The Glasgow Life South Wide ESOL language café was designed to offer learners and tutors the opportunity to celebrate ESOL with the focus on fun, food, and access to information. The family friendly event design brief aimed to highlight and showcase opportunities to enhance and further develop learning within the community and online. Community capacity building, integration and reducing barriers to partition were the key factors via the design of the language café, lunch and transport to and from venue included.

Family ESOL Intended Outcomes:

• Fun ESOL workshops to increase confidence in spoken English and encourage learners to find out about learning and other opportunities available within Glasgow and information online to support ESOL.
• Encourage integration and market the Library offer for families and ESOL learners.
• Expand English language via the theme of food, what’s on in Glasgow and ICT tuition.  
• Communal meal to celebrate learning and reduce isolation.
• Opportunity for participants to sing and perform over the lunch break to celebrate diversity and provide the platform for participants to share songs, stories etc.
• Art and craft activities themed up with key words and fun with food workshop provided by Urban Roots to encourage healthy eating and awareness of allergies.
• Learn about further opportunities for ESOL and support for families, thereby reducing isolation and promoting integration.

Feedback from participants:

• “My child is interacting at the session – she is saying it is tasty and very enjoyable.”   
• “It is great, very healthy. I will do a smoothie at home for my boys.”

Feedback from tutors:

• “The family Esol learning event was a great success as it gave learners and their families the chance to share learning and meet people from all over the city. The event was also a great opportunity for them to bring along their children as they were able to take part in a range of arts activities that also had an emphasis on the promotion of learning English through play”.
•  “Learners from different areas had the opportunity to meet up and have fun and share time. It was good to work with other tutors as part of a team sharing ideas for the language café. I am all for this, it would be great to do this again.”