Creation of resources to help ESOL practitioners better meet the early integration needs of refugees

In early 2019, the Education and Training Foundation in partnership with Learning & Work Institute and Learning Unlimited developed a range of resources for teachers supporting new to ESOL learners. The materials were created following research around provision for learners at pre-entry/ entry level one, looking at barriers to learning and challenges to practitioners. The research report identified 'a shortage of high quality, attractive and flexible teaching and learning materials suitable for use with adult learners at this level, to support the development of functional language skills in day to day settings, and the development of basic literacy skills.' The focus of this project is to build on that work by producing resources to help ESOL practitioners better meet the early integration needs of refugees who are new to ESOL. The UK Government's Integrated Communities Action Plan sets out a vision for integration and defines this as 'communities where people, whatever their background, live, work, learn and socialise together, based on shared rights, responsibilities and opportunities'. Supporting the strategy is the Indicators of Integration framework, which identifies domains that are core to integration. Connected to this, the Home Office report Integrating refugees: What works? What can work? What does not work? A summary of the evidence published in June 2019, states that 'language skills are intrinsic to refugee integration and wellbeing'. In sum, language acquisition is an integral part of integration and this project aims to support ESOL practitioners and volunteers to better meet the immediate language and literacy needs of refugees in the context of their wider and long-term integration.