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Study aims to improve English language services for Bangladeshis in London

A new study from the University of Kent aims to help improve language services for Bangladeshis in London - a group that, of all the 2001 Census-defined 16 ethnic categories, has the lowest levels of ability in the use of the English language.

The study, which has been funded by the Nuffield Foundation, will be timely in that the Commission on Integration and Cohesion recently concluded that 'a lack of English language skills is one of the biggest barriers to integration' and called for 'more innovative ways of providing English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)'.

The study will be conducted by Dr Ferhana Hashem, Research Fellow at the University's Centre for Health Services Studies (CHSS), and Peter Aspinall, Senior Research Fellow at CHSS.

Among their key lines of inquiry, Dr Hashem and Peter Aspinall aim to explore what kind of ESOL training Bangladeshis require and what are the current barriers to accessing services. They also want to know how ESOL providers can best configure training for Bangladeshi community members from their own and community perspectives.

Dr Hashem said: 'We all know that not only does it make economic sense to help people communicate effectively but effective communication is also a precondition for social inclusion. However, surveys undertaken in the 1990s indicate that while three-quarters of Bangladeshi men can speak English fluently or fairly well, around only 40% of Bangladeshi women can do so, the latter figure falling to under 5% amongst 45-64 year-olds.'

Dr Hashem added: 'Through this project we hope to understand the paradoxical position Bangladeshis face learning English: on the one hand, they are not at all against the idea of improving their level of English - in fact, many actively pursue this; however, on the other hand, the low skills and education base of this community has meant that many Bangladeshis do not have the opportunity to learn English.'

Contact: mediaoffice@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 3:28pm 17 April 2008