The Online English Café: Expanding opportunities for refugee learners through free online resources

Jane Mandalios and Susan Stetson-Tiligadas from Greece presented on 'The Online English Café: Expanding opportunities for refugee learners through free online resources at the 6th annual Future of English Language Teaching Conference (FOELT) in June 2021.

Abstract

This presentation profiles a partnership between the Greek Refugee Council and the MA TESOL programme of Deree, the American College of Greece, which offers English courses for refugees in Greece. The Council already runs Greek language lessons to facilitate refugee integration into Greek society, but recognizes how English is also vital in improving their career and educational options. English is becoming a prerequisite in Greece; proficiency in it hugely increases equality of opportunity for refugees. This innovative programme develops English as a language additional to that of the host country.

Lacking financial resources, we developed our original syllabus for face-to-face classes using free materials. However, COVID meant we could use only free online materials for our synchronous classes, with most students connecting through phones, and limited opportunities for reading and writing. This led us to rethink the aims and nature of our programme, and to the ‘Online English Café”.

Using a functional, lexical and learner-centred approach, the Café replicates the scenario of interaction in a café, aiming to enhance learners’ confidence and skills in English. Lessons feature topics of mutual interest that people talk about in a café: one unit explores learners’ experiences with COVID. In addition to resources such as VoA, BBC and the British Council, non-ELT resources of all kinds – YouTube videos, TED talks, authentic online texts – are rich seams and popular with our learners. The Café format offers exciting possibilities for further courses designed on café-style interactions, news reports or themes developed through online videos.

Online classes present challenges, but also opportunities. We are expanding the Café, offering it to youngsters in unaccompanied minors’ shelters outside Athens, and on the islands, something we can only do through virtual classrooms. Through our Online Café we hope to expand both offerings and opportunities beyond COVID and beyond classroom borders.