Oldham Lifelong Learning Service
Supporting ESOL learners
Oldham Lifelong Learning Service has worked in partnership with the local ethnic minority support service to develop a successful family literacy programme for people with English as a second language (ESOL).The programme combines taught sessions with independent learning. Participants attend five sessions at a local school and use distance learning materials between sessions to reinforce and extend learning.
Learners who have completed the programme report have been positive about the training, and say they now feel confident enough to speak in English about topics like what they’ve done with their families and what they’ve been learning. Among the keys to the programme’s success were the appointment of bilingual support workers who supported learners during the sessions and at home. Flexible attendance also made the programme more attractive to learners.
