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Immigration: English Language Courses

Answer

We are unable to state the number of places available in 2007-08 as the number of places available for ESOL is not a pre-determined figure. However, the number of enrolments in 2005-06 was 490,000, which we expect to be a comparable estimate of the numbers on ESOL courses in this academic year. Places on courses for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) are funded through budgets which are allocated from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Funding is passed from the LSC to learning providers based on the provider's ability to deliver certain provision. The number of ESOL places on offer within each provider is dependent on a number of issues: the capacity of the provider and corresponding budget and learner demand. Learner data are collected by the LSC via the Individual Learner Record (ILR). It is currently too early in the academic year for ILR data to report the number of enrolments on to ESOL provision for 2007-08. The requirements for citizenship or indefinite leave to remain are identical. The two methods by which applicants can demonstrate their knowledge of language and of life in the UK are: for those already at or above English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) Entry 3, by taking a specially developed short test based on the handbook Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship; and for those below ESOL Entry 3, by successfully completing a language course with learning materials incorporating information about life in the UK. Courses are pitched at a level appropriate to the learners’ needs and success is measured by acquiring an ““ESOL—Skills for Life”” qualification from one of the recognised UK awarding bodies. Three thousand ESOL teachers have been trained to use the citizenship materials and that training is ongoing, managed by ““lead trainers”” in each local area. Five thousand hard copies of the citizenship materials which were developed by NIACE and LLU+ have been distributed and there have been many thousands of additional downloads of all or part of the materials from the NIACE website.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

5686; 695 c153-4WA

Session

2006-07

Subjects

Assessments Admissions Citizenship Migrants English language

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk