NATECLA Scotland Branch Forum-Communicative ESOL classes in grassroots settings
Presenters: Clare Courtney & Alex Holloway
Title: NATECLA Scotland Branch Forum - Communicative ESOL classes in grassroots settings
Date: 12 March 2026
Time: 19:00- 20:30
Presenters: Clare Courtney & Alex Holloway
In this workshop, we will take you through some examples of ESOL projects from the grassroots organisation, Heart & Parcel. Whilst ESOL in formal settings is essential, we argue that small grassroots groups are significant for creating structured communicative activities. In these relaxed spaces, through time and care, learners and these groups become ‘communities of practice’ (Lave and Wenger, 1998; Morita, 2004). That is a group formed by a shared concern or a passion for something, learning how to do it better as they interact regularly. Here, they can practise and develop their language for ‘real world’ communication.
Our work is grounded in theoretical frameworks that take the everyday and make it into a learning experience; connecting linguistic repertoires and embodied experiences. These include task-based learning (e.g. Willis & Willis, 2007), “funds of knowledge” (e.g. Conteh, 2014 and Gregory et al., 2007) and “funds of identity” (Esteban-Guitart & Moll, 2014) as well as other Freirean approaches which embrace dialogical spaces where learners’ own experiences are centred and amplified.
We could go on with the theory but, at the end of the day, how can we – as practitioners, teachers, facilitators – pull all of this into practice? We will share examples of both long-running and short-term projects including Heart & Parcel’s acclaimed Cooking & ESOL work, their “Food for Thought” online blogging project as well as their shorter creative writing and zine-making projects. We reflect on celebrations and challenges in setting these up in the hope that consequent discussions and emerging ideas will inspire others who are interested in starting their own small adhoc groups.