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Belfast Institute’s work with the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities and the Chinese Welfare Association revealed that many immigrants needed intensive language training to overcome their very low English language skills and in some cases literacy problems. Help was urgently needed if they were to integrate successfully into Northern Ireland society. |
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To meet this pressing need Belfast Institute (BIFHE), now part of Belfast Metropolitan College, launched the Centre for English Language Teaching in 2005. The Centre caters for all English learners through intensive courses ranging from beginner to proficiency. In class the emphasis is very much on communication skills and active learning. Outside the classroom, learners have access to a wealth of online resources to support their language development.
The Centre has been an immediate success, with the number of courses rising from two in 2005 to twenty this year, delivered by a team of 20 tutors. 2,997 students enrolled on its programmes between September 2006 and April 2007.
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The success of the Intensive English Courses Project recently attracted official recognition when Andrea da Silva, Centre Manager, received an award at the National Training Awards (NTA) ceremony held in the Culloden on 16 October. The NTA judges were impressed by “the passion and obvious commitment engendered by this initiative and the progression of student numbers over the past few years.” They endorsed the work of the centre as “an excellent example that should be celebrated and shared” |
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If you would like more information on our English as a foreign language training please contact Marie McIvor, Centre Secretary on tel. 028 9026 5184 or by
email: mmcivor@belfastmet.ac.uk |
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