English Spoken as Other Language (ESOL) Lessons
Ambleside Library, Tuesday Afternoons
The Migrant Conversation Group is a project, started at Ambleside Parish Centre in February 2012, with the aim being to recruit volunteers to run a one to one conversation group with students whose first language isn’t English.
Volunteers were informally interviewed, an interest in people of different cultures, listening skills and empathy were the qualities required.
It is a joint project with Learning Plus who hold classes at Ambleside Library for local students learning IT/literacy and numeracy and also ESOL (English spoken as other language) students. All ESOL students are offered the change to join the conversation group. The class is held on Tuesday afternoons from 1 – 3 at the library.
So far we have had many students ranging in age from 21 to 58 and from countries as diverse as Colombia, Brazil, Poland, Korea, Spain, Hungary, Hong Kong, France, Czech Republic and Bolivia.
Our volunteers have been amazing with many positive results e.g. One student was prepared for an interview in which she was successful, another had help prepare a presentation, another had help finding a doctor. All students have found the group have helped their English but also real friendships have been made. Volunteers and students sometimes have coffee together away from the group. One volunteer has invited a student into her home.
The group meets on Tuesday afternoons. There is one-to-one conversation then we all come together for a tea break where discussions happen. Students often discuss their latest travel plans or talk of their experiences. Many have endured numerous problems some of which we have helped with or we have signposted them to other organisations such as the Multi-Cultural Service or the CAB.
The volunteers have all grown in confidence and feel real benefits from helping others. We have all learnt so much about other cultures.
Please find contact details here:
Helen Minton
Learning Plus
c/o Ambleside Parish Centre
Vicarage Road
Ambleside
LA22 9DH
Tel.015394 34172
Email: admin@amblesidepc.org.uk
Website: www.amblesideparishcentre.org.uk