From Challenge to Change: Ukrainian Adults Moving Forward with English

Background

Thirteen Ukrainian learners, displaced by war and now rebuilding their lives in the UK, joined a twelve-week Functional Skills English programme at Sunflower House. This initiative was not contract-based or externally funded. It was a social value project, offered by EBCF in partnership with ACH and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, driven by a simple belief: language is not just a skill – it is the first step to finding your voice in a new country.

The Learning Journey

The course was designed with empathy and practicality in mind:

Blended learning across reading, writing, speaking and listening
Delivered by Larysa Korin, a Ukrainian-speaking tutor who taught ESOL in Lubny, Ukraine, until 2023
Community-based sessions in a familiar, welcoming space
Culturally sensitive delivery that built trust and confidence