Damian Waters, Director of CBI in the North West said that his ESB qualification “most definitely” gave him employability skills. He said:
My ESB examination was my first experience of public speaking, but I think one of my key strengths now is public engagement and presentations.
Damian says that ESB played a key role in his personal and professional development:
ESB started me off on the right track and gave me that initial confidence to find my voice.
He added:
An ESB qualification is great to have and be able to show employers that you can engage with colleagues, clients and customers.
He recalled his experience of taking his ESB exam over 30 years ago:
I remember that I had to make a speech to a panel of assessors and other pupils from my school and recite a poem that was committed to memory. I can still remember the poem today!
I can clearly remember the feedback I received from the assessors; they spoke about the importance of being myself, engaging with the audience and presenting in a professional manner. I make dozens of speeches each year and I still try to stick to those words of advice.
Damian passed on some words of guidance to youngsters preparing for presentations:
Prepare properly, but don’t learn a script as it can come across as a bit fake. Always remember that the audience wants to enjoy the experience – they are willing you on!
English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. ran a teacher-training session for primary and secondary school teachers from Bolton and the surrounding region at Bolton School on Wednesday 3rd February.
This event was designed to give teachers an insight into the way that ESB’s qualifications are mapped to the National Curriculum and demonstrate how they give students vital skills for further education and employment.
Alison Coates, ESB’s Business Development Adviser for Graded Exams led the session. She said:
ESB offers bespoke training and workshops for teachers and students at all levels. We had a fantastic day at Bolton School coaching teachers from the local area. We wanted to create a forum for discussion about the recent change in terminology from Speaking and Listening to Spoken Language and the impact this has had in the classroom.
ESB’s ethos is to allow learners to develop their speaking and listening skills in a supportive environment focusing on personal growth and confidence; the delegates were inspired by the day and will take this approach back to their own classrooms.
ESB’s training resonated with the English Department at Bolton School, Boys Division. They tweeted after the event:
Plenty of food for thought for whole school oracy projects, curricular and extracurricular.
Students from Belfast Met have raised £150 for a church-based enterprise as part of their ESB Entry Level Award ‘Developing Independent Communication Skills’.
The group auctioned a Valentine’s Day hamper to raise much needed funds for the initiative which carries out valuable work in Romania. Course Administrator, Linda Clarke has close involvement with the charity and shared photographs and stories about the work the charity is doing to help children in a remote Romanian village to get an education.
Tutor, Ian Patterson uses such charity ventures as the means by which to meet the essential criteria of ESB’s qualification specification.
He said:
Such activities provide great opportunities for group discussion thereby developing learners’ speaking and listening skills. The students can further practise their telephone skills by making phone calls to charity organisers, gaining information and passing on short messages. Delivering ESB ‘in context’ provides a meaningful and enjoyable experience for the learner.
Belfast Met also offer ESB’s employment qualification, Inspiring Confidence in Employability (ICE). Ian added:
The students who do ESB’s ICE qualification are very proud of their portfolio of evidence to date and look forward to displaying their speaking and listening skills to the ESB assessors.
Hundreds of schools, colleges, training centres, universities and prisons deliver ESB qualifications throughout the year. We want to highlight the incredible work our centres do by putting them ‘In the Spotlight’ on our website.
The centre we are going to feature this month is the Brushstrokes Community project in Smethwick. Jane Alsop, Brushstrokes ESOL Coordinator and Work Club Facilitator told us about the invaluable work that the centre does.
Brushstrokes is a partnership project between Father Hudson’s Care, Infant Jesus Sisters and the Parish of St Philip Neri. Based in a parish centre in Smethwick we first opened our doors in 2000 with the aim of seeking out and helping the hidden poor in the area.
Initially engaging with asylum seekers, the people coming to Brushstrokes have increased in number and diversity; over the past 15 years we have welcomed people from over 100 countries. We provide practical resources to destitute and homeless people and those living in extreme poverty, including food, baby products, clothing and other essential items.
ESOL classes are another big part of what we do. Since government funding cuts to FE, which has seen ESOL provision be reduced drastically, we have seen a huge increase in numbers coming to Brushstrokes to learn English. Over the past four years we have averaged 150 students a year. Since September 2015 we have already had 179 learners. As ESOL Coordinator, I manage a team of committed and experienced volunteer teachers without whom we simply could not meet the need of so many. The largest percentage of learners are at Pre-Entry level with many people unable to read and write in their own language. We have a nucleus of learners who stay with us and progress through the levels and others, mainly asylum seekers, who stay a short time before getting leave to remain and relocating.
Since the classes began eight mums have taken ESB exams at Pre-Entry and Entry 1. As children go to nursery, mums move into other classes and new mums take their place. Two students are now working towards their Entry 2 exams at the end of this year.
Through ESB ESOL exams, which we began in 2013, many students have achieved in learning for the first time in their lives. For someone who has never been to school, receiving a certificate for learning is an enormous achievement. Initially some students, having never done an exam before were very scared but the ESB assessors are encouraging and friendly and students always come out smiling. When you hear laughter coming from the exam room you know your students will be relaxed and able to do their best. We are part funded by the Big Lottery and one of our outcomes is 50 exam achievements per year – ESB have made that target a positive experience for our students and volunteer teachers.
The most rewarding aspect of teaching ESOL at Brushstrokes is seeing people gain confidence in their ability to communicate. Student comments include ‘now I can go to the doctor on my own,’ and ‘now I can talk to my children’s teachers’. We have seen students go on to college, to university, find employment and become integrated and confident members of their community. An ESOL teacher is so much more than just a teacher.
