We would like to re-introduce our Conversation cafes but this time in a real, non-virtual setting.
Our goal is to establish a café in Musselburgh and one in Dunbar, creating opportunities for refugees to meet and mix with learners of different languages, levels and nationalities, including native speakers.
This will be of great benefit to all as “opportunities to practise with native speakers outside formal classes can boost confidence and skills development. Informal language sharing within communities is recognised as a way to not only help develop language skills through immersion, but also to build social connections between refugees (and other people whose first language is not English) and host communities”. (Scottish Government, 10 January 2018).
Indeed, our ESOL cafés would enhance the cultural capital of all involved and they would add to the internationalisation of the region.