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- Introduction
- Our aims
- What have we done so far?
- Our plans for 2008?
- Volunteer Tutor Project
- Workplace ESOL Project
- The ESOL/Adult Literacies Project
- Upcoming Workshop
Introduction
The Glasgow ESOL Forum (GESOLF), was established in 1998. Its members comprise a wide variety of ESOL providers throughout the Glasgow area – these include the Voluntary Sector, Volunteer Tutors, Community Education Services, Further Education Colleges and Universities.
In July 2004, the Glasgow ESOL Forum became incorporated and obtained charitable status. It is now a charity and a company limited by guarantee.
A Board of Directors, who are representative of the membership, meet regularly to plan training days and discuss long-term strategy.
- To improve the provision of ESOL in the Glasgow area, especially in the light of the changed profile of ESOL students, with more asylum seekers settling here.
- To support teachers, tutors and volunteers in teaching ESOL.
- To raise standards of ESOL teaching by running ESOL training days for teachers and by raising awareness among employers regarding ESOL teaching qualifications.
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What have we done so far?
- Run training days covering a range of topics including pronunciation, examinations and assessment, listening skill, the place of grammar in the classroom and multi-cultural awareness.
- Hosted a national ESOL conference from 28 th – 30 th June 2002 at the University of Strathclyde on behalf of the UK teaching association “National Association for Teaching English and other Community Languages” (NATECLA)
- Undertaken a survey of ESOL provision in Glasgow in March 2000 (see “The Glasgow ESOL Survey” published by Scottish Enterprise)
- Organised several training courses for volunteer tutors to introduce them to basic English teaching techniques which were run at Anniesland College, Langside College and Glasgow University
- Organised a fast track training course for qualified ESOL tutors wishing to work as volunteer tutors
- Conducted a nationwide training needs analysis of ESOL practitioners (2003)
- Developed a national (draft) qualification for ESOL teachers to teach Adult ESOL Literacies (SQA validation scheduled for March 2005)
- Run a series of training workshops to cascade knowledge of ESOL Literacies to practitioners
- Run a national pilot of the PDA:ESOL Literacies, Teaching Adults (Sept/Oct 2004)
- Applied successfully for funding to run three projects:
- The Volunteer Tutor Project
- Adult ESOL Literacies Project
- The Workplace ESOL Project
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Our plans for 2008:
- Volunteer Tutor Project (funded through the Esmee Fairbarin Foundation and the Big Lottery Fund):
- Organise and run regular training courses for volunteer tutors.
- Match up current and future volunteer tutor-trainees with students and community based classes and projects.
- Run further training workshops for volunteer tutors.
- Host a teaching resource library which all volunteer tutors can access.
- Maintain the organisation's website and a web-based Directory of all Glasgow ESOL provision.
- Provide continuing support to volunteer tutors after their course.
- The Workplace ESOL Project (funded under the Scottish Executive's REICS Fund)
- Pilot workplace ESOL courses in Glasgow to increase the skill base and communication skills of employees for whom English is not their first language
- Pilot workplace ESOL courses in Glasgow to increase the skill base and communication skills of employees for whom English is not their first language
- The ESOL/Adult Literacy Project (funded under the Scottish Executive's Adult Literacy and Numeracy Initiative):
- The pilot course of the PDA in Teaching ESOL Literacies was successfully run and SQA accreditation and validation for the PDA: ESOL Literacies: Teaching Adults was obtained.
- We now host a teaching resource library for ESOL Literacies practitioners