No new updates

Hi friends,

I’m sure by now you’ve noticed that there haven’t been any updates to ESOL World News in some time. I regret to announce that, at least for the forseeable future, this blog will not be updated.

Volunteers to teach asylum seekers English

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM–A campaign aimed at embarrassing the government into revoking its ban on free English lessons for asylum seekers by mobilising volunteers to teach them is being launched today. The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (Niace) full story

Academics petition over ‘spying’

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM–Academics and students have presented a petition to Downing Street, urging the government to withdraw new immigration rules for overseas students in the UK. From next March, universities will be expected to monitor whether full story

ELL numbers balloon

GRAND FORKS, ND–Amera Issa excitedly raises her hand to answer almost every question her teacher asks. Amazing, considering the 8-year-old second-grader at Century Elementary in Grand Forks is new to the English language. Issa is a Somali English Language Learner full story

States with Alternative Tests for ELLs

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE–Staff members of the U.S. Department of Education have provided me with a factual statement about states that have alternative tests for English-language learners for calculating adequate yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind Act—and full story

Strong grasp of mother tongue boosts students

CALGARY, CANADA–A cacophony of sounds emerges from the St. Mark School library as parents and children create multi-coloured advent wreaths. Intermingling conversations in Spanish, Asirian and Tagalog are encouraged in this specialized preschool for students full story

Asylum seekers need free English classes, urges campaign

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM–Asylum seekers should be entitled to free English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and not have to wait until their claims for asylum have been approved. This is the principle aim of A Right to a Voice – a campaign being launched in London today, full story

Programs aimed at helping students adjust to language

NASHUA, CT–Although America is a land of immigrants, throughout history, many Americans have hesitated to welcome newcomers. Even today, many want immigrants and refugees to assimilate quickly and are ambivalent about accommodations they believe might slow full story

Study rebuts perceptions of migrants’ English use

PHOENIX, AZ–Phoenix resident Guadalupe Garcia has lived in the United States for nearly 35 years, but she still doesn’t speak English well. The 65-year-old seamstress from Mexico spoke only Spanish at home to her children and held jobs where she didn’t need much English. full story  related story

Language Centres Set Up All Over the Country

KIGALI, RWANDA–Following the move by the government making English the language of instruction in all schools, centres have been established across the country that will facilitate students and teachers learn the language. According to Fred Bahati, the Director of the full story