Tell us about this new report. What were you hoping to learn from it? And why is it important right now? 

Harry: As an ESOL provider, High Trees provides English language classes to around 250 people every year. However, many of our migrant and refugee learners who are in work often find it difficult to access or attend regular English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes. So, we wanted to explore in more detail how work can act as a barrier to ESOL, and the implications that this can have for learners in the workplace.

This report is the initial stage intended to inform our second ‘test and learn’ phase, where we’ll be delivering multiple ‘ESOL for work’ pilots that are co-developed with employees and employers from different sectors in Lambeth. During these pilots, further insights from learners, employers, and ESOL tutors will be collected to broaden the findings and recommendations in our report.

Eventually, we want to build a body of evidence to give us an indication of how to collaborate effectively with employers, how to develop resources, and models of provision that other ESOL providers can use in their area.

Why is ESOL provision so important?  

We already know that language proficiency really determines whether you're in work in the first place. Once you're in work, your level of English still dictates what job you can get, the skill levels required, and your salary. As a result, many people in the UK who are new to English often find themselves in jobs that are precarious, low-paid, and for which they are overqualified.

This research revealed that everyone still has aspirations, but without ESOL, it can be very hard to reach those goals.

How did this research take shape? 

We tried to meaningfully involve our ESOL learners in this research to help design it or lead parts of the study. It’s important to us that our research leads to action or change – and that it benefits the members of our local community and the individuals taking part.

One of our participating ESOL learners told us: “I enjoyed sharing my experience about the topic and listening to other people speak about their experiences.”

What are the most important findings arising from the research? 

The findings have confirmed what people were telling us anecdotally: that work – especially flexible shift patterns and long hours – can be a fundamental barrier to attending regular ESOL classes. Tiredness, reduced energy levels, and family commitments all present additional challenges.

We also discovered the extent of the challenges people face when it comes to speaking English in the workplace, whether that be speaking, writing, or reading. Some employers have come up with short term solutions to these, such as having a multilingual supervisor or grouping together workers who speak the same language. However, our research found that these temporary measures are inadvertently preventing people from learning English, since they're they don't have the opportunity to practise or embed any learning meaningfully in the workplace.

Finally, the report highlighted to us that ESOL must be able to meet different needs by developing alternative models of delivery to suit learners and employers. This throws up a balancing act between what ESOL providers should provide, and what they are realistically able to provide in the workplace.

What other recommendations arose from the report? 

The bottom line is that current ESOL provision isn’t really working for people who are in employment. So, we need to develop more flexible and affordable models of ESOL delivery that meets learners where they are.

However, in order to do this, we still have a way to go in improving our understanding of alternative ESOL models: what are the benefits of approaching ESOL slightly differently and maybe having different course content or a different curriculum?

During our research it became clear that many employers remain uncertain around the purpose and benefits of ESOL, which prevents them from understanding what’s in it for them.

There is a need therefore to collect evidence around the benefits of ESOL for employers and the impact of ESOL on businesses. Does offering ESOL improve staff productivity or retention? Can it improve health and safety and reduce incidents in the workplace? Does staff participation in ESOL improve customer service and interactions?

We hope our project will go some way in addressing this and building an evidence base around why ESOL for work courses are so important.