English as a Foreign Language

Learning English is not something which follows a formula; all classes and all learners are different! Moreover, as it is about learning a language – there is a lot to be covered: reading skills, writing practice as well as lots of talking and listening to each other to improve understanding and provide opportunities to gain confidence!

Would you, or do you know someone who would benefit from learning English?

A positive learning experience

Having said that – there are some things that you will always experience in an ESOL class – here are my favourite four:

FUN

Learning a language is a rewarding experience and while there is lots of hard work, there is also lots of fun to be had. ESOL teachers will have lots of ‘tricks up their sleeves’ to make learning exciting and consolidate the teaching.

This could be games such as word jeopardy, speaking snakes and ladders or online / interactive quizzes such as Kahoot and Quizlet. In some classes you will even see the students getting up and active with all-round skills exercises such as a running dictation!

ASKING QUESTIONS

Tutors will ask questions to engage students with the lesson, encourage participation and increase understanding. But ESOL tutors will also be teaching learners how to ask questions and will expect that learners are able to use their own questions to start and maintain conversations in English.

ESOL classes are the perfect place to underpin the values the ACL stands for: tolerance, equality and diversity and respect for others. In ESOL classes, alongside grammar, vocabulary, and exam readiness, you will see in practice that Essex as a multicultural region where sharing different life experiences is the key to being part of our community.

In an ESOL classroom we focus on four main skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Reading tasks may use real life material such as websites, blogs, letters and emails as well as recognising words and letters in English.

Writing is brought to life by using learner experience to write about how they arrived in the UK, or writing about traditions and festivals from other counties; some classes write collaboratively to produce work to display in the classrooms.

Speaking and listening practice is a lively affair: there could be role plays, debates, presentations, or job interview practice!

VALUES

EDUCATION

MY ESOL teaching journey

Written by Carol, ACL ESOL Tutor

If you told me that I would end up standing in front of a class, gesticulating animatedly, and exaggerating my pronunciation as recently as five years ago, I would have laughed in earnest disbelief. Yet that is exactly what I do now, and I love it!

Teaching ESOL was a wild step in an unknown direction, and it was a huge career change for me. After university, I enjoyed a varied career, from event management and managing a ferry, to project management in London and eventually as a freelance proofreader/copywriter in conjunction with the early motherhood years.

When I was offered a job to work on a new coursebook (Top Ten published 2019) that uses songs and song lyrics to teach English as a Foreign Language, I jumped at the idea. So much so I decided that maybe I could get into materials writing/editing, and thus began the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) journey.

I remember my first class vividly; it was a sunny crisp February morning and I was teaching a lovely class of six ladies, all from different parts of the globe – Portugal, Slovakia, India, Vietnam, and Poland.

That was how my adventure as an ESOL tutor started and since then and I have started teaching GCSE English and ICT for ESOL learners. Last year there was an explosion of online teaching, for all tutors, and although this was a steep learning curve, it was a thrill. I learnt much about online delivery as well as myself.

The decision to teach ESOL is easily one of the most radical things I have done in my life, but it is easily one of the most rewarding. Teaching ESOL isn’t just about teaching a language skill, or life skills to people looking to make a new life in the UK – it is about helping people find their way (again), rebuild confidence, and give them hope to a better life amidst the current challenges that face our society. I wouldn’t trade being animated in front of a class full of learners for any other job in the world.