Sandwell Language Network (SLN): Case Study

Background:

Client A is a 55-year-old man who immigrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He arrived in the UK in 2017. He does not have any children and sadly lost his wife in 2021. His first language is Lingala.

Client A is highly capable academically, particularly in maths, however due to a hearing impairment he has had limited ability and opportunity to understand and speak English. This has made it difficult for him to defend or express himself, particularly when attending GP or hospital appointments, and to manage his health issues.

Client A has struggled to make friends due to difficulties with socialising and communication, which has led to feelings of isolation and seclusion. He is a returning SLN participant who successfully completed the SLN programme through the ESOL Entry 1 course.

Client A is in receipt of Universal Credit and has struggled to communicate when accessing employment support services. He also has low digital skills.

Interventions:

Client A was enrolled onto a SLN 2 ESOL course in 2022 at the African French Speaking Community Support. As part of the programme, a needs assessment was carried out, which enabled us to identify Client A’s wider support needs.

Client A was also enrolled onto the employment support programme run by the African French Speaking Community Support, where he received IT and employability support.

The initial assessment included a diagnostic assessment, which identified Client A’s hearing impairment. This allowed the tutor to adapt learning resources and provide a more inclusive and engaging learning environment.

Throughout each session, Client A demonstrated extraordinary effort and engagement. He was able to flourish, build positive relationships with his peers, and during the employability booster sessions he showed strong eagerness to improve his digital skills.

Outcomes / Achievements:

Client A has improved his speaking and listening skills and took part in the ESOL Entry 2 exam. He is currently awaiting his results. His hard work and determination gave him the confidence to sit the exam and work towards gaining a formal qualification.

He is now able to hold basic conversations and communicate more effectively when making GP and hospital appointments. He can relay information more clearly and understands how to contact emergency services when required.

Attending ESOL classes has enabled Client A to meet new people and socialise more than he previously did. We have observed how happy it makes him to attend the sessions and engage with others.

Next Steps:

Client A will continue to attend ESOL and Maths classes at Sandwell College, as he aims to reach Entry Level 3 by the end of 2023.

He has also expressed interest in enrolling onto future digital skills courses provided by the African French Speaking Community Support.

Tutor Comments:

“I’m very proud of the progress made by Client A when it comes to learning. His attendance to class has been exceptional and I wish him all the best for the future.”

Client Comments:

“I appreciate my teacher’s assistance in class. His learning method was good, and it felt like we were a family rather than just being in class. Despite my limitations, I was able to participate in the class and all the methods helped me learn more effectively. The home pack was fun to go through and helped whenever I needed to learn more.”

Sandwell Language Network (SLN): Case Study

Background:

Kanwal is from Pakistan. She has been in the UK since January 2020. She was an art teacher in a school in Pakistan before she came to the UK. Kanwal came to the UK as she got married and came to join her family. She is now living happily in Great Barr, near West Bromwich, with her husband and two children.

Kanwal found out about YCA whilst chatting to a lady in a local park where she had taken her son. Kanwal came to YCA to enquire about services and was introduced to their Parent and Toddler group and the Women’s Wellbeing groups. Even though Kanwal was able to speak basic English, she lacked confidence and had limited opportunities to practise. This had a knock-on effect on her social interactions. Kanwal found it difficult to look for employment, attend hospital and GP appointments, as well as engage in social activities. This meant she felt very isolated, so she was referred to and encouraged to attend intermediate (Entry 2–3) ESOL classes at YCA.

Interventions:

Once enrolled into YCA ESOL classes, with the help and guidance of her tutor Kevin, Kanwal was able to start listening, speaking and actively involving herself in lessons. Over the weeks she attended, Kanwal sensed her confidence growing and felt she wanted more.

In light of her language progression and her ability to support other learners, Kanwal was offered the opportunity to volunteer in ESOL classes at the centre. Kanwal saw this as an opportunity to upskill herself and gain valuable experience, as her new role was to become a tutor herself and work within the community. This also boosted her self-esteem, knowing her English was now good enough to help others.

Through the SLN programme, Kanwal was able to enrol on a Level 3 Award in Education and Training and also joined continuing professional development sessions that provided ESOL tutors and volunteers with training delivered online by NATECLA. These sessions gave her the confidence and ability to practise her teaching skills. For example, she independently delivered ESOL grammar sessions to the SLN class.

Outcomes / Achievements:

Kanwal has gone from strength to strength, from being a student in the YCA ESOL classes to becoming a volunteer on the SLN course. She has a lot more confidence in herself and her increased language skills mean she can now independently go to hospital and actively look for employment.

She now has the confidence to combine her language and art teacher experience to deliver craft sessions for the Women’s Wellbeing group at YCA.

Kanwal has also completed and passed the Level 3 Award in Education and Training course and was appointed as an assistant tutor during the ESOL booster sessions funded by SLN during the summer holidays.

Next Steps:

Kanwal is continuing to provide social craft sessions for YCA’s Women’s Wellbeing group and hopes to have some more ESOL tutor opportunities. She is confident that she will soon secure full-time employment.

Tutor Comment:

"Kanwal has developed her English ability to an advanced level and is very keen to learn all she can. She participates well in class and is inquisitive about every grammar point she has learnt. She carries these qualities over in her role as a volunteer, seeking criticism and advice from the tutor and constantly looking to improve herself, engaging with all learners in a friendly and cheerful manner, and using methods discussed on CPD training."

Participant Quote:

"The education here is very different from my education back home. I have learned a lot in my time at YCA Sandwell, firstly as a student, then as a volunteer. I have seen my confidence grow with all the support I have received from YCA and from my tutor Kevin. All this started with a lady chatting to me in a park and signposting me to YCA.”

Sandwell Language Network (SLN): Case Study

Background:

Client B is a 65-year-old man. His first language is Punjabi and he also knows some Hindi. His educational background is from India, where he studied the equivalent of GCSEs.

He first came to England on 10 June 1984, where he became a Granthi, which is a ceremonial reader of the Guru Granth Sahib in Sikhism. He led daily worship for a number of years.

Client B lives with his family, which consists of his wife and two children, a son and a daughter. Client B speaks primarily Punjabi with his family but sometimes speaks to his children in English. He lives in Smethwick. His children speak fluently in English and are well educated.

Four months ago, Client B first started learning English at SYCC on Mondays and Thursdays. When attending appointments, Client B requires a translator, which is one of the main reasons he wanted to learn English.

Client B has travelled extensively throughout his life and has visited countries such as America and Canada.

Interventions:

Client B receives support from SYCC for learning English by regularly attending English classes. He does not attend other classes.

SYCC is located next to the Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick, which is highly useful for Client B as he is a very religious person. This allows him to pray there as well as access langar, which is the community kitchen of the Gurdwara where free meals are served to anybody regardless of religion, caste, gender, economic status or ethnicity.

Outcomes / Achievements:

Learning English will help Client B greatly when attending appointments, as it will allow him to understand and speak to doctors, receptionists and anyone else involved. He also wants to be able to write English, which will help with appointments, bills and reading daily signs.

When talking with his children, learning English is very important to him, as they mainly communicate in English and are well educated and fluent in the language.

Baldev travels a lot using public transport, specifically buses. Learning English helps him communicate with bus drivers and other passengers when needed.

Next Steps:

Client B enjoys reading a lot. At the moment he only reads Punjabi books, but once he learns English he hopes to read a variety of different books, including religious books and scriptures.

He spends a lot of time with his family and helps everybody in his family with a variety of different tasks, such as food shopping.

Client B enjoys spending quality outdoor time in areas such as his garden, appreciating nature and fresh air.