This story popped up on our internal Bristol City Council website so we thought we’d use it as an excuse to blow our own trumpet!
Bristol Community Learning celebrates success of Conversation Clubs
Our Community Learning Team recently hosted a day celebrating the city’s Conversation Clubs. The clubs give residents who speak English as a second language the opportunity to practice English in informal, friendly settings.
Community Learning runs 15 clubs across Bristol, with more than 100 people coming to practice their English speaking and listening skills each week. They focus on everyday situations but also encourage people to share their experiences and cultures with each other, making them an ideal place to make new friends and improve community cohesion.
The clubs are free but couldn’t happen without the help, support and enthusiasm of the volunteers who plan and facilitate the clubs, or the schools, Children’s Centres, learning and community centres who host them, often for free. The event celebrated and thanked everyone involved.
Volunteers learned how to incorporate role play and drama into their sessions and partners and learners talked, shared experiences and networked. In true Conversation Club style people didn’t arrive empty handed but brought along a wide range of delicious food for everyone to share.
A huge thank you to Agi Kaziszyn, our ESOL Development Worker, for taking the Conversation Clubs from strength to strength, including recruitment, training and support of volunteers and organising the celebration event.
To find out more, or to volunteer at a Conversation Club, visit the web page or contact LCTinfo@bristol.gov.uk.