WM College: ESoL podcast project

Sam Pepper, Advanced Learning Practitioner – ESOL, WM College, London

WM College is a thriving inner city London community, proud of its diverse backgrounds, identities, and characteristics. Throughout last year 26 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) learners took part in a 10-episode podcast on topics that affect us all. The episodes were recorded and aligned with the Education for Sustainable Development goals (ESD) recommended by the UN and embedded into our learning curriculum. These goals work towards inclusivity and global awareness alongside language and skills for life in the UK. Learners shared their views on air in a series of short episodes released monthly throughout the year.

Some of the topics discussed included solidarity, equality, health, wellbeing, and consumption. Learners found this daunting at first, with many doubting their ability to speak on record and concerned about how they might come across. But in time, learners found the experience very fulfilling; it was an opportunity to have their voices heard and many have referred to their experience when job hunting. These episodes were shared in the student community in monthly newsletters, distributed on social media and were posted around the college with accessible QR codes. The participants, the learners themselves, are the stars of the podcast and are given the platform to have their voices heard on a public scale. These recordings have even been turned into listening practice and comprehension tasks and have been used by ESOL tutors at the college to further embed these ideas into classroom learning.

One learner commented: “The podcast was excellent, I enjoyed being in such a formal conversation and I learned a lot from others”. This was also an opportunity for learners to share their success with others in their lives as the podcast was broadcasted on public platform, Soundcloud. Another participant said: “Thank you so much for giving me the chance to be in the podcast, my family heard my episode, and they thought it was fantastic... I might consider working in radio or broadcasting if I get the chance!”. The project hopes to engage even more learners and have their voices heard by an even broader audience, and we are hoping to release a new series in September 2025.

WM College is committed to empowering learners to share their experiences, creating an environment of empathy and mutual awareness and responsibility. This podcast has amplified diverse voices and provided new experiences to learners. Listener engagement, community impact and a rise in confidence amongst participants have meant that the ESOL podcast project has brought broad benefits to the WM College community.

To listen to the podcast, click here:

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