Community InfoSource

Involvement of New Scots in project

At the time of the first Project Monitoring Exchange in August, the gender split was approximately 50/50. With subsequent arrivals, the balance shifted and so by the end of the project, the majority of participants were male (over 60%). Most participants were in the 21-30 and 31-40 age brackets.

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

The majority of learners were housed in the G3 postcode at time of registration owing to the McLay Guest House in Renfrew Street being used as initial accommodation for people seeking asylum. Most participants had been in Scotland less than a year.

Challenges encountered

The biggest challenge was trying to meet the demand for classes while aiming to be as accommodating and inclusive as possible.

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

However, the number of referrals — and the various routes through which participants were referred — was encouraging and provided a welcome and very worthwhile challenge.

In dealing with this, new procedures were developed, which will smooth the coordination process going forward.

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

Another important issue was the allocation of class time: to provide one class a week for a greater number of learners — with potentially a ‘revolving door’ in terms of participation as people are relocated to other areas — or more classes each week for a smaller number who can attend regularly.

There was, and is, a need to balance breadth versus depth: to provide opportunities for all (newcomers especially), yet offer more class time to those eager to attend extra classes.

Perhaps the most significant issue for community ESOL providers, particularly in Glasgow, is the unmet demand for classes.

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

The positive aspects of taking on a new approach (innovative)/How the project has expanded on existing examples of good practice (good practice)

Arguably the biggest success of the project was being able to quickly respond to the needs of a large number of newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers, and provide regular ESOL classes at an appropriate level. Participants were given a safe, comfortable and welcoming space to learn English and practise their language skills.

ESOL classes and related wellbeing activities helped promote social interaction, provided purpose, and allowed many people struggling with feelings of isolation and the stresses of the asylum system to become part of a ‘community of learning’.

As evidenced by feedback gathered throughout the project and learners’ perceptions of their own progress, ESOL classes funded through the Supporting New Scots Fund were highly valued by participants and had a positive impact on their confidence in using English in daily life.

Language learning is never a short journey, but an awareness of everyday interactions becoming a little easier and feelings of ‘success’ in real-life situations make a huge contribution to self esteem, self determination and resilience.

A further success was helping learners progress to college. Through links with Glasgow Clyde College, Community InfoSource has been able to refer students ahead of published application dates. (At the same time, success in gaining a place ultimately comes from the attitude, commitment and determination of the learner.)

Finally, the project has provided an opportunity to recruit and develop new volunteers — primarily in assistant roles, but with an interest in gaining ESOL teaching qualifications. Going forward, it is hoped that Community InfoSource will be able to sponsor and support refugees and people in the asylum system to gain accreditation such as the Professional Development Award: Introduction to Tutoring ESOL (PDA: ITESOL).