Breaking down Language Barriers: Improving Communication with ESOL Learners &

Addressing Employable Issues

[Add trainer name(s) here]

This resource has been produced by Langside College for the Scottish Government Revised 03/11

Purpose of Workshop

To analyse natural speech patterns and the barriers this can pose to learners of English

To discuss techniques which can be used to improve communication when dealing with non-native English speakers

To understand ESOL learning programmes and qualification frameworks

To discuss issues related to employability for those whom English is not a first language.

This resource has been produced by Langside College for the Scottish Government Revised 03/11

Some Questions...

1. What is the meaning of the term BME?

2. What is the meaning of the term ESOL?

3. According to the 2001 UK Census, what percentage of the Scottish population comes from a BME background?

4. Match the following top three UK BME groups in terms of population numbers of those of working age:

Ethnicity Working age population

Pakistani 0.7 million

Indian 0.55 million

Other 0.5 million

This resource has been produced by Langside College for the Scottish Government Revised 03/11

Some Questions... (cont.)

5. What is the gap in employment levels between BME groups and the white Scottish population?

Note: workshop presenters are strongly encouraged to insert questions on local BME data.

For example:

How many different languages are spoken in [your area/town name]?

How many students are studying ESOL in [your area/town name]?

How many new ESOL enquiries are there each year in [your area/town name]?

This resource has been produced by Langside College for the Scottish Government Revised 03/11

...and Some Answers

1. What is the meaning of the term BME? Black and Minority Ethnic

2. What is the meaning of the term ESOL?

English for Speakers of Other Languages

3. According to the 2001 UK Census, what percentage of the Scottish population comes from a BME background? 2%

4. Match the following top 3 UK BME groups in terms of population numbers of those of working age:

Ethnicity Working age population

Pakistani 0.7 million

Indian 0.55 million

Other 0.5 million

This resource has been produced by Langside College for the Scottish Government Revised 03/11

...and Some Answers (cont.)

5. What is the gap in employment levels between BME groups and the white Scottish population? 16% (60% is the ethnic minority employment rate; 76% is the white employment rate)

This resource has been produced by Langside College for the Scottish Government Revised 03/11

Barriers to Understanding

Speed of delivery

Lack of repetition

Idiomatic language (e.g. “head up to”)

High level grammatical structures (e.g. “if you’re on benefits, you may need to get a letter...”)

High level vocabulary (e.g. “expenses”, “entitled to”, “proof”, “examine accordingly”)

No checking of understanding of content/concepts

Scottish accent ?

This resource has been produced by Langside College for the Scottish Government Revised 03/11

Suggested Alternative

“Go to the Funding Office on the first floor [gesture] and take [gesture] your Job Seekers letter with you. Ask [gesture] about travelling expenses and fill out [gesture] the form.”

This resource has been produced by Langside College for the Scottish Government Revised 03/11

Techniques to Improve Understanding

Make sure other person is listening

Simplify speech – make sentences short and simple and use common vocabulary

Slow pace of delivery

Check understanding/concept check.

Repeat if necessary

Use other means of communication (e.g. body language, mime, visuals, etc.)

Do not worry about being patronising

Lessen Scottish accent

Become aware of the language you are using (think before you speak).

This resource has been produced by Langside College for the Scottish Government Revised 03/11

Common Questions About ESOL

This resource has been produced by Langside College for the Scottish Government Revised 03/11

About ESOL in [your area/town name]

[Insert here information on local ESOL provision and access arrangements]

This resource has been produced by Langside College for the Scottish Government Revised 03/11

ESOL Learner Employability Facts

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

White

British

BME

British

Born

Abroad

Pass

Fail

Statistics show that the ethnic minority employment rate is 16% lower than the white employment rate (60% compared to 76%). (Source: National Employment Panel, 2007)

Recent research on actual job interviews, non-native English speakers fared worse than, either BME British or white British. (Source: Cooke et al., 2007)

This resource has been produced by Langside College for the Scottish Government Revised 03/11

Employability Issues for ESOL Learners

Finding Employment Challenges

Getting Employment Challenges

Sustaining Employment Challenges

Knowing where to find job adverts Understanding job adverts Lack of access to the internet/phone Relating home country qualifications or documents to UK frameworks

Provide a suitable CV Complete job applications Perform well at interviews (where there are often higher linguistic demands than required for actually doing the job) Childcare issues Access to appropriate interview clothes

Undertake communication tasks at work (e.g. business emails, telephone calls, form-filling) Communicate and integrate with colleagues and managers at work Communicate and network with external organisations Childcare issues Funds to enable move from benefits to work

This resource has been produced by Langside College for the Scottish Government Revised 03/11

Further Information

This resource has been produced by Langside College for the Scottish Government Revised 03/11