• We are a Grassroots language School based in East London
• We are a Grassroots language School based in East London
We are a grassroots language school based in Spitalfields, East London. Since 2015, we have offered affordable language classes in languages that are politically and culturally important to our community.
The money we get from our Arabic, Latin American Spanish, Bengali/Sylheti, and Yiddish courses helps us offer FREE ENGLISH CLASSES for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
We discuss politics, culture, art, and history as they are experienced through spoken language- valuing diverse accents and everyday speech rather than a single ‘correct‘ version. We apply critical pedagogy methods and principles across all our classes. Our students are actively involved in shaping the learning process. Dedicated teachers are also our team members, administrators, fundraisers, event hosts, and blog writers. We are a non- hierarchical organisation, and everyone is encouraged to take an active role in the project.
Our students are referred to us by a number of local organisations including House of Annetta, Providence Row, Praxis, Hestia, Tower Hamlets Council, Migrant Help, Care 4 Calais, Migrant Rights Network, Whitechapel Gallery, Brady Centre, Freedom Press and others.
We teach adults of all ages and backgrounds, offering
both online and face-to-face classes. Many asylum seekers prefer online learning, which helps them stay connected despite frequent relocations. Others value in-person classes for the opportunity to meet classmates and build community.
Our approach is participatory and student-led.
We encourage learners to shape the curriculum based
on their interests, and we believe everyone in the classroom- teachers and students alike- has something
to share and something to learn.
