ESOL for Parents
ESOL for Parents is a free course to help unemployed parents improve their speaking in English. ESOL stands for English for Speakers of Other Languages.
You will come to small, friendly classes for 11 weeks. Classes are held in term-time and there are two classes a week. Most classes are in the morning.
There is an exam at the end of the course. If you pass the exam, you will get a certificate. You will also get a certificate to show that you came to the classes.
ESOL for Parents is free if you can:
* get benefits or tax credits
* live and work in the UK
To start the classes, please phone Maya on 020 8426 2666, or send us an e-mail.
A tutor's view
Sarah Fournier is an ESOL for Parents tutor, and she really enjoys her job. This is what she thinks about the course.
What happens in the classroom?
The course is about speaking and listening, so we spend a lot of time talking as a group. We talk about different themes - our families, food and drink, likes and dislikes. The learners get to know a lot about each other and learn at the same time.
In the exam, the learners talk to the rest of the group about a topic of their choice. We hear some interesting things. One lady talked about how Michael Jackson was abused as a child. Another talked about her favourite film, Shrek. There was even one lady who talked about Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, who was a family friend.
What do learners want from the course?
They all want to get better at speaking English and improve their confidence. Some want to speak to their children in English and help them with their homework. Others want to get a job but their English is not good enough. The course really helps them.
What is the best thing about the course?
The class is always friendly and everybody can speak. The learners always make friends. At the end of one course, I asked, "How many of you knew each other before the start of the course?" None of them did, but they were really good friends at the end!
