Resources for volunteer ESOL teachers
NATECLA recognises the essential contribution of volunteer ESOL teachers across formal and informal provision and many NATECLA members are providing English language support in the public and /or voluntary sector.
The links and resources below provide useful information for practitioners who work with and support migrants, refugees and other learners to learn or practise their English in any setting.
Links and resources are organised into the following categories:
Guidance on teaching ESOL in the voluntary sector
Free online courses for enhancing English teaching practice
Guidance and information specifically for working effectively with refugees and asylum seekers
Free online courses for working effectively and sensitively with refugees and asylum seekers
For teaching resources visit our ESOL Teaching Resources page
If you have suggestions on other resources that may be helpful for ESOL teachers working across public and voluntary sectors, please contact us at: info@natecla.org.uk.
Guidance on teaching ESOL in the voluntary sector
Framework for Good Practice in Voluntary ESOL
NATECLA, 2019
This document is intended primarily for those working in, and with, the voluntary sector in the field of ESOL . It provides a set of principles of good practice, together with case studies for illustration. NATECLA hopes it will also inform policy makers and funders charged with integrating the work of volunteers into a national approach for those with ESOL needs.
The Framework was developed in 2019 by a working group as part of a NATECLA initiative to support voluntary ESOL organisations. This followed on from the 2016-18 NATECLA campaign for a national ESOL strategy for England. Objective 3 of the 2017 Interim Report called for support for the voluntary ESOL sector. As well as the Framework, NATECLA adopted a lower membership fee for small organisations, a resources page and an email forum for the sector.
A Framework for Working with ESOL Volunteers
Glasgow ESOL Forum (2020)
The Framework, launched in 2020, aims to aid organisations to reflect on their practice to ensure a positive volunteering experience for learners, volunteers and projects. Projects working with volunteers in ESOL have contributed their ideas and experience to develop the framework
The VIME (Volunteers in Migrant Language Education) Toolkit
ELATT and partners.
ELATT together with three European partners, funded by Erasmus + produced a toolkit to support the involvement of volunteers in migrant language education.
The Toolkit consists of the VIME Framework and Model of working together, Guides, Materials and Training Modules for organisations to use to train volunteers, guidance and information for teaching professionals working with volunteers, and guidance and information for policy-makers looking for good practice in involving volunteers in migrant language education.
ESOL training for volunteers
The Bell Foundation (2024)
The Bell Foundation guidance for volunteers who teach English to young people and adults aims to provide support on how to identify and access suitable training and covers the following topics: Why access ESOL training; How to find quality and impactful training; Online ESOL training available to volunteers; In-person ESOL training available to volunteers; Glossary of terms.
Guide for volunteers working with ESOL learners - Help Beginners Learn
Developed by the North East Migration Partnership in 2017, this guide is for volunteers who are helping to develop the language skills of people whose first language isn’t English. Its purpose is to develop a more in depth understanding of the learners, the difficulties they will face along the way, and some ways to help them use English and develop their confidence.
Learning and Work Institute - Volunteers, English Language Learners and Conversation Clubs
The Learning and Work Institute worked with Learning Unlimited to research and develop a new set of resources aimed at volunteers supporting adult English language learners and organisations using volunteers in this role. These resources are free to use for all and include: 15 units with supporting guidance for conversation club sessions; A guide for volunteers supporting English language learners; A guide for organisations working with volunteers in English language provision; A conversation practice toolkit; Supplementary videos.
The Cultural Atlas - comprehensive information on world cultures and religions
The Cultural Atlas is a collaborative project between SBS, International Education Services (IES), and Multicultural NSW. It provides comprehensive information on the cultural background of migrant populations. All published content in the Cultural Atlas is the result of a collective effort between researchers, editors and members of the Australian community that have cross-cultural identities or familiarities. The Cultural Atlas provides useful information for anyone working with or supporting migrant learners.
Free online courses and resources for enhancing English teaching practice
The courses below may not always be available but tend to run regularly, and it is usually possible to register interest and receive notification when they do become available.
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British Council - Free Training Courses
The British Council provides a variety of free training courses on their teacher development programme. A range of topics are offered, from assessing learners to planning lessons and learners can study at their own pace.
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Study Hub - Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)
A free CDP accredited 3 to 4 hour course, available through Alison, containing three modules: Basics of teaching English; Teaching Methods and Classroom Management; Course Assessment.
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Language Fuel - Mastering Classroom Management in English Language Teaching
A free course available through FutureLearn with one hour’s study per week for 4 weeks. The course covers modules in: Basic Classroom Management; Getting Started with Group Dynamics; Raising Student Awareness of Group Dynamics; and Fostering Group Dynamics in Regular Classroom Activities. The course is free if completed within 4 weeks.
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Trinity College London - Teach with Trinity: Getting Started in ESOL teaching
This free, online short course is designed to support those who are new to teaching English as a second language. It provides approx. 3 hours of online structured material and activities presented in short interactive units, accompanied by videos and downloadable resources for use in the classroom.
The programme is ideal for people working as volunteers or in community outreach programmes who would like to learn some of the basics of teaching English.
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Cambridge University Press - Teaching English Online
A free course available through FutureLearn with five hours’ study per week for 4 weeks. The modules cover: the context of English Language Teaching online; how to plan and deliver online skills lessons; how to plan and deliver online language lessons; how to continue your professional development as an online teacher. The course is free if completed within 4 weeks.
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Education & Training Foundation - Resources to support practitioners who are working with ESOL learners
Many free, self-access modules for ESOL teachers, mostly migrated over from the British Council’s Nexus website, are available on the ETF website. Topics covered include: Adult ESOL Core Curriculum; Going forward: continuing professional development for ESOL teachers in the UK; An overview of the CPD framework for teachers of ESOL; Let Refugees Learn: challenges and opportunities to improve language provision to refugees in England (2016); An introduction to teaching ESOL one-to-one.
Guidance and information specifically for working with refugees and asylum seekers
Council of Europe Toolkit - Language Support for Adult Refugees
A series of 56 online tools to assist organisations and their volunteers who provide language support to refugees. The tools include: Information on cultural and language awareness and language learning; Guidance on the language needs of refugees and planning language support; A range of learning activities including breaking the ice, learning vocabulary, scenarios that focus on real-life communication, Suggestions for interacting with the local community, Thinking about language and learning.
Migration Yorkshire - ESOL for refugees: A toolkit for commissioners and practitioners
The English language funding and delivery landscape, and the wider network of local support services accessed by refugees, are made up of diverse partners across the public and voluntary and community sectors (VCS). The toolkit is designed to encourage stakeholders to connect and work together and is split into four main sections: Understanding refugee learners; Delivering suitable and effective ESOL for refugees; Strengthening joined up working; Overcoming challenges
Free online courses for working effectively and sensitively with refugees and asylum seekers
The courses below may not always be available but tend to run regularly, and it is usually possible to register interest and receive notification when they do become available.
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Cambridge University Press - Volunteering with Refugees
A free course available through FutureLearn with four hours’ study per week for 3 weeks on how to identify and respond to the needs of refugees and asylum seekers. Modules cover the following topics: Identifying and responding to needs; Creating safe spaces for learning; Developing learners' language skills. The course is free if completed within 3 weeks.
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University of Glasgow - Working Supportively With Refugees: Principles, Skills and Perspectives
A free course available through FutureLearn with four hours’ study per week for 3 weeks which covers the principles of psychological well-being, communication and interpretation can benefit your work with refugees. Modules cover the following topics: The basics about human migration, refugees and legal framework; Cultural diversity and interethnic relations; Socialisation, conflict resolution and social inclusion; Principles on psychological well-being and socio-emotional health in refugee cases; Communication and interpreting in contexts of cultural mediation; The practice of cultural mediation in the reality of refugees. The course is free if completed within 3 weeks.