Articles on language teaching

Ethnic minority volunteers in ESL teaching
A discussion paper for professional teachers of English as a Second Language to adults, advocating recruiting volunteer tutors from the students’ own communities. With examples from the Croydon English Language Scheme.

Published by NATESLA (National Association for Teaching English as a Second Language to Adults), 1981

Language teaching in the community
A survey of the problems faced by community language classes held outside the school system, run by community organisations or individuals. Considers the kinds of support that could be given by the local education authority, and the type of training that would benefit community teachers.

Published by the Urdu Teaching Newsletter, December 1984
33 pp

Sharing our languages
Simple lesson plans for children in the early stages of learning their community’s language, designed to help teachers in community-run classes move away from traditional methods which rely on rote learning. The emphasis here is on helping children to become confident in speaking about everyday topics, and only then learning to write what they can already say. The topics are everyday things children might talk about, each presented in a range of simple learning activities to keep the lessons lively. The examples given are for Urdu but are set out in a way that can be easily adapted by teachers of other languages.

Qudsia Yousuf & Marion Molteno
Croydon English Language Scheme

What’s it got to do with us?
Articles in a newsletter for teachers of English to speakers of other languages, on their potential role in encouraging students to continue to develop skills in their own languages.

NATESLA News, newsletter of the National Association of Teachers of English as a Second Language to Adults, spring & summer 1987

Gift of tongues
An article in the Times Educational Supplement describing classes where children from minorities are taught their community’s language and can experience aspects of its culture. Advocates for education authorities to respond to a groundswell of enthusiasm within communities.

Times Educational Supplement, 6th May 1988

Educational provision for adult refugees:
A case study from Croydon
A policy paper arguing the need for education authorities to take account of the existing skills and range of the needs of adult refugees. It uses as examples the situation of refugees in Croydon during the early 1990s.

Published by the Refugee Education Project, Croydon, 1993

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