Helping people who are learning English speak to their doctor
6 November 2008
The Bromley by Bow Centre, in partnership with Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust (PCT), has launched two new health information packs for use in ESOL classes. These packs are designed to help people who are learning English to understand health information, and empower them to take control of their own health.
The launch took place on Tuesday 28 October at the Bromley by Bow Centre, in front of an audience of ESOL tutors, healthcare professionals and community leaders. The Bromley by Bow Centre has been working in partnership with the PCT’s Public Health department to address their strategy around health education.
The project’s key aim is to use health information in English classes in order to increase a learner’s knowledge about health topics. The project also enables learners to use health-related language learned in class to make informed health choices which would have been more difficult before.
Up until now, ESOL students have been keen to learn appropriate terms to help them understand health information and interact with healthcare professionals, but ESOL tutors have lacked the resources to teach anything other than basic tasks, such as making an appointment with the GP. These new packs help students to learn much more about healthcare and health information, and become empowered to take control of their own health.
The ESOL materials consist of tutor packs with course readers, a poster and a CD ROM. These ESOL Health packs can be used by any ESOL tutor to use outside the Bromley by Bow Centre. The health promotion themes developed are breast screening and smoking cessation. 400 health packs on each subject have been produced, and are now available for distribution across Tower Hamlets and London.
Shahanara Begum, Skills for Life Programme Manager at the Bromley by Bow Centre, said: “We have already trialled these packs in our own ESOL classes, and they have proved to be hugely successful and popular. After completing the courses the learners have now developed an awareness of health issues covered and are able to confidently make choices about their own health. We want them to be more confident about visiting their GP and discussing issues with them.”
Linda Haslam, ESOL Tutor and Resources Developer at the Bromley by Bow Centre, said: “As a long standing ESOL Tutor, I understand the need and difficulty of conveying health messages clearly and in a form that is accessible to low level second learners. Quite apart from the specialised vocabulary required, there are cultural barriers which hinder people accessing potentially life-saving health care. The health packs are designed to try and overcome these barriers, allowing learners to make informed choices about their health.”
Ian Basnett, Director of Public Health, Tower Hamlets PCT said: "We know that people who are literate have better health outcomes generally as it gives them more control over their lives. What’s great about this project is that it addresses this issue by building literacy skills using health topics, helping to break down barriers for non-English speakers to access important prevention and healthcare information."
Dr Saul Marmot, a GP at the Bromley by Bow Health Centre, said: “Taking a holistic approach to someone’s health means looking at all the factors that affect their health, and at all the ways their health affects those around them. We know that people with poorer education tend to have poorer health – and if people are in poor health, they are less able to support their families and others who rely on them. This is such an exciting project because it recognises the link between these two factors – and sets out to address it.”
If you are an ESOL tutor and would like copies of these packs, please contact Shahanara Begum on Shahanara@bbbc.org.uk or 0208 709 9739.
For more information please contact; James Atkinson, jamesa@bbbc.org.uk or 020 8709 9756.
