ESOL and Modern Language events

Last week was extremely busy but interesting. On Monday I attended the first meeting of the ESOL Curriculum Working Party. The task of the group is to decide on how the National ESOL Curriculum should look which is a significant task. It was agreed after a great deal of constructive discussion that before the next meeting in June we would look at other models such as the Canadian, the New Zealand, the English one alongside lessons learned. We would also look in detail at the Curriculum for Adult Literacy and Numeracy which had been suggested as a possible model. I think it is really positive that I've been invited to join the group as a representative from SFEU.
I spent Wednesday evening and all day Thursday in Glasgow for the launch of the new Free Standing Vocational Units in Modern Languages. SQA asked if I would run one of the three workshops at the event as I had been involved with the design team from the beginning. There was a great deal of interest in the event with 100 delegates and a waiting list with a further 100 people. FE was represented but the majority, as always, was from the schools sector. However I made contact with those from FE and gave my SFEU card. It is good to be involved so closely with new qualifications from the point of view of passing on accurate information to colleagues.
I was contacted by the HMIE for ESOL, Anne Pia. My name had been mentioned at the ESOL Assessment Panel and she wanted to meet me for a chat. I have arranged to meet her on the 13th June.
Questionnaires are coming in for the SCHOLAR project so it will be interesting to gather views from everyone who has used the materials this session.