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CHAPTER SEVEN: ISSUES AFFECTING DEMAND

7.1 In this chapter we draw on the interviews of learners, providers and stakeholders to explore some of the factors that have affected demand for ESOL courses. This also includes consideration of the extent that A8 migrants and the UK citizenship test has had on demand for specific types of provision. Distinctions are made between areas and groups of learners where they are evident.

Need for ESOL

7.2 The main reasons that learners give for taking ESOL classes were:

• to better integrate into Scottish society and communicate on a daily basis;
• to improve their prospects of gaining employment in Scotland;
• to gain employment in the field that they had worked in when living in their home country;
• to take courses and be able to pursue a new career;
• to generally improve their language skills; and
• to live successfully in Scotland.

7.3 The learners we spoke to came from a range of backgrounds but most had found that their English skills were a barrier to their employment and integration. One provider commented that he knows of a learner who is a doctor in his home country but is working as a cleaner in Scotland because of lack of English knowledge. Another provider commented that she is:

" working with a 17 year old girl, who has the equivalent of Standard Grades in India, but she cannot get into a school to continue studying because she cannot speak English. We have been trying for over a year to get her a place somewhere."

7.4 One CLD Partnership commented that:

" our biggest concern is that there are a lot of highly skilled people working in low paid, low skilled jobs because their English is not of a suitable level for skilled labour."

7.5 Generally A8 migrants focussed more on progressing in employment as being the main reason to study ESOL whereas asylum seekers and settled migrants also expressed the importance of better settling into their life in Scotland. Asylum seekers also face the additional difficulty of not having the ability to work, so in many cases they are unable to use their English skills as much as they would like in their current situation.

7.6 In the following case a learner from Poland describes his experience with ESOL at an FE college.

Learner 2
This 26 year old Polish learner studied ship technology in his home country. He has lived in Scotland for 2 years and is currently working as a chef. He is taking ESOL classes because he wants to improve his English and be more fluent. He had taken courses in Poland in school. He will finish his course in a month and get an SQA qualification. He enjoys his class and has met a lot of people. When he applied for ESOL classes initially he was put on a waiting list and did not have a place for 7 months. He was unhappy at the time because he had wanted to start earlier but he knew that there were a lot of people on the waiting list.

Now that he has taken the class overall he is very happy. He finds his teachers are helpful and he is learning vocabulary, grammar, speaking, reading, listening and writing. He is able to practice English in his jobs, which is helpful for improving. Sometimes he asks his teacher to help him with day-to-day tasks such as writing letters, job applications, his CV, etc. and he finds her to be very open to this.

He feels he is lucky because of EU enlargement he was able to come and work and study in Scotland, otherwise he would still be living in Poland. He is not sure how long he will stay in Scotland, but he feels he's lucky since Poland is in the EU he gets free classes, other learners have to pay.

7.7 In the following case an asylum seeker from Sri Lanka expresses her experience with taking ESOL courses at a voluntary provider.

Learner 3 is a 43 year old woman from Sri Lanka. She has lived in Scotland for almost 7 years and has only been taking English for one year. She goes to courses twice a week and is taking Intermediate 2 courses, for which she will gain an SQA qualification. She found out about the courses from her friends. She enjoys the class but does not feel she is learning as much as she could because the course only meets twice a week. She also wishes she could take courses in a vocational area to complement her ESOL but as she is an asylum seeker, she is only allowed to have ESOL and computing as free provision. This makes her feel disappointed. She also has some childcare barriers as she has a 4 year old child at home.

7.8 Generally providers felt that most learners appreciated the everyday vocabulary they were taught in courses, as that was the most helpful to enable them to communicate on a regular basis.

7.9 The providers' perceptions of learners needs included the following:

• An FE provider in the South West commented that learners wished to improve their employment prospects, to help fit in socially; to improve their skills and to be competent in English; and to meet people from the same background;
• An FE provider in Central West commented that learners took ESOL classes to plan for the future. They specifically looked for courses with qualifications as that would assist them in meeting requirements for either programmes they would want to study or jobs they would want to take up. Additionally, it was reported that some learners are already in work and are looking to improve their English, to improve their employment prospects and advance their career;
• A CLD Partnership in Central region reported that learners take ESOL classes to become more proficient. They want to be able to use English in day-to-day life, and they want to obtain better employment;
• An FE college in Central West mentioned that overall, it seemed that employment purposes and basic overall living needs were the main reason for taking ESOL courses;
• A voluntary provider in the Highlands/ WI reported that learners want to improve their language skills, and decided to take ESOL classes for social integration. They were interested in social networking and the work based learning is helpful in their workplace;
• A private provider in Fife and Tayside mentioned that they are hired by employers often to help workers with poor levels of English with mandatory requirements such as health and safety, to improve working relations and increase their ability to communicate and understand instructions. Overall, they wanted "to get the best out of their staff";
• An FE provider in Fife and Tayside stated that learners were enrolled in classes to gain further qualifications. All the learners want a minimum of the Cambridge First Certificate as this is now universally recognised in Europe.

7.10 In the following case, a learner from a non EU country describes his experiences with courses at a voluntary organisation.

Learner 4
He arrived in the UK from Syria 2 years ago. He was a journalist in his native country but currently works as a cleaner. He is taking ESOL because he hoped to continue his writing in English and he misses his ability to easily communicate.

"Language is everything. As a journalist, a professional communicator, the lack of language is particularly difficult. Without language there can be no integration".

He had begun his English course with a 3 month programme in a voluntary organisation course funded through an ALN. He finished that course and was attending another course at a different voluntary organisation weekly for 1.5 hrs which lasts for 3 months and for which he pays £45. He also uses the voluntary centre regularly for advice on other issues such as employment etc. He did not have to wait long to enrol in the course but finds that it is crowded and oversubscribed and that there is not enough space in the classroom. Despite this, he feels the course is good and more advanced and structured than the council Adult Learning course which was very basic. His class is mainly survival English but he wants more than that, as he wants to be able to communicate, discuss philosophy, art, and politics. He has found that some teachers are excellent, others are not as good. One of his teachers was Scottish and spoke very quietly with a very strong accent. This made learning difficult and he stopped attending that course because of it. He has enrolled in another course, taught by a qualified language tutor, whom he has found to be excellent.

Suitability of courses to learners' needs

7.11 Overall, learners were pleased with the quality and level of provision offered. They felt they were learning the vocabulary they needed and were very positive about their teachers and the quality of the courses. However, there were a few cases where learners felt that there was a difference in quality between different teachers. In one case a learner switched courses because his teacher spoke too quickly and he could not understand him. In another case, a learner was taking multiple ESOL units and had different teachers for each. She felt that one teacher was more interactive and dynamic than another. She requested and was subsequently able to switch to have the teacher she preferred for both units.

7.12 Generally, learners appreciated the diversity of topics covered in their classes, from grammar to Scottish traditions and culture, to practical issues about day-to-day living. They also appreciated the ability to gain qualifications and felt that receiving them would better assist them to further their goals. One Polish learner, with training in business management and human resources, is presently working as a lifeguard. He commented that he thinks that the English course he is taking will assist him to gain employment in his field.

7.13 On the whole stakeholders felt that courses met the needs of learners' enrolled. However, stakeholders did stress that ESOL was an important necessity for providing the means to integrate.

7.14 One stakeholder mentioned the need for more classes geared to everyday vocabulary, especially for beginning learners.

" The women that I work with don't want SQA 2, they want to be able to go shopping, talk to the doctor, register their child in school. There must be another way so that colleges don't target grades".

7.15 Another stakeholder indicated that ESOL classes targeting new migrants had to adapt to their needs as workers with higher level skills.

" There needs to be new settlement English for migrant workers, there is possibility for survival English, where new migrant workers are offered free 10 week course of orientation - for example how to open a bank account, register with the doctor, use the telephone."

7.16 Stakeholders have noticed that there has been a recent change in topics covered in ESOL courses to incorporate more information around citizenship elements and relating to daily lives.

Barriers

7.17 There are various barriers that learners have experienced in accessing ESOL. The main barriers are;

• availability of childcare during course hours;
• cultural barriers to women attending courses outside of the home;
• affordability of courses where fees are charged;
• teachers not speaking native language;
• transportation and proximity of courses;
• resources for learners with disabilities.

Some of these barriers also include the flexibility of course hours to accommodate inflexible/ irregular work schedules. ³⁵

Childcare

7.18 Providers mentioned that childcare was one of the most common concerns for their learners. Some providers reported that even women whose children were in school were unable to attend courses because there was no childcare on school holidays or for when their children fall ill. Some providers, both voluntary and FE colleges, offer crèches which have been enormously helpful to female learners. Lone parents are especially in need of childcare. Many female learners with children who were interviewed stressed the importance of childcare to participating actively in ESOL courses. One stakeholder commented that:

" Some women tend to find it more difficult because of childcare, they all have housework. We gave the women the option of times and most of the women who have families said the best time is between 2 and 4, as their husbands were not at home, and children are at school."

Cultural barriers

7.19 Some providers also reported that there was a low attendance of women in evening classes because they did not feel safe. One voluntary provider commented that women may feel uncomfortable coming to their centre if they do not look 'obviously Scottish' and they were afraid of potential violence, even though most of the violence is Scot on Scot. A voluntary organisation in Central West received funding to deliver courses specifically for female learners. Due to fear of violence, women were not attending evening classes, and the college has now discontinued them. A stakeholder commented that single sex classes in community settings would be useful, especially for certain communities where women are less likely to leave their house.

7.20 One stakeholder commented on the difference between barriers faced by settled ethnic minorities and those faced by new migrants, with respect to women.

" There is a gap in provision for the settled ethnic minority communities, there are people that emigrated here 20, 30, 40 years ago and are part of Scotland but still have language needs. For example, the women in Pakistani communities have different language needs to new migrants and asylum seekers. We do not seem to target this group and little work goes on with this group. They are a forgotten branch of ESOL". ³⁶

7.21 Many providers recognised the importance of reaching out to BME communities and actively sought partnerships with community outreach organisations and racial equality councils. One CLD Partnership in Fife and Tayside mentioned that they have a dedicated staff member whose role it is to develop community based provision.

Affordability of courses

7.22 Where there were fees for courses, affordability of courses provided another barrier for learners. Furthermore, some voluntary organisations offered free courses for beginning learners but for more advanced courses learners were referred to the local college where they were required to pay. This system often discouraged learners from progressing because they could not afford the fees.

Native language

7.23 An additional barrier mentioned by a few stakeholders, who work directly with A8 migrant populations, was that teachers did not speak learners' native language. One commented that:

" it can be difficult to go to mainstream provision as the teachers did not speak the language. This can be a big barrier."

7.24 The learners interviewed for this study did not mention that this was a barrier and a few learners commented that it was better that teachers did not speak their language and that it was useful for their learning that they were prohibited from speaking their native language in class. This issue was not mentioned by either learners or providers.

Transport

7.25 Transport was cited as a barrier to attendance by some learners, especially in rural areas with poorer infrastructure. As one provider commented:

" people are reluctant to travel, due to the issue about the number of hours they can study and the amount of money/cost factor involved in travelling".

7.26 Offering free travel or community classes were seen as useful solutions to this.

7.27 In a rural area learners are more likely to travel longer distances, as one provider commented: "Many learners have to travel into town for classes". One provider located near the city centre offers free bus travel. "The learners get free bus travel, and usually have journeys of approximately 20 minutes".

7.28 To accommodate learners some providers, mainly voluntary, have attempted to offer courses in areas where they know there are groups of learners. Providing workplace ESOL has been seen as one useful option. One CLD Partnership delivered classes to groups across their geographical area. These groups are very fluid and mobile and are delivered to accommodate people's needs. For example, if the group contained individuals of mixed abilities then the practitioner would deliver a mixed ability session.

Learners with disabilities

7.29 Overall, most of the providers had accessible buildings for disabled learners. However, disabilities were seen to be a barrier for some learners. One stakeholder that works with asylum seekers and refugees commented that it was difficult because some learners have mental disabilities having been victims of torture. "This is a barrier, as you have to double empower learners." Another stakeholder commented that there were limited materials for visually impaired learners. One stakeholder mentioned that dyslexia could be a barrier that is not readily addressed.

" Dyslexia can be a barrier, it is very difficult to diagnose in first language learners; the question for ESOL teachers is whether it is usual language problems or a learning difficulty."

7.30 One CLD Partnership in Fife and Tayside partners with two organisations for learners with dyslexia to address this barrier.

Opportunities to progress

7.31 All learners commented that the courses they were attending were pitched at the right level. There were a few comments that there is not an opportunity to progress to higher levels, this is predominately in courses that are offered through the voluntary sector where advanced levels were not available. In a few cases, learners planned to repeat their current class once finishing because there were no more advanced class offered at the provider and they prefer not to leave this provider to have to attend courses at an FE college where they would have to pay for tuition.

7.32 One stakeholder commented that opportunities to progress can be both a barrier on the learner side and on the provider side.

" The biggest barrier we have is moving people on. ESOL is good for the community, people don't want to move onto the next level and their teachers want to keep them. We have people who have been in ESOL for 10 years."

7.33 In the following case a learner described her experience at a voluntary provider.

Learner 5 is a lone parent from Iran. She has lived in Scotland for the past 4 years and is taking ESOL and computing classes at a voluntary organisation in the Central region twice a week. She is taking ESOL courses because she wants to improve her English and wants "to think about the future." She is an asylum seeker and hopes to stay in Scotland forever. She is currently taking Upper Intermediate classes. Last year she took intermediate. In June she finishes her classes and she would like to progress to an advance class but since the provider does not offer one she is thinking of re-taking the Upper Intermediate class. She enjoys the classes and thinks her teacher is good. The classes cover grammar as well as cultural aspects of living in Scotland such as traditions and holidays. She enjoys the classes because she meets people and feels the class is a positive influence on her life. She is thankful for the crèche because otherwise she would not be able to attend.

Impact of EU enlargement and citizenship test

7.34 All providers agreed that EU enlargement had greatly affected the demand for their courses. One stakeholder commented on the impact recent migrants have had on demand.

" The difficulty has been that many young Poles/Lithuanians are very good at coming forward and sourcing classes, but there is often none available. In many areas the demand is more than the supply. We also have a hidden ESOL need in settled communities. EU enlargement has increased the number of workers from Eastern and Central European Countries, and encouraged families to settle in Scotland for longer periods of time. The new trend towards settlement has increased the need for vocational ESOL".

7.35 A stakeholder in Fife and Tayside commented that they have seen their demographics shift over the last few years.

" The provision used to be dominated by Asian and Chinese, now the learners are predominately Eastern European. There has been an increase in demand."

7.36 In a few cases providers are charging for courses mainly attended by A8 members for specialised ESOL. For example, a voluntary provider targeting women in Fife and Tayside offers free classes to learners but charges for the mixed-gender evening course, which is mainly attended by Polish learners. For this course, the learners pay a nominal fee to cover the cost of the tutor. In other cases, providers are offering free courses targeting specific A8 nationals.

7.37 In the following case a Polish learner describes how EU enlargement enabled her to move to Scotland and take English classes. She is taking classes at an FE college that offers SQA units for all learners.

Learner 6 is a 55 year old woman from Poland and has been living in Scotland for the past 2 years. She is working as a cleaner but is studying to work in a nature preserve. She is taking ESOL to improve her English as she is "fed up not understanding people". She is finishing her current course in 2 months and then will hopefully enrol in an advanced class but she is nervous that she may not get a place.

Her English classes are full-time. She finds them helpful and enjoyable. She is thrilled to be able to take classes. She found out about the classes after moving to Scotland through a friend of hers, she heard that she could take free courses and was thrilled.

Before she moved to Scotland she would never have envisaged herself living in Scotland and taking ESOL classes.

" It's like a miracle because first I found that the classes are free and secondly I had a big surprise and got a bursary from the government. £4,000 it was like gold on your head. Free places and they pay for you to study. I couldn't imagine something like that in my country."

She likes her teachers but finds that there is too much time spent in classes preparing for exams. Some people in class are doing Cambridge Advanced but that is too difficult for her. She finds that the most useful part of the class is the conversation and she has asked the teacher to spend more time on that. She has asked specific questions about things she finds in the newspaper. She has asked her teacher for help with administrative issues and has gotten help with housing issues.

7.38 Providers have more mixed views over whether the citizenship test is affecting demand for ESOL. Some organisations say it is not an issue because you need to have a high level of ESOL to take it and many migrants do not consider citizenship until they have been resident for a few years and become settled, others say it is a major issue. For example, one provider commented that:

" the UK citizenship test is the biggest issue; if the person wants to apply to remain here they have to sit the test".

7.39 Another provider commented on the connection between ESOL and the citizenship test.

" ESOL and the citizenship test run together. Some ESOL classes offer citizenship - you cannot take the test if you cannot read or speak English."

7.40 Most FE providers have or are in the process of incorporating citizenship materials into the curriculum for their courses. An FE provider in Central West commented that they do not offer a specific course called ' ESOL for citizenship', but citizenship is embedded in all courses up to the intermediate level (which is the minimum requirement for the citizenship test).

7.41 One FE college commented that they deliver one 'citizenship' course. This helps to prepare people for the online UK citizenship test. Some learners taking Access 2 and Access 3 ESOL with citizenship courses ask for a letter from the college to state that they have completed the course, as an alternative to taking the online test. An FE college in Central West reported that most of their learners were in the UK with a view to staying in the country on a permanent basis. A lot of learners aspired to complete the UK citizenship test as well as wish to have the language skills to enable them to get on with everyday life.

7.42 An FE provider in Fife and Tayside commented that they collaborate with the CLD in delivering citizenship courses.

" The college itself does not deliver ESOL and citizenship courses. With regard to these classes, the college works in partnership with the local council. The council delivers the citizenship element of the class and the college delivers the other elements, focusing on the ESOL".

7.43 Most providers did say that EU enlargement did not impact on the demand for the citizenship test, as those who are interested in taking the test are usually not A8 nationals. However, there have been cases of providers who have seen an increase in learners of other backgrounds and have therefore added provision to include preparation for the test. One FE provider in Central East commented that they have seen an increasing number of learners interested in the citizenship test lately, these individuals would probably have taken ESOL courses even if preparation for the test was not offered, as they were hoping to gain language skills as well to secure employment and "live independently and with greater confidence". In the Highlands/ WI, CLD Partnerships and voluntary providers did comment that most learners

" are in the UK with a view to staying in the country on a permanent basis. A lot of learners aspire to complete the UK citizenship test".

Key points from this chapter

• All providers agree that EU enlargement and the introduction of the citizenship test have affected demand. In many regions A8 nationals are replacing migrant groups which have traditionally accessed ESOL and/or falling numbers of asylum seekers. The introduction of the citizenship test has caused a need for changes to ESOL curriculum, which some providers have implemented;
• Overall, learners are pleased with the structure, quality, curriculum and levels of courses, although a few prefer additional opportunities for progression. There have also been instances of differences in quality of teachers within the same provider;
• There are a number of reasons that factor into learners' decisions to take ESOL courses. They are: to better integrate; improve employment prospects; take courses in other subjects to pursue a new career; improve overall language skills;
• ESOL demand is due to a belief that increased language skills improve employability and enable learners to progress into more lucrative work;
• There are a number of barriers learners face in accessing ESOL. Some are more prevalent than others. The more prevalent barriers fall under the categories of availability of childcare, culture, transport, and affordability;
• EU enlargement has not affected demand for courses preparing learner to take the UK citizenship test, although in some areas there has been increasing demand to prepare for this test from non European nationals;
• Most learners were complimentary of the quality of provision and the opportunity to progress.

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