Community: Mind Your Language

I’ve been an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) tutor in Birmingham for ten years, teaching English to adults in further education colleges. It’s a world governed by rigid systems, tough targets and formal exams. A year ago I’d had enough, and quit my job to become a writer. I was however keen to keep my teaching muscles flexed. I knew, through my friend Susannah, that the Big Issue ran ESOL classes, so I let her know I’d be happy to help out if they ever needed an extra pair of hands. Shortly after, one of their volunteer teachers left and I found myself having to make good on my promise.

The Big Issue in Birmingham set up their ESOL classes because vendors were arriving in the office with a very low level of English, which was having a negative impact on their sales. Being able to ask for directions, give their name and address, and describe any problems on their pitch is also important for vendors’ safety. The classes are part of the Big Issue’s commitment to helping and supporting vendors, another arm to the range of welfare services offered. Through improving their language skills, vendors can gain confidence in themselves, become more independent and be empowered to make positive changes in their lives. 

I knew that teaching at the Big Issue would be very different to what I was used to. Unlike college students, not all of the vendors have sought out language classes. For some, due to their very low level of English, they are mandatory - no class, no badge - so I knew I’d probably face some resistance. But I’ve faced similar issues teaching Jobcentre Plus clients, and have developed a wide range of cunning methods for winning over reluctant students. The most important factors are making sure the lessons are enjoyable (there’s a lot of laughing in my classroom) and ensuring the content is relevant to students’ lives.

However, not everything was as I expected it. Having been an active supporter of the Big Issue since it began, I was aware that many vendors struggle with other issues, such as substance abuse or mental health problems. I must confess to being slightly apprehensive about how well equipped I was to deal with potential incidents in the classroom. But I’m not one to back down from a challenge, so put my trust in the Big Issue staff not to put me in any situations I couldn’t handle.

As it turns out, my fears were unfounded - the students have been nothing but polite, charming and respectful. However, I did face a challenge of a different sort. The college classes I was used to teaching had been hugely diverse, a melting pot of students from all over the world. I was surprised to discover that all of the Big Issue vendors attending English classes in Birmingham are Romanian, and therefore all speak the same language. I soon realised I’d have to adjust the way I taught in order to discourage them from speaking to each other in their own language during class. One trick I developed was to encourage the students to police the ‘English only’ rule themselves, and they now take great delight in reprimanding their classmates when they slip into Romanian. I’ve also learned to take advantage of having a monolingual group - by asking the stronger students to explain certain things in Romanian, it helps the lower ability students keep up more easily. 

With the change of teacher, and classes having been running for two years, it seemed like the right time to give the course more of a structure. I shadowed a couple of lessons run by the part time volunteer teacher, got to know the students, then sat down with Tom and Susannah to talk about what outcomes the organisation needed. We also asked the students, with the help of our Romanian translator Mariana, about the things that they’d like to learn in class.

What we’ve come up with is a 26 week rolling programme, covering 13 key topics (for example, pitch management, health, shopping, giving directions), with a strong focus on speaking and listening. A student joining at any point and attending for 13 weeks will cover each topic once. After 13 weeks the student is assessed by Big Issue staff. If their English is good enough, they no longer have to attend classes. If their English still isn’t up to scratch, then they have to keep attending for another 13 weeks. They will cover the same topics, but the lesson activities will be different, so they don’t feel they are just repeating the same lessons. It’s a crash course in the essentials of getting by in English and should equip the vendors who complete it with enough confidence and language to stay safe whilst selling.

We’re now approaching the end of the first cycle and, fingers crossed, it seems to be going really well. It’s very rewarding when students declare ‘this is very important’ and ‘this was a very good lesson Alex’ as they leave the room. I’ll be pacing nervously as the first students have their 13 week assessments, and will be intrigued to see if any choose to continue with the lessons after they are no longer compulsory. 

My dream would be to see similar classes rolled out across the Big Issue network, adapting the curriculum to meet local needs. Not only would this benefit more vendors, but more teachers would have the opportunity to experience the privilege of working in an environment where it’s not about targets or inspections or government policy, but where the focus really is on giving help and support to those who need it most.

Published by The Big Issue, June 2014