It was great to see so many colleagues, partners, tutors and friends from my time with the Council. And I was so pleased to hear that my post of Literacies Manager will soon be advertised, and the future of The Learning Shop assured.

Literacies support changes people’s lives for the better. We have the evidence to prove it, and the enthusiasm of staff (paid and voluntary) to deliver it. I am proud to have established such as service in South Ayrshire, proud to have nurtured such a fine team of professionals, proud to continue alongside them as a volunteer ( I can’t really retire completely!).

We have the vision and the energy. That’s all we need to inspire another generation of Adult Literacies Learners. Let’s go for it!

Linda