With the recent increase in new arrivals seeking International Protection and the arrival of Ukrainians fleeing conflict, there has been an unprecedented demand for English Language Classes.

IPAS Accommodation Occupancy has increased nationally since 2017 from 5,096 to 31,976 (figures as of 25/08/2024) with 1673 individuals currently residing in IPAS accommodation within Galway City.

GCP has been providing classes since 2010 but has in the past four years increased our provision from 5 to 28 hours tuition per week. Even with this increased allocation demand greatly exceeds capacity.

Many of the individuals seeking our support have literacy difficulties in their own language and many have not been in a classroom in very many years.

We also have students with postgraduate degrees who have only recently left higher education in their country of origin.

In recognising that students availing of our supports come from a variety of backgrounds with vastly different experiences of formal education and from greatly differing cultures we seek to provide tuition in a variety of instructional styles, deploying a range of delivery paradigms in an attempt to accommodate as many learning styles as possible.

This very broad and deep student population, of course,  presents a number of difficulties to be addressed.

Not the least of which is this ‘spiky’ student profile. In allocating learners to classes we make every effort to match students to the appropriate level and style of class.

This is always a challenge made more difficult by the fact that our students are sometimes moved at very short notice to other geographical locations and because of this we must practice continuous enrollment to classes.

At present GCP provides ESOL classes to 210 individuals, with approximately 100 individuals on a waiting list. We have 28 hours of classroom based tuition each week at all levels from pre-beginner to advanced.

Tuition is provided by one SICAP Project Officer, a tutor provided by GRETB, a Tús participant and 3 qualified volunteers.

The ESOL provision at GCP sits within a suite of SICAP supports provided to migrants within Galway City. The SICAP Coordinator through a series of regular meetings ensures a smooth referral system from across the programme. Staff meeting beneficiaries are always alert to the possibility of intra-agency referral, ‘When you meet one of us, you meet us all’.

The English language supports are supervised and delivered by a SICAP Project Officer who develops the curricula and lesson plans and supports the volunteer tutors.

Under SICAP we have developed these supports in collaboration with our local Education Training Board (GRETB) and with a number of voluntary agencies across the city. Our SICAP Project Officer is in regular contact with agencies working with migrants within the city.

The wider SICAP team fosters and enhances connection for the students with access to community organisations, employers, schools and colleges, cultural and sporting bodies.

In the past four years more than 400 students from 27 different countries have attended classes.

The youngest student was 17 with the eldest being 82. 61% are female, 39% male.

The vast majority of students progress to further education and/or employment.

On average they receive 4 hours tuition per week, with none receiving less than 3 hours and some attending for as much as 9 hours per week. The majority of students (70%) are beginners. The classes are organised to allow for clear progression through the levels.

In addition to general ESOL tuition, we are currently delivering ‘ English for Employment’ Workshops to assist students with CV building and Interview Preparation.

• Improves English language proficiency both oral and written.
• Builds confidence and capacity to engage with wider civic society.
• Builds cultural awareness of the host community.
• Supports individuals in accessing medical, educational and welfare services.
• Promotes self-efficacy and well-being.
• Acts as a ‘first point of contact’ to a wider ecosystem of SICAP and other supports.

The case study focuses on the vital role that the SICAP English Language Supports play in migrant inclusion and integration. In building capacity for themselves, beneficiaries acquire the skills and the confidence to engage with civic society without needing to rely on intermediaries.

Students develop their relational capacity and enhance their sense of embedded belonging. They can ‘speak for themselves’.

The ‘internal’ partnerships identified within the narrative highlights the value of classes being embedded within local development companies.

This maximises opportunities for beneficiaries as well as encourages the development of expertise within the Company.

The role of SICAP is manifest in allowing individuals to draw on extended resources and supports within a trusted organisation.

Being able to participate in a multi-cultural collaborative classroom greatly facilitates successful language acquisition.

Students feel safe to take risks as they manipulate language, feel empowered to interact with their peers and celebrate their own successes as well as those of their contemporaries.

The learning takes place in an emotionally safe place, with a welcoming invitation to learn!

Mary McHugh, SICAP Programme Co-ordinator

The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) is co-funded by the Irish Government, through the Department of Rural and Community Development,  and the European Union through the European Social Fund Plus under the Employment, Inclusion, Skills and Training (EIST) Programme 2021-2027