Why Online ESOL?
Many people feel that refugee and migrant English language learners need to be in physical classrooms so they can meet others and build social connections.
This excludes large numbers of learners:
- Those who find it difficult to leave home because of childcare, healthcare or cultural reasons.
- Those who are working shifts and cannot make a fixed timetable.
- Those who live miles from the nearest college or community centre hosting ESOL classes, or in areas underserved by public transport.
- Those who want to take specialist courses which are rarely offered, e.g OET or IELTS test preparation, English for Care or Safety, or courses which combine language with practical knowhow on housing and employment rights or driving theory test prep.
Online ESOL courses address all these issues.
- They offer convenience, accessibility and flexibility.
- They bring geographically dispersed learners together.
- They bring in expert teachers who may live hundreds of miles away from their students, but whose quality makes a massive difference to learning outcomes.
They’re also fun, engaging, media-rich classes, and actually they’re pretty social too, with some students forming lasting friendships.
In the next couple of weeks we’re starting courses which illustrate this:
- OET preparation for Ukrainian medical professionals living across Hampshire.
- IELTS preparation for learners across the East of England wanting to access higher education.
- Driving Theory Test preparation for learners across the East of England where having a car makes a real difference to what you can do.
These courses can be transformative. Online makes this possible.
Here’s a presentation I recently gave to the South West Councils Regional ESOL Network setting out the employability-focused online ESOL courses SLC provide and the advantages they offer. If anyone is interested in finding out more, please get in touch.