The ESOL Effective Practice Project

October 2003 - March 2006

(Contact: Professor Mike Baynham or Celia Roberts - King's College, London)

Funded By: European Social Fund (ESF) The project was instigated by the National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy (NRDC) and is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF).

Other project members:
Dr James Simpson
Melanie Cooke - King's College, London

The ESOL Effective Practice Project, one of a suite of five NRDC Effective Practice Projects, is now complete. It is a multi-method study combining quantitative and qualitative data collection. On the project we investigated the range of approaches to the teaching of ESOL to adult learners in England, with a particular emphasis on the teaching of spoken language as a distinctive characteristic of ESOL pedagogy. ESOL classrooms are unique in the Basic Skills context in that the talk itself that takes place is the focus of learning. Rather than facilitating other forms of learning, talk is the task. The spoken language practices of ESOL classrooms are therefore central to an understanding of their effectiveness.

Wherever possible, we established correlations between the approaches identified and student progress, and have made recommendations on effective practice and for further classroom-based research. 40 classes were observed across sites which profile the demographic diversity of adult ESOL provision, both urban and rural, metropolitan and regional. These classes comprised an initial cohort of about 500 students. In addition to lesson observations and learner assessments, teachers and learners on the project underwent in-depth ethnographic-style interviews which enabled us to gain insights which would otherwise be unobtainable.

The project contributes directly to both identifying and consolidating research-informed effective practice in Adult ESOL in England, identifying gaps and making proposals to support the continued development of a professional ESOL workforce.

The research report was published in January 2007. Other outcomes include articles in academic and professional journals, guidance and materials for policy makers and practitioners, and the development of practitioner-research networks and forums at the twin hubs of the research.

This project last updated by James Simpson on 31st January 2007.