Our Impact

Between September 2020 and July 2021, approximately 150 students attended our ESOL classes. Although this is something of a decrease in reach, it could actually be said to represent a positive, inasmuch as it indicates a reduction of student turnover. The online format of our classes for people seeking asylum meant that students could continue attending class, despite being moved.

Our classes for people seeking asylum have acted as an initial introduction to the UK, its culture, norms and public services, for people who are unable to access ESOL elsewhere. Many students reported using our ESOL courses as a means of orientating themselves before moving on to more regular or fulltime study in a local college.

Stories from students past and present:

ESOL student to Arabic teacher: Omar’s story


“My name is Omar, I am from Syria. I came to England in late 2015 as asylum seeker. I was one of the students of English classes offered by Babel's Blessing for free to immigrants. 

After the end of the semester Babel’s had a training program [our Advanced ESOL course, which focused on language teaching skills]. I went to this course and got a certificate and I applied to be a teacher in Babel's Blessing. 

I loved this experience, I never imagined that I would be a teacher. But Babel's made it easy to give me basics, how to prepare lessons and deal with students according to their needs and ages. 

And I found it a unique experience as students are eager to learn the language according to their needs and most of them working in the field of human rights or in a charity and have direct contact with people whose mother tongue is Arabic and may not speak others.”

Student to Project Coordinator to Trustee: Basma’s story

“I was an ESOL student with Babel’s Blessing while I was staying in an Initial Accommodation Centre in London. ESOL classes in IACs helped me to improve my English skills and having activities to practice during the classes and conversations with teachers and students helped me to improve my mental health as well. I was then dispersed to Cardiff, but I followed Babel’s on social media, and when the job for Project Coordinator was advertised in February 2022, I had returned to London, and I immediately applied, and was successful!”

  • “In the lockdown life was hard, but coming online on Fridays, I was looking forward to. It was fun and educative class. When I was down during my pregnancy, it helped me a lot. Nobody was judging me. Nobody was saying you didn’t get it right.”

  • “The teacher is very nice. When we don’t understand she explain. Use mobile phone, use pictures. I am feeling good. The teacher is very helpful. The teacher is very kind. I like the teacher is patient - slowly slowly. The teacher helped me to use phone. Now I am confident to use it.”

  • “We talked about homelessness and migrants. It was a good topic. It helped me to talk about this topic in another group I attend. I learned new vocabulary, such as depression, restless, anxiety, empathy.”

  • “It was useful making a lot of sentences. I write down a lot during the class.”

  • “This year we learn about undocumented migrant. I learn a lot. UK, story. We wrote about a lady she came from another country, she is not documented, home office refused her application. She is homeless, she couldn’t register with a GP because she hasn’t got a proof of address. She sleeps in the street, she couldn’t cook, she is hungry. Also she has mental health problems, she has depression. This topic is good because we talked about what happens to migrants. This story can go in the media and this way we campaign - we join together and are powerful. We campaign and there is no more darkness. We need to continue campaigning and then we may be successful. I understood the meaning of article. It’s a good idea to write an article. We can push out to the media - newspaper, Twitter, FB. Everybody can see. We hope that PM can see and change the law.”

Annual Report