In a time of increasing xenophobia, cuts to vital support services for migrants and refugees, and increasingly brutal border control policies, we believe it is crucial to enable migrants to make their voices heard (in the only language that some people are prepared to listen to).

Our English for migrants classes will be in partnership with two established migrant organisations, to address currently unmet needs. The first is a charity in East London that supports vulnerable migrants and refugees. The second is in initial asylum accommodation in Croydon (South London). When destitute asylum seekers arrive in Britain, they are placed for an average 4-6 weeks in initial accommodation. Here, they are not eligible for any provisions apart from healthcare, so they currently do not receive any ESOL support. However, it is a very critical phase: leaving initial accommodation with even just a little more linguistic ease can make a significant difference. From January we will be running another class in East London and an advanced English / ‘teacher training’ course for migrants/refugees with good English who are interested in becoming teachers.

You can read about our teachers’ experiences here:
https://babelsblessing.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/daunting-responsibilities-and-brilliant-toddlers-half-term-update-from-an-esol-class/
https://babelsblessing.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/131/