Autumn- Winter ESB News Version 1 PDF v1

ESB: What is your current role? SO: I’m the ESOL Course Leader/Curriculum Leader at Gateshead College. ESOL Skills for Life qualifications are designed to assess real-life language skills for work, further learning or everyday life. I have an overview of each level of ESOL Skills for Life qualifications, ranging from Entry 1 to Level 2 but generally, I specialise at Level 1 and 2. ESB: What attracted you to ESOL? SO: I have been involved with ESOL since 2001, so nearly 20 years now. I had just returned from teaching English as a Foreign Language in a high school in Japan to carry out some work at Newcastle University when a friend called me at a time when the ESOL boom was starting in London. So I got on board! It’s been a big journey in terms of the number of nationalities; the official cohort of Bosnian Serbs and Croats after the breakout of the Bosnian War, then the Eastern European block from the Baltic countries and now an increasing number of Spanish and Italians. It has completely changed now.

ESB: Tell us about your Centre, what are your learners like? SO: ESOL is in general a really diverse area. We are trying to create a pathway to long term employability. We have a cohort of students that we take right through the levels who we build great relationships with over the years. There is a big population of Kurdish students in local areas and we also have a large number of Iranians and quite a few Entry 1 Salvadorians. It’s a moving picture in terms of the population base. At Level 2, I am able to see the progression onto other courses whether it be Higher Education or internally. I bumped into an Egyptian student who has just got onto aviation management and often the first step towards that is their first ESB exam. The presentation task in the Level 1 and 2 assessments are a good platform to share cultural experiences and we also try and use the curriculum to empower them through the activities and the methodology that we use.

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