PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release: 17 October 2007
Jo Little > T 1-800-352-1793 > E jo.little@i-to-i.com
BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS
Scottish Teachers Embrace Local Migrant Community
English language teachers in Scotland are teaming up in a bid to bridge the gaps created by the recent influx of migrant workers by helping them develop their English language skills and in turn, their integration into local life.
The UK has seen an influx of eastern European immigrants over the past few years and it is estimated that over 50,000 are now living and working in Scotland. Many however, arrive with limited knowledge of the English language making it increasingly difficult to integrate into the communities and adapt to their new lives.
Keen to find a way to help combat the growing problem language barriers are creating, recent i-to-i TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) graduates from Scotland are rejecting teaching opportunities in far flung exotic destinations, instead opting to invest their new qualifications in projects much closer to home in order to benefit their own communities.
Elisabeth and Tim Longley, a retired couple who took an i-to-i TEFL course in Inverness last year comment, “Having done our fair share of globetrotting in our younger days (we have both passed the 70 mark) we weren’t tempted by offers of jobs in places as far apart as Turkey and China. Indeed that was not our intention when we signed on for the i-to-i TEFL course, but rather we saw it as a means of getting alongside the large number of Eastern Europeans (mainly Poles) who have come to work in this part of Scotland.”
Joining with a like minded group from their local church, they launched a weekly English language course in their church hall in Aviemore. The classes were an instant hit, particularly among Polish migrant workers, with students travelling from all around, keen to expand their grasp of the language.
Having heard about the growing success of the course, the Hilton Coylumbridge hotel, many of whose staff were already attending the course, offered Elisabeth and Tim complimentary use of a room, complete with study material, giving them the opportunity to continue with their excellent work in the local area and further develop their courses. The couple have now started their second year of classes, offering three levels of learning – beginners, elementary and intermediate.
Fellow i-to-i TEFL graduates Jeanni Dunbar and Alison Bone, both from Inverness, were also spurred on to use their skills on their own doorstep. Keen to get in amongst their changing community, they are currently running an English language class deigned to meet the needs of the growing number of migrant workers in Inverness and have been enthused by the willingness of their students to learn.
Alison comments, “The same students are coming back week after week and several members of a few families are also attending, along with school friends and work colleagues. We were greatly encouraged at the end of last term when we heard that one of our students had said that our class was the best in Inverness. He was asked whether it was the best for the teaching or for the fun, and he said with a grin – for both!”
i-to-i has been training people to teach English as a foreign language for over 13 years and offers a whole host of opportunities including weekend courses in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness. What’s more, under the government ILA scheme which provides funding for Scottish residents looking to develop new skills and qualifications, would-be TEFL teachers can claim up to £200 towards an i-to-i TEFL course which could be their passport to finding paid teaching work – whether at home or away.
Joe Hallwood, head of courses for i-to-i concludes, “The demand for English teachers around the world is enormous and that includes teaching opportunities much closer to home. When people think of TEFL they generally think of Asia or Latin America however, there are a wealth of opportunities in the UK and the chance to not only put your TEFL training to good use, but also to make a huge impact on your very own community – just as our Scottish graduates are demonstrating.”
i-to-i TEFL courses cost from £195 To find out more visit www.onlinetefl.com or call 1-800-352-1793.
Ends
For further press information or photography, please contact Jo Little on 1-800-352-1793 jo.little@i-to-i.com
EDITOR’S NOTES
1. i-to-i is a volunteer travel and TEFL training organisation based in Leeds, UK; Denver, USA; Melbourne, Australia and Co. Waterford, Ireland. Each year it sends around 5,000 volunteers to work on 500 projects in 30 countries worldwide and trains a further 15,000 people to teach English as a foreign language.
2. i-to-i is a founding member of the Year Out Group, associate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office ‘Know Before You Go’ Campaign, member of the Federation of International Youth Travel Organisations and has training accreditation from the Open and Distance Learning Quality Council.
3. ILA Scotland is a Scottish Executive scheme administered by learn direct Scotland and the Student Awards Agency for Scotland. Anyone who is a Scottish resident aged 18 or over earning less than £18,000 a year or on benefits is eligible to apply for an individual learning account from ILA Scotland.
