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“I liked the course methodology. There wasn’t just lessons but interesting and rich activities.”- Learner
This project aimed to address unmet literacy needs among non-English speaking adults through singing. The course used rhythm to help learners select and extrapolate syllables, words, and phrases.
20 learners attended sessions once per week over 12 weeks in the St. Patrick’s Gateway Centre, Waterford between June and September 2024.
The course improved language skills, communication skills, positive psychology, and wellbeing by:
- learning and reciting well-known songs,
- singing jazz chants,
- rhythmic neuro-exercises, and
- communication and linguistic and cultural diversity.
To celebrate the course’s success, a final concert took place on International Literacy Day.
This project broadened learner’s English vocabulary in a relaxed and comfortable environment. It also improved everyday psychological wellbeing by encouraging learners to talk to each other.
Many non-English speaking adults are socially isolated, but singing allowed them to interact with people from various cultures and backgrounds.
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Learners attending a singing class.
“It was interesting, great teacher, I learnt a lot of new things. I’m happy I studied here.”- Learner
This project was a collaboration between Creative UE and Waterford New Communities Network.
For more information about the project, please contact Edel Finan, Regional Literacy Coordinator at Waterford and Wexford ETB, at edelfinan@wwetb.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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