Britain’s long history of migration has made language and culture fluid. Communicating cultural norms can be tough, especially for newcomers.
If trauma and dislocation arise from being a refugee or asylum seeker, extra support is needed.
Adult learning organisations can offer specialised language teaching for non-English speakers (ESOL).
By connecting language teaching with British values, ESOL courses help people engage with their communities.
Currently, the political climate adds a challenging layer to language, immigration, and British identity.
🔬 In 24/25, 1121 learners completed an ESOL qualification with the WEA
🔬 WEA supported 122 learners to achieve qualifications in community interpreting
🧬 2021 Census data told us: 91.1% (52.6 million) of residents aged three years and over had English (English or Welsh in Wales) as a main language (down from 92.3% in 2011)
🔬 7.1% (4.1 million) of the overall population were proficient in English (English or Welsh in Wales) but did not speak it as their main language.
🧬 The most common main languages, other than English/Welsh were: Polish (1.1%), Romanian (0.8%), Panjabi (0.5%), and Urdu (0.5%)
🔬 Asylum stats tell us a 110,051 people claimed asylum in the UK year ending September 2025, 13% more than in the previous year
