Language Education for People Seeking Asylum in Wales: A Nation of Sanctuary Approach

This chapter details a pilot course of language teacher education designed to promote inclusion and a sense of belonging for people seeking sanctuary in Wales. English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) learners are often people coping with the demands of building a life in a new country and through a new language. For adult learners unfamiliar with the dominant language and culture, ESOL teachers are very often seen as a vital human bridge to this new society and thus are crucially placed to positively affect the wellbeing and inclusion of people rebuilding their lives in a new country.

With consideration to this unique role, the chapter explores an ESOL teacher education initiative that promotes a creative, participatory pedagogy. This approach represents a radical shift from a form of language education which is organised through the delivery of a prescribed syllabus and regular assessments to one which is focused on learners’ real-life needs and daily concerns. This chapter examines how language education organised along participatory lines might enhance the social bonds, bridges and links which are central to the Welsh government’s ‘Nation of Sanctuary—Refugee and Asylum Seeker Plan’ (2019).