Adult education provider, ACL Essex, is encouraging people to expand their horizons by learning new language skills – whether they’re jetting off on holiday as global travel opens up again, or looking for employment opportunities abroad. There’s also many health and wellbeing benefits to learning a language, from increased social interactions with like-minded people, to prevention of dementia! It’s a well-known fact¹, people who are bilingual are less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s or dementia due to increased cognitive capacity.
From brushing up on school-learned French, Spanish or German or tackling an entirely new language, such as Greek, Italian or Japanese, there are a wide variety of online and in-person classes available at all sorts of levels, with some covering specific topics such as food and drink, or travel and directions. For example, those planning a holiday to the land of the rising sun might find ‘Japanese Introduction’ the perfect start to learning the language, while at the other end of the spectrum ‘French Immersion Speaking Advanced’ could be just what’s needed to boost someone’s confidence in their language skills ahead of a European relocation for work purposes.
Non-native speakers of English can also improve their language competence through ACL Essex’s ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) offering, which develops skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening through sessions held in small groups. Courses are held at locations across Essex, with beginner, intermediate and advanced qualifications available.
In addition, courses in non-verbal languages such as British Sign Language (BSL) and Makaton are available, along with lip reading training. These popular courses are ideal for improving understanding when communicating with the deaf community, to support people who are deaf or those who have a hearing loss or for other groups for whom verbal communication is a challenge.
“Language is at the heart of understanding, and understanding is in turn at the heart of nurturing vibrant, supportive and inclusive multicultural communities. It’s also a big part of enjoying foreign travel, enabling people to immerse themselves in a different culture and make the most of their holiday time abroad,” says ACL Essex’s Principal, Katherine Burns. “As global travel opens up again, and communities spend more time connecting and engaging with each other in person, we hope to help people enjoy their holidays and community events even more through our language courses, which give them both better understanding and greater confidence in their communication skills.”
ACL Essex offers a wide range of qualifications and skills at their centres across the county and online. They also offer apprenticeships and professional learning, as well as core subjects, such as English, Maths, Science and Digital Skills. There’s also supported learning for people with learning difficulties, creative and cultural learning, mental health and wellbeing, plus community and family learning.
ACL Essex, part of Essex County Council, is the largest provider of adult education in the county. Its aim is to provide learners with as many ways to flourish as possible, to be there in communities across Essex, to make a difference to residents and businesses, so they can make a difference for themselves and to the places that they live in.
Learners enrolling onto a course which leads to a qualification may be entitled to financial support with course fees, resources such as textbooks or equipment, IT equipment (including access to Wi-Fi), transport costs and childcare. In addition, ACL Essex offers support to help learners start and stay in learning, if they have a recognised need, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, mental health, anxiety, processing, sight and hearing difficulties, mobility, learning difficulties, ASD etc.
