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Parental involvement in education contributes to a stronger and more inclusive school community. Engaging parents in their children’s education is also a fundamental aspect of creating a supportive learning environment for our learners and has been associated with a positive impact on learner performance (Khan, 1996). However, attempting to enhance the participation of ESOL parents (ESOL standing for English for Speakers of Other Languages), in the school community who are emergent bilingual or multilingual learners themselves, appears to be a particularly challenging undertaking mainly due to their linguistic concerns as well as their unfamiliarity with the educational system (Housel, 2020; Yol, 2019). Research indicates that there are different ways to create meaningful parent - school partnerships and help parents overcome their barriers to building a successful relationship with their children's school (Housel, 2020). This article will explore the significance of engaging ESOL parents through informal coffee mornings, which will enable parents to connect, foster relationships with the school and other parents, and actively learn about their children’s education.
An ESOL parents coffee morning will create a safe space for parents to discuss school-related matters, such as the UK education system or the school’s reading or phonics programme, in an informal and relaxed environment. This will ensure that a vital part of the school community experiences a sense of unity and belonging to the wider network, which can in turn contribute to the development of a positive and inclusive school culture.
By recognising the importance of coffee mornings for parents, schools can offer ESOL families a point of entry and engagement with the school, which can make their integration to the school smoother and more enjoyable.
References
Housel, D. A. (2020). Supporting the Engagement and Participation of Multicultural, Multilingual Immigrant Families in Public Education in the United States: Some Practical Strategies, The School Community Journal, 30(2), 185-209. (Available here)
Khan, M. B. (1996). Parental Involvement in Education: Possibilities and Limitations. The School Community Journal, 6(1), 57-68.
Yol, Ö. (2019). Schools should better integrate immigrant parents. NYS TESOL Idiom, 49(1), 17–21.
Cross Cultural Understanding for New to English Students – The First Steps (Part 2)
It's now almost exactly a year since the UK education system went into lockdown. The ruling that schools must close to almost all pupils was a shock to teachers, pupils, parents and everyone involved in the education system - and the repercussions of the immediate crisis continue to ripple through our lives.
Academia Británica Cuscatleca (ABC) in El Salvador joined the Learning Village in April 2015. However, they weren't fully active across Upper Primary until Communication Across Cultures came to their school in February this year to give an inset on EAL.
Since then, they have used the Learning Village to support learners with accessing some of the basics of English as well as the curriculum content needed to help them to be successful in their lessons.