ESOL Home Learning Volunteer Training

Course overview

The Home Learning Scheme aims to provide access to English-language learning for adults (including refugees) permanently resident in the area who are unable to attend a local community-based class or need additional support to continue in a class.

This is achieved through volunteer tutors working once a week on a one-to-one basis in a student's home or another suitable venue. Students are often unable to attend class due to family or work commitments, health issues, mobility issues, or travel difficulties.

Countries of origin include Syria, Ukraine, Sudan, Bangladesh and China. Tutors are people with a variety of backgrounds, interests, and ages. Speaking the student's language is an asset but not essential. Tutors play an important role in providing equal opportunities for people to access learning and are expected to have a strong commitment to anti-discrimination.

What you will learn

• Introductory Training: All volunteers must attend a free introductory course before meeting a student.
• The training aims to develop language awareness, advise on lesson planning, demonstrate basic teaching techniques and inform volunteers about the philosophy, administration and support networks of the scheme.
• An enjoyable variety of methods is used in the course, including group discussions, videos, and demonstrations by course tutors.
• Assessments are informal through group practice activities.
• Training and Support while Working: You will have an individual support worker who is an experienced teacher. You will also receive a newsletter, regular phone calls, and attend meetings and training sessions.
• Books and teaching material are available, and we pay travel expenses.

Placement information

• You will meet the student at a mutually convenient time and place, usually on a weekday in the daytime, in the student's home, though tuition may take place in the evening.
• Tuition is offered to a student for nine months at first. However, a tutor can work longer than this, perhaps with another student. Many tutors work for several years.
• Tuition is geared to the individual student and their situation. It could involve spoken and/or written English at various levels in situations where a person wants to improve their communication, e.g., with health and educational services.

How the course is assessed

• Successful completion of the training course and 9 months of delivering voluntary tuition.

Number of days per week

• 1 Thursday a week for 5 weeks, including the Information and Selection sessions.
• 9.15 AM to 2.15 PM (including a 1-hour lunch break).

Entry requirements

• No formal qualifications or experience are necessary. However, you should have good communication skills, patience, flexibility, and an interest in people and the process of language learning.

English Proficiency Requirements

Progression and Articulation Routes

• You could progress to the CELTA course at Sighthill.

Career options

• The scheme can only offer voluntary teaching opportunities. However, if you are interested in finding ESOL work or studying for professional teacher training, you may benefit from the experience of tutoring and from references given if you spend at least 9 months working with the scheme.