5.1
| Project Coordinator and partners | UK - Tish Taylor (Action Aid & South Thames College), Becky Winstanley & Dermot Bryers (English for Action), Alice Cutler (Trapese Popular Education Collective). |
Title & Reference code | Reflect ESOL |
Language | English |
| Duration | Unspecified |
| Description | An exciting approach to education that is spreading in the UK is Reflect ESOL, (English for Speakers of Other Languages). It has adapted the approach to teaching language and literacy developed by Paulo Freire in Latin American in the 1950s and 1960s. As with many radical pedagogies, the Reflect methods are most clearly illustrated in comparisson to to the banking or traditional method of education. Information is not merely deposited in the brains of learners but is co-developed through dialogue. The name comes from the cycle of experiential learning that sees action, reflection and education as intrinsically linked. Rather than presenting any fixed world view, problem posing and attention to power dynamics inside and outside the classroom are central. Reflect classes are therefore linked to positive social transformation, whether this be community organising, asserting human rights or tackling injustice. One provider, who are using Reflect methods, English for Action say; “We believe that better language skills will enable many migrants to put more into, and get more out of, life in London. The emphasis is voluntary,rather than compulsory, integration. Participants will be better equipped to affect positive changes in their homes, communities and workplaces.” The Reflect methods are not only politically powerful but are also very effective for language acquisition . Reflect ESOL tools provide a means to systematically record the points of a discussion and the language created through creative visuals, which are then used for deeper analysis. This can make the approach seem challenging for teachers who are used to pre-determined outcomes or target-based models. However each teacher can take the approach at a pace which is comfortable to them and to their learners. |
Key words | English language, radical education, reflect method, social transformation, community |
Link to the project's website | https://reflectesol.wordpress.com |
Other interesting information | Reflect ESOL is a very interesting approach to English learning which understands language knowledge as a tool important for community involvement and for introducing social change. Their engaged approach is very inspiring. |
Interest for the project | 5/5 |
| Contributor´s name + email | Stéphanie Barillé - stephanie@unak.is |