Language to Nourish
Healthy food programme for migrants and international protection applicants.
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“I enjoyed experiencing food from other cultures and meeting other people.”- Learner
This project addressed unmet literacy and healthy eating needs among migrants, international protection applicants, and individuals with language needs. This Healthy Food Made Easy (HFME) programme empowered participants to engage with language learning in an everyday context.
Five participants attended the six-week long programme in Borrisokane. Classes provided a supportive environment where individuals enhanced their cooking skills, adopted healthy eating, and broadened their understanding of nutrition.
Participants learnt to read recipes and labels. This also improved their knowledge of local foods and recipes. The programme required participants to read and follow instructions, helping them practise their reading skills. It also encouraged participants to understand vocabulary related to food, measurement, and cooking techniques.
Tutors introduced numeracy through the price of ingredients, taking into account that participants were living on a budget. They also provided learners with online resources in relation to health and wellbeing.
Preparing food that learners could taste, share, and replicate for their family provided motivation to engage with the programme.
Cooking in a group of varying nationalities fostered teamwork and communication, helping participants work together, share tasks, and problem-solve. These social aspects encouraged literacy through conversation and shared learning experiences.
The programme provided an excellent opportunity to practise numeracy skills as well, especially when it comes to measurements and quantities of ingredients.
Overall, combining the HFME programme with a focus on literacy worked extremely well to improve language skills among participants.
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"The programme was a very practical way of learning new literacy skills. Active participation was key to the programme’s success.”- Facilitator
This project was a collaboration between North Tipperary Community Services and Tipperary Education and Training Board.
For more information about the project, please contact Ester Mackey, Regional Literacy Coordinator in Tipperary ETB, at emackey@tipperaryetb.ie
The Adult Literacy for Life Collaboration and Innovation Fund
The Collaboration and Innovation Fund supports projects for adults with unmet literacy, numeracy and digital literacy needs and projects that support organisations to be literacy friendly. The closing date for 2024 applications has now passed but keep an eye out for information on our 2025 fund which will be launched in December.
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