ESOL - English for Speakers of Other Languages

As part of the Government’s Skills for Life strategy, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has approved a new set of qualifications known as Certificates in ESOL Skills for Life.

These qualifications, unlike the other existing ESOL qualifications, are fully aligned to both the adult literacy and the adult ESOL core curriculum. They will allow for progression across the levels of the national qualifications framework at entry levels (1, 2 and 3), level 1 and level 2. The qualifications are offered by ESOL awarding bodies from September 2004.

These qualifications reflect the skills, knowledge and understanding in English needed by people who are living, working and studying in England. ESOL learners will be able to obtain nationally recognised qualifications that record their achievement in speaking and listening, reading and in writing. Similarly, ESOL providers will be able to design high-quality courses that meet learner’s needs, are externally accredited and contribute to the Skills for Life targets.

The new qualifications are flexible: each qualification is organised in units to allow learners to achieve at a different level in different modes (speaking and listening, reading and writing), or to build up units towards achieving a full qualification. Units achieved are valid for three years. At levels 1 and 2, the reading unit for ESOL Skills for Life qualifications will be the adult literacy test.

In choosing new qualifications, providers might think about what assessment strategies best meet particular learners’ needs. There are several different approaches that include internal and external assessment. They can also contact the ESOL awarding bodies to find out what these new qualifications offer in terms of skills and levels available, and range and types of assessment tasks.

From 1 January 2005 the ESOL Skills for Life qualifications will become the only ESOL qualifications that count towards the Government targets for achieving basic skills at entry 3, level 1 and level 2. Learners following these programmes will generally be eligible for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funding at the rate of 1.4. The LSC’s Funding Guidance for Further Education in 2004/05 makes clear the expectation that colleges and providers develop their curriculum offer to include the newly approved national ESOL certificates.

See the QCA website or www.openquals.org.uk for more details.