NIACE Committee of Enquiry into English for Speakers of Other Languages

The website for the NIACE Committee of Enquiry into English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) is now live

‘Information about the background to the enquiry, the remit, the committee members, and the research materials.

A scoping paper sets out the issues for ESOL drawn from the literature search which is under way and which is intended to be an important output of the enquiry.

At the first meeting the committee agreed to focus on 5 areas:

– Definition, purpose and need for ESOL

– Leadership and management

– Quality of teaching, learning and support

– Teacher training

– Funding.

We wish to take evidence in relation to these issues to inform our thinking and help us to formulate our recommendations to policy makers, providers, inspectorates, managers and teachers and would like to hear from individuals connected to educational work with adult speakers of other languages in ESOL and related areas. We also want to hear the views of people with language learning needs – individuals not accessing learning provision, as well as current learners.

Please visit the website to find the consultation questionnaire and a framework for conducting focus groups with speakers of other languages. We will collect evidence until the end of May 2006 but responses by the end of January 2006 will be particularly helpful if we are to have time to consider all the evidence in full.

Definition: we are using the term ESOL to include all provision for speakers of other languages. This covers all settings where teaching and learning takes place, and encompasses language support to enable learners to access other subjects as well as designated language learning provision.’