1. Informal ESOL Classes. Liberating Pedagogy or Teaching without a Theory? Martin Nickson University of Hull Department of Modern Languages

2. Policy Target groups Settled communities Migrant workers Partners/ Spouses. Refugees Asylum seekers Settled refugees (ELR) Adapted from: http://www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/esol/ What is ESOL???

3. What is Non-mainstream ESOL? That provision usually referred to by Government as community and voluntary provision. Some possible characteristics Non-accredited Volunteer teachers Informal or non-formal “Drop –in” No formalised curricula No Measurable outcomes (in terms of exams but SROI?) No registration requirements Free Unregulated – anyone can start a class! Not covered by Ofsted Can range from one class per week in a church hall to daily provision in a grant funded community centre….

4. The ESOL triangle. Learners Language Needs Social needs Previous experience Socioeconomics Social Policy Citizenship tests Condition of benefit Immigration policy Big Society Educators Teaching strategies Political/philosophical perspective Language Acquisition Research

5. Everybody loves Community and Voluntary ESOL ! Government: “I am, therefore, pleased to announce that we will work in partnership with the Department for Communities and Local Government on developing new forms of support for those who need informal, community-based learning of English.” (Hayes, 2011). Also see Our Shared Future (Singh 2007)Focusing English for Speakers of Other Languages on Community Cohesion (DBIS 2008), Implementing the New Approach to ESOL (DUIS 2009). The question is “why?”.

6. Visit of the Big Man

7. Investigating the Relationship between social policy, teaching strategy and learner needs in Non-mainstream ESOL in Hull. Mapping the scope of non-mainstream ESOL Critical analysis of policy for non-mainstream ESOL – ideology and rationale, funding. Which learners access non-mainstream and why? How is teaching strategy developed in non-mainstream? Is there a distinctive or cohesive non-mainstream pedagogy, rationale and ideology? Methodology drawing on : Effective Teaching and Learning (Baynham et al 2007) HENNA (Simpson et al 2011) “Now I do it by myself” Refugees and ESOL (Phillimore et al 2007)

8. A small scale study to investigate teaching strategy in a non-accredited, non-formal ESOL class. Constraints of formal accredited teaching and learning: Top-down imposed curricula Managerialism – box-ticking, outcomes Dependant on social and institutional policy Dominant sociopolitical agenda proscribes and prescribes pedagogy. Do non-accredited, non-formal classes provide a space for teachers to explore alternative pedagogical approaches?

9. Adult and Lifelong Learning: Exploring Pedagogies -Learner centred vs liberatory vs humanistic? -Skills vs knowledge -Didactic vs dialogic Not a comprehensive list !!!!!!!!

10. Teaching : Art, Craft of Science? 1. Craft: “trade in the worn out applied science metaphor for the moral craft metaphor” (Tom, 1980). 2. Art: “Theorising on the art of teaching” (Simpson, 1986). 3. Science: “Elements of a Science of Education” (Kalantzis, 2005).

11. Possible Pedagogies 1 : Malcolm Knowles and Andragogy(not pedagogy!) Andragogy proposed as distinct from pedagogy because: Adults as self-directed learners Experience as basis for learning Problem solving emphasized Adults should be involved in planning their own education Humanistic influenced. Mostly US/North America, but influential in informal/non-formal learning worldwide. Relevance to ESOL: adult learners, age effects of SLA

12. Possible Pedagogies 2: Learner Centred/Task based. Learner centred: eg Brundage and MacKeracher Task based Languages Instruction: Nunan 1995 ESOL : Learner needs as critical Image: Dolence 2003

13. From: Orellana 2002. Possible Pedagogies 3: Liberatory/Dialogic Learning. Paulo Friere – Conscientization, Dialogue, and Liberation(Yep, 1998)

14. Possible Pedagogies : Autonomy As an example, if ‘autonomy’ is the aim of your teaching, there are (at least) 4 perspectives on autonomy in language learning Technical perspective Psychological perspective Sociocultural perspective Political perspective “A blessed rage for order” (Oxford, 2003).

15. Many theories, many possible Teaching Strategies. Teaching strategy = ((Beliefs + training) x theory)+context ________________________ Resources Where Beliefs = ∞, Training = Various, Theory = ∞, Context = 10 x ∞ “Teacher expertise and vision are the most effective resources for effective ESOL practice” (Baynham etc 2007).

16. Case Study Research Project An investigation of the teaching strategies (and theoretical perspectives) of five (ESOL) teachers working in a community-based programme investigated through a case study approach. Five individual semi-structured interviews with teachers.

17. Background: Teachers Volunteers. 1 retired, 2 in post, 2 newly qualified. All professionally qualified. 2 with ESOL/EFL qualifications. 1 French teacher. Learners Asylum seekers/refugees/ European economic migrants Not assessed formally – most Pre-entry Level AECC (estimate) Classes Non-accredited, no curriculum, no attendance requirements, ‘drop-in’, free. 3 – 5 class per day, 4 days per week Organisation EU funded, social enterprise. Not a small organisation – 300 employees in Hull.

18. A. “I plan the lesson on Sunday, photocopy it on Monday and by Tuesday morning you’re probably scrabbling for some thing in the cupboard because …..you might ends up with ten people, there might be three of them just with their names on bits of paper, there might be one like [……] who could do a Masters. And it doesn’t matter that you don’t have a lesson plan, you don’t need it. They’re just not bothered.” B. “As far as week by week activities go, they come out of my head. I was told really early when I was teaching that you need access to other resources, you cant do it all out of your head. Well I’m still doing it.” Describe how you plan your teaching/ teaching strategy?

19. C: “I’ve done a TEFAL course where we did lots of interactive things ………but it just doesn’t work, they want traditional teaching methods: Teacher at the front, they sit round the desk and just get on with it.” D: “We don’t follow no curriculum, its just hands on – What do you think’s going to work for this week?” E: “Normally do a little bit of research the day before. And then get it off the internet.” Describe how you plan your teaching/ teaching strategy?

20. A. “I do insist that every word that’s spoken during the course of a lesson is English and I no ruthlessly split up people of the same language.” A.“…in the end they’ve got to learn for themselves. They haven’t got to, sort of get it right by getting help from their friends, because in the end that doesn’t help them to learn the language.” B.“What people don’t realize is settings like this, people learn by osmosis.” C.“I don’t go in for this, erm, you know ‘they need to be cohesive and integrate into the community because I don’t believe that they do anyway. [Gives example of personal experience]. They don’t integrate.” D.“Its mainly hands on. I haven’t got a clue what I’m doing on Tuesday until Monday night – ‘Oh that’ll do’. Or even sometime Tuesday morning, you’ll think ‘Oh we’ll do that this week’. “ More on teaching/ teaching strategy.

21. Teaching without a theory? Many of the teacher’s comments appear to directly contradict good practice and theory in teaching: Separating learners (Vygotsky) a monolingual classroom (plurilingualism and multiculturalism) learning by ‘osmosis’ (most(all?)learning theory) anti-integration and cohesion (community of practice, Govt policy, ) ‘that’ll do’.... ( ? )

22. But …. The Realities of non-accredited, non- formal classes. “I cannot offer a coherent course. Every lesson is free standing.” “the very nature of the people that come to the lessons - its chaotic because they cant commit because they don’t know when they’ve got to see a solicitor, an immigration officer, a job centre, do you know what I mean ? “ “ I think that I teach Eastern European, Somalian, Kurdish, Iranian….” Extremely heterogenous classes (superdiversity). “Drop in” nature of classes + life outside the classroom = unpredictable attendance

23. Also ….Other responses showed a surprising homogeneity. Some of the other questions asked were: Why do you teach ? What are the language needs of the learners? What are you trying to achieve in your teaching? Why do learners come to lessons? Some additional themes emerged: The classes’ significance for women An ‘affinity for chaos’

24. Why do you teach? - B: “…….You cant stop people learning. You cant say ‘Piss off, you cant come, we don’t have enough room’. They’ve had enough people saying that.” - D: We need bring up quite a lot more, because there’s just so much racism here. And there’s no need to be. Well I don’t think so, everybody should just get on with what they’re doing and should should’n care what anyone else does.

25. Why do you teach? D. “The more I got to know these people, you know, they’re trying their best to make their own way in life, maybe they’ve been persecuted in their own country – which a lot have – bombs going off……It just helps them when they’re going about doing their daily life.” A. “I don’t tend to think in grand terms, I think about how we are helping somebody who is otherwise quite isolated ……”

26. What are the language needs of the learners? B: “It’s [confidence] the main one. It’s the confidence. I think because of the fact, of what’s happened to them before they’ve got here, particularly if they’ve been held somewhere, their self esteem is rock bottom. Some of them are quite traumatized, particularly these young women are, you know….” Note: all other teachers identified confidence as main learner need.

27. What are you trying to achieve in your teaching? E. “A lot of it is when they first come, and they don’t understand English, and I say’ Just walk around and listen. Just sit there on the bus. Just drive round the city and listen to people talk, and then pick it up that way.” B. “The beginning is to teach them what they need to get by so they can go to Sainsbury’s they can get a bus ticket they can get a train ticket.” A. “And make them feel confident about interacting with people they don’t actually know. But of course there are huge cultural problems about that in some cases.” Note: functional skills/ autonomy

28. Why do learners come to lessons? A: “I think the majority of it is social because they’re not allowed to work, they don’t have relatives here. If they’re in accommodation its usually complete rubbish. In the winter they’re sitting in the cold. A lot of the reasons they come here is because it’s light, its nice, we’re welcoming, we can make them coffee and they’re warm. So that’s one bit of it. They come here because it’s a nice place to be. Another part is they come here because they feel safe. We’re not going to ask any questions, nobody says where’s your passport, where’s your utility bill? They come here in the beginning because people say to them ‘You must learn English because if you want to stay here you have to learn English’. So they come here originally because they’re told to by the authorities. And when they get here they think “This is great. I can have some bourbon biscuits, I can make myself a coffee,…” Note: The importance of classes as a social space facilitated by non- formal nature of classes was also highlighted by other teachers.

29. Emerging themes 1: Women B: “Especially the women, I’d say, more than anything else, because they’re at home all day. And when they come out, maybe its just an hour, or two hours when they’re on their own, they don’t have to be with their children. Their husbands are’nt telling them what to do, and its their little bit of independence.” D: “…….most women that come into the UK, they don’t work. They just don’t work. I’m making a big generalization, I know, but based on my experience of people I know, they don’t work, it’s the men that work and they learn English practically anyway in the work place. “

30. Emerging themes 1 : Women A. “But I try to say to them, you know, do try to listen to and expose yourself to as much English as possible. Now I know perfectly well that particularly the Muslim women get very little chance to do this.” B. “Well no, I’ve sat with students from here in, erm, the sexual health clinic down at ………… I’ve sat with them, I’ve rung up for contraceptive advice for ladies who didn’t want their husbands to know. …..”

31. B. “I’m quite happy for things to be random because I don’t have a very orderly, erm… if I have a lesson plan, I cant stick to it. I cant work in that way.” E. “Sometimes we go off on a tangent when we’re talking and we’ll talk between ourselves…………………..and while we’re not concentrating on what we should be, we’re getting more out of conversation and talking between ourselves.” Emerging themes 2: An Affinity for Chaos?

32. Results: Summary Lesson Planning: :Minimal lesson planning Learner needs : Confidence, autonomy, life skills Learner Context: Racism, marginalised, imposed chaos ‘Positioning’ the class: social space, women’s space Teacher attributes : Affinity for chaos

33. Results : Unexpected and Contradictory ? Unexpected A study originally conceived as 5 separate case studies examining differing responses between teachers on a number of themes (given the numerous theoretical perspectives available to them), became an exploration of the consistency of responses between teachers on each theme. Contradictory 1.Random/non-existent planning vs lesson planning (even for informal theorists) 2.Consistency of learner needs identified vs no cohesive strategy to address those needs

34. 1. Teaching without a theory? 2. An emerging contextualised pedagogy 3. This is not teaching at all ! 4. As a small scale case study, this is not reliable >> needs more work/triangulation other studies. 5. Others??? Discussion

35. 1. In what ways are non-accredited informal classes different? Do they represent a distinct legitimate pedagogy, or a peripheral, add-on to formal, accredited settings? 2. Does the extreme heterogeneity of language classes (superdiversity) suggest another, new pedagogy reflective of the realities of society should be considered OR Are existing pedagogies and theories adequate and if the teachers were aware of them their classes would be more effective? 3. Is there a danger that teachers in classes will have to continually ‘re-invent the wheel’ as ESOL becomes increasingly fragmented? Further Questions.

36. Ephemeral nature of classes: -funding -teachers -learners Drive to ‘mainstream’ - informal classes seen as make-do (in absence of other provision). Ethical issues. Difficulties/Issues of the research

37. References Orellana, I. (2005). “L’émergence de la communauté d’apprentissage ou l’acte de recréer des relations dialogiques et dialectiques de transformation du rapport au milieu de vie”, in Sauvé, L. Orellana, I. and Van Steenberghe, E. (Eds.) (2005). Éducation et environnement : Un croisement de savoirs (p. 67-84).Cahiers scientifiques de l’ACFAS, 104 Baynham, M., Roberts, C., Cooke, M., Simpson, J., Ananiadou, K., Callaghan, J., Mcgoldrick, J. & Wallace, C. 2007. Effective teaching and Learning ESOL. London: National Research and Development Centre for adult Literacy and numeracy. Dbis 2009. Implementing the New Approach to ESOL. London: Department for Business Innovation and Skills. Dius 2009. A New Approach to English for Speakers of Other Languages. London: Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. Dolence, M. 2003. The Learner Centred Curriculum Approach [Online]. Claremont: MGDA Associates. Available: http://www.mgdolence.com/resources/ccspm/lcca.aspx [Accessed Jan 17 2012]. http://www.mgdolence.com/resources/ccspm/lcca.aspx Hayes, J. 2011. Column 59WS:Written Ministerial Statements: English for Speakers of Other Languages: Monday 18 July 2011. In: HANSARD (ed.). London: HC. Kalantzis, M. 2005. Elements of a Science of Education. The Radford Lecture. Parramatta,Australia: Australian Association for Research in Education. Oxford, R. L. 2003. Toward a more systematic model of learner autonomy. In: PALFREYMAN, D. & SMITH, R. C. (eds.) Learner autonomy across cultures:Language education perspectives. New York: Palgrave MacMillan. Phillimore, J., Ergun, E. & Goodson, L. 2007. "Now I do it by myself" refugees and ESOL. Birmingham: Centre for Urban and Regional Studies New Communities Network. Simpson, J., Cooke, M., Callaghan, J., Hepworth, M., Homer, M., Baynham, M., Allen, T., Grant, R. & Sisimayi, S. 2011. ESOL Neighbourhood Audit Pilot (Harehills, Leeds). Leeds: University of Leeds. Simpson, R. J. & Galbo, J. J. 1986. Interaction and learning: Theorizing on the art of teaching. Interchange, 17, 37-51. Singh, D. 2007. Our Shared Future. Wetherby: Comission on Intergration and Cohesion. Tom, A. R. 1980. Teaching as a Moral Craft: A Metaphor for Teaching and Teacher Education. Curriculum Inquiry, 10, 317-323. Yep, G. A. 1998. Freire's Conscientization, Dialogue, And Liberation: Personal Reflections on Classroom Discussions of Marginality. International Journal of Sexuality and Gender Studies, 3, 159-166. Erickson, F (1986). ‘Qualitative research on teaching’ in M C Wittrock (ed) Handbook of research on teaching. New York: Macmillan.