There’s a lot to be gained from bringing another ‘voice’ into the languages classroom - and the teachers and learners at Dorset Adult Learning can certainly vouch for that. They had the good fortune of being part of the MFL Volunteers project that has been extremely successful in ‘diversifying’ languages courses, improving cultural awareness and increasing overall enjoyment.

Six volunteers (mostly from the institute’s ESOL classes) were appointed to tutors across ten MFL courses, each given a thorough training programme and a volunteer handbook to help them along their way.  Whilst this is not a new idea in adult education, it is new to languages and was managed in an entirely different way.

Students and teachers have been equally inspired by this project. It’s considered a great way to deal with mixed ability classes, and to give learners more opportunities to practice speaking and listening in the classroom. Being exposed to Latin American Spanish as well as Castilian has enriched learning and improved understanding of the language and the different cultures associated with it.  And the volunteers themselves?  Well, they see it as a great way to improve their own skills and confidence. Some have even gone on to do teacher training!

Language(s): French, Spanish, German

Dorset Adult Learning is part of Dorset County Council. It offers part-time courses to adults and employers through Dorset. It is community-based and LSC funded.