Information session

TalkEnglishFriends

Getting to know you…

Speak to as many

people as possible to

find someone who…

If someone says yes

to one of the

questions, write their

name under ‘Names’.

Getting to know you…

In groups, take turns to talk about and draw your life journey on the map.Born, lived or spent time overseas? Then draw arrows off the map to identify other countries.

Today, you will find out about

• the Talk English project, in particular

Talk English Friends

• the beneficiaries of the Talk English

project

• the role of Talk English Friends and

the essential skills and qualities

needed

So what’s Talk English all about?Jigsaw reading

Work with your partner to find the missing information in your text.

Now summarise the Talk English project

About Talk English

Funded by the

Department of

Communities and Local

Government (DCLG),

Talk English aims to

improve the language

skills of people with little

or no English.

‘Speaking English is crucial to allow us to come together and be part of British society.’

The Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, DCLG, 2013

‘People are unable to do this and are condemned to a limited life if they can’t speak our language.’

About Talk English

Talk English is taking

place in Blackburn with

Darwen, Bradford,

Burnley, Hyndburn,

Kirklees, Manchester,

Oldham, Pendle and

Rochdale.

About Talk English

#1 Talk English Courses

#2 Talk English Friends

#3 Talk English Here

#4 Talk English Activities

#5 Talk English Web

The figures

England

&

Wales

Manchester

Population

54

million

480,738

Cannot speak English well

725,639

1.3%

13,941

2.9%

Cannot speak English

137,511

0.3%

2,884

0.6%

Office of National Statistics, 2011 Census: Proficiency in English, local authorities in England and Wales, accessed February 2014 at www.ons.gov.uk

Office of National Statistics, 2011 Census: Proficiency in English, local authorities in England and Wales, accessed February 2014 at www.ons.gov.uk

Reading comprehension

Work in teams to find the answers to the questions.

All the information can be found in the Talk English Volunteer Handbook.

Talk English Friends

• Support people with low level English language skills

• Gain experience of mentoring , working as part of a

team and working with learners from all over the world

• Develop your communication and organisational skills

Expectations of volunteers

• Attend and complete a training course to prepare for the role

• Commit to supporting at least 4 people over the course of the project

• Meet your Friend regularly to practise English

• Record your activities

• Apply for a DBS check

Support for volunteers• Bespoke training free of charge

• Free DBS check

• Reimbursement of travel expenses to and from your training course and volunteering

• Ongoing support in the form of

suggestions for Talk English

Activities

• Coming soon, the Talk English

Website containing training and

learning resources

Overview of trainingContent

Information session

About the project and Talk English Friends; enrolment and screener

Session 1 Barriers; learning an unknown language; communication skills

Session 2 Relevant legislation and procedures; points of referral

Session 3 Guidelines for Friends; preparing for your first meeting

Roles and responsibilities

Discuss what you can give and gain in your role as a Talk English Friend.

GiveGain

Talk English beneficiaries…

• have little or no English language

• are not eligible for mainstream ESOL support, as delivered via the Skills Funding Agency

• live in areas with high demand for ESOL

• are aged 19+

Who are the target learners?Read each learner profile and discuss if you think they are a target learner.

[i] Blonde girl from Poland, Kzarr75, Wikimedia Commons, CC by SA 3.0[ii] A Pakistani Woman, Khalid Mahmood, Wikimedia Commons, CC by SA 3.0[iii] Bangladeshi Woman, Steve Evans, CC by 2.0[iv] Usafis, OnetoneDeMukurinu, Wikimedia Commons, CC by SA 3.0

Who are the target learners?

Watch the interviews with learners.• What do you know about them (their country of

origin, education, family)?

• What are their needs?• How can you support

them?

What skills and qualities do Friends need?Read the information and role description for Talk

English Friends.

In groups, create a checklist of skills and qualities

needed by Talk English Friends.

Appropriate or not?

reliable

honest

aggressive

judgemental

pessimistic

chatty

strict

sympathetic

Any questions?

What’s next?

• Complete the Talk English Friends Enrolment Form and Screener• Take a DBS form to complete at home• Find and bring documents required to carry out a DBS check

Next session

• Barriers for people living in the UK with

little or no English

• Strategies for effective communication

• Supporting people with literacy needs

Thank you!

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