In outline, the book proposes to examine the current state of the area of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), with reference to key stakeholders - ESOL learners, providers and researchers. With contributions from these stakeholders in Ireland and in the UK, the volume is intended to describe, portray and investigate the ESOL landscape at this pivotal moment in the history of European migration. Today's ESOL providers are confronted with an unprecedented upturn in numbers of hitherto unfamiliar populations of migrants with unique profiles and needs. Aspects of ESOL provision to be critically examined in the volume include language support, models of cultural integration, professional development of ESOL practitioners, curriculum development for ESOL and ESOL policy.
A distinctive feature of the volume will be the inclusion of case studies or ‘vignettes’ from ESOL practitioners to present ‘living’ portraits of ESOL practice on the ground, so I would value contributions from colleagues working in ESOL provision. This volume is intended to fill an urgent gap in this area, offering both a snapshot of the ‘state of the art’ of ESOL in the UK and Ireland, and projections of how the needs of new migrants are to be addressed going forward. In tandem with these aims, it is hoped to portray the contemporary migration situation in Ireland and the UK not solely as a challenge but as an opportunity for the burgeoning of linguistic and cultural diversity.
She would be delighted to hear expressions of interest in contributing either a chapter or a ‘vignette’. If you are interested, could you send her an abstract of circa 300 words of your proposed chapter/vignette by the end of September. In addition, she would be pleased to hear of a colleague who you think might be interested in contributing.
Freda Mishan: [email protected]