Posted 23/03/2022

New skills for Blackwall Reach customers, thanks to successful ESOL programme

In partnership with the Bromley By Bow Centre, Swan’s Customer Involvement and Community Development (CICD) team has been running English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes at The Reach Community Hub in Blackwall Reach.

The 11-week programme offered learners an introduction to the English language, which for some, was the first opportunity they have had since coming to the UK. Participants were also given the opportunity to put what they’d learned into practice in a real-life setting, as well as further develop their skills, by joining a social club.

By expanding their range of vocabulary of the English language, the sessions have not only enabled Swan customers the ability to further integrate within their local community, but also has the potential to offer further education and employment opportunities.

Following the success of the first cohort, which came to an end in January, the second round of classes began in February, with some of the learners from the first group also signing up to take part.

One member of the first cohort was Saif, who’s been living in the UK for 20 years. He felt he had never found the chance to learn English until attending these classes. They have really helped him to develop a basic understanding of the language, now feeling more confident in communicating with others.

Another member of the group was Tanzin, who was eager to learn having been in the country for seven months. She found the classes to be really useful and is keen to carry on developing her vocabulary.

Also attending and enjoying the classes was Syeda, who is now looking to progress onto an ESOL level one course.