Connecting Through Community: How community Organisations overcome language barriers in their work
Marzanna Antoniak is an ESOL teacher and former Community Connector in Govanhill. Here she reflects on teaching English in the community as well as chatting to community organisations about how they overcome language barriers in their work.
By Marzanna Antoniak | Photos by Alexander Hoyles
In July 2015, I began working with Govanhill Community Development Trust as an English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher. Right away, I realised how teaching in the community is very different than in a formal education setting.
One reason for this is that many of my learners had limited experience of education in their countries of origin. This might be because, for example, they were: brought up in remote locations; the oldest female sibling who cared for others; earning a living from a very young age; experiencing displacement due to war and other crises; or being severely bullied at school for being Roma.
In my classes I also worked with learners who couldn't see well and those with hearing impairments, which influenced the techniques I was using. Being able to offer childcare and make provisions for breastfeeding proved crucial too.
You have to be mindful of learners’ day-to-day lives. Community classes make allowances for students coming in late or leaving early due to appointments and other commitments, and for sudden disappearances due to changes in life or work circumstances. Because of this, I had to come to terms with the fact that some of my learners would need to start their learning journey almost from scratch whenever life circumstances forced them to take breaks from my classes.
The goal, therefore, was to keep them motivated and to create opportunities for them to learn outside of the classroom. And so, I resorted to devising lessons centred around local places such as shops, health practices, parks, and public buildings. This way, my learners had a chance to talk about their Govanhill favourites, and what mattered most, I knew they’d later be able to practise reading the names of the streets and signs whilst going about their daily business.
Living in a community like Govanhill, knowing English is not the only way you can communicate. And so I’d turn the tables from time to time by asking my learners to teach me some words in their native tongues. As soon as people start feeling comfortable and appreciated for who they are and what they have to offer, the language barrier seems to disappear and they are able to be thoughtful and funny, becoming much closer to who they identify as when communicating in their native tongues.
How you teach in the community also depends on factors such as the age and specific needs of local people. With my Slovak Roma youth group, the youngsters practised their English through conversations based on pop songs’ lyrics, arts and crafts, and guided me around the neighbourhood with much singing in Romanes happening along the way.
Community ESOL can be much more adaptable than formal courses. It is much easier to identify and respond to learners’ needs and build on their interests, to share relevant local information and refer individuals to other organisations.
MILK
When I think about it, I am surprised at how little a language barrier matters when it comes to forming a bond with someone. Though that is not to say it can’t make it tricky. I have been working with people learning English as a second (or third/fourth/fifth) language for years now, yet occasionally still have to be gently reminded that speaking in a louder voice isn’t a proven teaching technique. The bare bones of connection, however, don’t need to depend on a shared language.
Here at MILK, we find so many ways to communicate with each other that are non-verbal; food, touch, frenzied gesticulating… I have exchanged jokes, feelings of irritation and stories of loss, with folk who have only a smattering of English.
The community connection sessions which form the core of MILK have been running in some form or other, since the very start of our project. Participants have engaged in activities from sewing banners for the Govanhill festival, to writing poetry about displacement.
Some of those who come speak fantastic English, and many don't, but we try to ensure that our sessions are inclusive regardless. Human beings have such a beautiful capacity to make connections with each other no matter what. So much can be conveyed through gesture and expression; a well-timed eye roll; joy over a new baby and their perfect soft feet; shared disgust over the rotten weather and the January bin situation. Through MILK I have sat with people from all over the world feeling the full gamut of emotions; aware of the limitations of our linguistic compatibility but, regardless, sharing so much.
Scottish Ethnic Minority Deaf Club (SEMDC)
Photo: Aleem from SEMDC Credit: Alexander Hoyles
At SEMDC, we welcome all people who are deaf and from an ethnic minority to join us in meeting new people and learning new skills. Member led, we strongly encourage members to communicate in British Sign Language (BSL) and work with partner organisations to promote equality, diversity and advocacy – ensuring all members’ individual needs are supported.
Many of our members can come to us without fluency in BSL. Some reasons for this include knowing only their home country sign language, using International signs, using a mixture of signs/gestures or having no knowledge of a signed language. We provide opportunities for members to learn BSL and to learn from their peers. In addition, we provide a unique Deaf Relay Interpreting service which means deaf people communicating without BSL fluency have access to language and communication support.
Our knowledgeable and highly experienced deaf staff are all grassroots sign language users, who can break down BSL to a level of understanding for the deaf person who is not fluent in BSL. This is done by a deaf member of staff, working as Deaf Relay Interpreter alongside a proficient BSL Interpreter. The process is reversed when the deaf non BSL user needs to respond to the English. It's a skilled practice which sounds complicated but in practice is extremely efficient and allows the deaf non BSL user equality, respect and autonomy.
Photo: SEMDC Credit: Alexander Hoyles
The Scottish Arab Women’s Association (SAWA)
The Scottish Arab Women’s Association has built a legacy of communication and language. Through conversing in a language that connects so many people, a community language has been born and will continue to flourish. With 28 letters and over 23 dialects, the Arabic language has bridged gaps created by borders and colonialism and has healed the wounds of broken communities into one. Through the work that SAWA offers, we have been able to provide support through this community language.
The value the Arabic language holds is immeasurable. Everybody who’s part of SAWA has a bond to the Arabic language, whether it be a spoken element or cultural element. We like to exercise this point by hosting a number of ways of connecting with the Arabic language through teaching, experiencing and understanding. Community languages are core to life and human experiences. Learning and actively using community languages like Arabic are and will continue to be a form of cultural preservation and resilience.