Languages data
(Also discussed under Evidence for Public Policy)
From the 1970s onwards John Eversley was involved in advising local authorities on how to claim resources under Section 11 of the 1996 Local Government to ‘meet the needs of immigrant populations’. A vital resource was data collected on the languages spoken by school pupils. It was not a measure of whether pupils spoke English fluently as was, and still is, frequently stated or implied, but it was a good indicator of ethnic diversity. Furthermore as the data collection became more systematic, it could be linked to other indicators at pupil level – eligibility for Free School Meals (a crude measure of deprivation) and pupil attainment, for example. In 2000, Philip Baker and John Eversley published Multilingual Capital, an atlas of the languages spoken by London’s state school children. This was updated, using 2008 data as Language Capital. Unfortunately the publisher ceased trading the week of its publication, so it is not available, but a User Guide (Eversley et al, 2010) gives some insight into it.
Eversley, J.; Mehmedbegovic´, D.; Sanderson, A.; Tinsley, T.: von Ahn, M.: and Wiggins, R.D. (2010) Language Capital – Mapping the languages of London’s schoolchildren London: CILT User Guide
Baker P and Eversley, J: Multilingual Capital: the languages of London’s schoolchildren and the economic and social implications. Battlebridge Press. January 2000
Languages research
(Also discussed under Equalities work)
Between 2005 and 2016 ppre was a partner in three EU-funded projects about languages in multicultural societies. The first project (BICOM) looked at the use of bilingual interpreters and advocates. ppre’s UK partner for this was University College London. One of the striking conclusions of that was that service users used informal and ad hoc interpreters – such as family, friends and neighbours not simply in the absence of paid and trained intermediaries, but sometimes out of preference. Issues of trust or respect, privacy and confidentiality have to be balanced against the technical skills of working in two or more languages, often in complex and specialist settings and the appropriateness of using children, for example, to interpret for adult relatives and vice versa.
The second project (TRICC) took this analysis further to consider what capabilities or competences different kinds of bilingual mediators had and needed across five countries in the EU and Turkey. It explored different methods of training. The UK contribution from ppre focused on training for informal and ad hoc interpreters using Forum Theatre. See Meeuwesen et al final.doc
The third project (IRMultiling) focused on languages at the workplace. ppre’s UK partner for this was London Metropolitan University. Across Europe,the partners looked at a wide variety of contexts in which multilingual workforces operated and how employers, workers and their representatives (generally trade unions) managed the situation. ppre undertook case studies of mainly Eastern European recycling workers in Northern Ireland and hospitality (hotel and catering) workers from many different countries, in London. In this case, we used Forum Theatre to distil some of the insights from all the case studies into scenarios which employers, trade unions and language projects could use to explore the best strategies for managing complex situations.
Eversley, J. (2016) Working Conversations?: Language at the Workplace IR Multiling/London Metropolitan University training guide Working Conversations?
Rifkin, F. and Williams, N. and Khalaf, A. (Directors); Eversley, J. (Producer) (2016) Six videos on language, trade unions and migration for IR Multling/London Metropolitan University IR Multiling youtubechannel
Eversley, J.; Gabriel, J. and Krouglov, A. (2015) MultiLing Country Report UK http://www.irmultiling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/UK-Report-27.11.15-1.pdf IR Multiling/London Metropolitan University. Part of an EU project on languages at the workplace. See also other countries reports and case studies Reports – IR – MultiLing
Eversley, J. (2015) Multilingualism in UK -Practices and Perspectives Northern Ireland, Waste Recycling IR Multiling/London Metropolitan University Practices-and-Perspectives.pdf
Meeuwesen, L., Ani, E., Cesaroni, F., Eversley, J. & Ross, J. (2012) Interpreting in health and social care: policies and interventions in five European countries. In: D. Ingleby, A. Chiarenza, W. Devillé & I. Kotsioni (Eds.) Inequalities in Health Care for Migrants and Ethnic Minorities. COST Series on Health and Diversity, Volume II (pp. 158-170). Antwerp/Apeldoorn: Garant. Meeuwesen et al final.doc
Eversley, J. Ed (2010) Training in Intercultural and Bilingual Competencies in Health and Social Care (TRICC) UK Handbook ppre CIC