NATECLA participating in research into future of ESOL

Demos, a leading cross-party think tank, is undertaking a research project into ESOL provision. NATECLA is participating in the project which aims to make a case for ESOL whilst proposing alternative schemes to increase access to provision for Britain's immigrant community.

The research will examine issues such as:

• The benefits of engaging in ESOL provision for migrants, particularly the increased likelihood of integration into British life
• The emphasis on English language competence for achieving British citizenship, student visas and spouse arrival with the contradictory withdrawal of state funding. See NATELCA's news release on excessive ESOL waiting lists
• The government focus on subsidising programmes for learners on benefits which marginalises many who cannot afford to pay for their own ESOL course

This project will make the case for ESOL language learning and then unpack the language learning process and the implications for language assessment. It will critically evaluate government ESOL policy, identify problems and issues from the perspectives of ESOL students and teachers, as well as policy makers; finally, Demos will propose fully-costed alternative schemes that may increase access to and the quality of ESOL provision for adult immigrants.

>> Find out more about Demos and this project.