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Community InfoSource

Language & Education
ESOL Provision for New Scots
Image for Community InfoSource
Lead Organisation:
Community InfoSource
Theme:
Award Amount:
£23,785

Community InfoSource (CIS) is a charity committed to working with marginalised communities in Glasgow, primarily focusing on people seeking asylum and refugees, to help put their ideas into action. 

We draw on our diverse experiences and expertise to assist individuals, communities, and organisations in developing skills, systems, and services. Our activities are centred around collaborative projects aimed at promoting rights-based integration. 

We create and run projects that address the specific needs of minority groups, enabling us to engage directly with the community. 

We also recruit and train volunteers, providing them with the opportunity to work alongside us on various projects. 

Additionally, we conduct research into the barriers affecting individuals’ access to services, rights, and opportunities, with a particular focus on action research conducted in partnership with community researchers. 

New Scots reached
160

Key Information

Our project, funded by Supporting New Scots Fund,  aimed to expand and enhance our existing ESOL provision, embedding this within a wider range of activities to support participants’ wellbeing.  

Alongside digital connectivity, one-to-one buddy support, outdoor and social activities, the project addressed the intrinsic link between learning and wellbeing through its ESOL classes. 

The project ran from May until November 2023.

Key Information

Geographical reach

Glasgow

Dates

May – November 2023

Target Groups

Marginalised communities in Glasgow: refugees and people seeking asylum.

Project Type

ESOL provision and wellbeing activities.

Situation

As part of this project, we embedded our existing ESOL provision within a broader range of activities designed to support participants’ wellbeing.

These activities included:  

  • Offering a community-based English language programme comprising 2 online and 5 face-to-face ESOL classes each week for refugees and people seeking asylum, running for 26 weeks from 1 May 2023 to 30 November 2023.
  • Incorporating materials in the ESOL classes that facilitated social integration, helping participants learn and practice English for everyday situations, such as conversing with neighbours, shopping, navigating the city, seeking directions, accessing key services, volunteering, requesting assistance in emergencies, and using free or low-cost leisure, cultural, and sporting facilities.
  • Organising weekly ‘Walk and Talk’ sessions for ESOL class attendees, providing opportunities to visit locations offering support services and cultural/leisure activities, practice their English while engaging with native speakers, and interact with peers.
  • Delivering volunteering and employability information sessions in partnership with Volunteer Glasgow, Glasgow Life, Skills Development Scotland, and The Bridges Programme, as well as arranging visits to relevant services and facilities covered in the English classes. This initiative supports integration, builds confidence, and provides additional opportunities for practising English.

Throughout the project, 128 participants registered for in-person classes and 32 for online classes, with an additional six enrolling solely for our ESOL/cycling sessions.

Involvement of New Scots in project

At the time of the first Project Monitoring Exchange in August, the gender distribution was roughly 50/50. However, with subsequent arrivals, this balance shifted, resulting in a majority of male participants (over 60%) by the end of the project. Most participants fell within the 21-30 and 31-40 age brackets. 

In terms of nationality, the largest groups were from Iran and Iraq, followed by Syria and Ukraine. Overall, individuals from 27 different countries were represented. The most common first languages were Arabic and Kurdish Sorani. 

At the time of registration, most learners were accommodated in the G3 postcode, as the McLay Guest House on Renfrew Street served as initial accommodation for those seeking asylum. The majority of participants had been in Scotland for less than a year.

Impact

At the outset, the project’s outputs were: 

  • At least 80 refugees and people seeking asylum will improve their English confidence and skills, measured through tests at the start and end of classes.
  • They will have more opportunities to practise English outside ESOL classes, engaging with native speakers on relevant topics.
  • Additionally, at least 80 individuals will achieve greater social integration, forming new connections and accessing local services and facilities.

Project impact:

  • We were able to swiftly respond to the needs of a significant number of newly arrived refugees and people seeking asylum by providing regular ESOL classes at suitable levels. 
  • Approximately 160 learners participated in ESOL activities. 
  • Face-to-face provision expanded throughout the project, increasing from three weekly classes in May to seven by October. 
  • Feedback collected throughout the project, along with learners’ perceptions of their own progress, indicates that the ESOL classes funded by the Supporting New Scots Fund were highly valued by participants and positively impacted their confidence in using English in daily life. 
  • The ESOL classes, along with related wellbeing activities, facilitated social interaction, provided a sense of purpose, and enabled many individuals grappling with feelings of isolation and the stresses of the asylum system to become part of a ‘community of learning.’ 
  • Through collaborative efforts, we successfully assisted learners in progressing to college. The project also created opportunities to recruit and develop new volunteers, primarily in assistant roles, who expressed an interest in obtaining ESOL teaching qualifications. 

Looking ahead, we hope that Community InfoSource will be able to sponsor and support refugees and individuals in the asylum system to gain accredited qualifications. 

Challenges encountered

Meeting demand

The biggest challenge was meeting the demand for classes while striving to be as accommodating and inclusive as possible. 

This created additional overhead in terms of contacting new referrals, conducting initial assessments, and allocating participants to classes. 

However, the volume of referrals—and the various channels through which participants were referred—was encouraging and presented a welcome and very worthwhile challenge. 

In response to this, new procedures were developed to streamline the coordination process moving forward. 

Affordable and accessible venues

Throughout the project, finding affordable and accessible venues in and around the city centre that were available at suitable times for classes was also challenging. 

Allocating class time effectively

Another significant issue was the allocation of class time: should we provide one class a week for a greater number of learners, potentially creating a ‘revolving door’ of participation as people are relocated, or offer more classes each week for a smaller group who can attend regularly? 

There is a need to balance breadth versus depth: to provide opportunities for all, particularly newcomers, while also offering more class time for those eager to attend additional sessions. 

There is a clear need for sustainable provision to support refugees and asylum seekers in their learning; the ongoing challenge is to run regular, accessible classes and deliver high-quality tuition while relying on short-term funding. 

Solutions

  • recruiting and upskilling a broader group of volunteers, including several with lived experience of the asylum system, enabled us to expand our provision throughout the project and offer learners classes twice a week. 
  • collaborating with partner organisations in the city allowed us to identify conveniently located, affordable venues where we could create safe and welcoming spaces for learning. 
  • reimbursing participants for their travel costs into the city centre removed a significant barrier to learning. 

Reflections

Arguably, the greatest success of the project was our ability to swiftly respond to the needs of a significant number of newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers, providing regular ESOL classes at appropriate levels. Participants were offered a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment to learn English and practice their language skills. 

The ESOL classes and related wellbeing activities fostered social interaction, instilled a sense of purpose, and helped many individuals struggling with feelings of isolation and the pressures of the asylum system to become part of a ‘community of learning.’ 

Feedback collected throughout the project, along with learners’ perceptions of their own progress, demonstrated that the ESOL classes funded by the Supporting New Scots Fund were highly valued by participants and positively influenced their confidence in using English in daily life. 

Language learning is rarely a quick journey; however, the gradual ease of everyday interactions and the sense of ‘success’ in real-life situations significantly contribute to self-esteem, self-determination, and resilience. 

Another success was facilitating learners’ progression to college. Through partnerships with Glasgow Clyde College, Community InfoSource has been able to refer students ahead of published application dates. (Ultimately, success in gaining a place depends on the attitude, commitment, and determination of the learner.) 

Finally, the project created opportunities to recruit and develop new volunteers, primarily in assistant roles, with an interest in obtaining ESOL teaching qualifications. Looking ahead, we hope that Community InfoSource will be able to sponsor and support refugees and individuals in the asylum system in gaining accreditations such as the Professional Development Award: Introduction to Tutoring ESOL (PDA: ITESOL). 

Further Information

Keywords

Asylum Seeker, English, ESOL, Glasgow, Refugee

Contact

Contact:
Kevin Curtin

Address:
Albany Centre
44 Ashley Street
Glasgow
G3 6DS

Telephone:
0141 258 2773

Email:
info@infosource.org.uk

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