Programmes for ESOL students

ESOL and Citizenship Tours

ESOL tours promote the development of literacy skills through engagement with the V&A’s collections.

The V&A's Citizenship tours are designed to complement the Citizenship component of the ESOL curriculum and help prepare those students planning to take the Life in the UK Test.

The V&A has a team of experienced ESOL tutors who can support all levels of ESOL groups.

ESOL and Citizenship gallery tours are free of charge to publicly funded colleges and community organisations.

How to book

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7942 2211
Email: bookings.office@vam.ac.uk

ESOL and Citizenship Tours can be booked for any weekday from 10:00 to16:00 and at other times by arrangement. We generally require 2 weeks notice.

Access

Students with disabilities are welcome. Please notify us of your needs when making your booking. The Disability pages have more information about access and facilities available at the South Kensington site.

ESOL gallery tours

Your group can choose to visit the following galleries:

• Islamic Middle East
  
• South Asia
  
• China
  
• British Galleries
  
• Medieval and Renaissance
  
• Japan
  
• Glass
  
• Silver
  

ESOL gallery tours last about 2 hours and involve a short gallery tour followed by an opportunity for students to look at a number of objects in more detail in 1 or 2 galleries.

An experienced V&A ESOL tutor will lead the tour and support your group. Worksheets for students to use during the visit will be provided. These focus on particular objects of interest to make the exhibits more accessible, aiming to encourage use of target language and increase understanding of the collections.

The ESOL tutor accompanying your group will contact you before your visit to discuss your group's language level and particular interests.

ESOL tours max 20 students per group.

ESOL Gallery tour resources

We provide a teacher's pack to help prepare for the visit, including some general information about the V&A, and suggestions for language based pre-visit activities. These aim to motivate interest, help students understand the collections and encourage use of language during the visit. All materials are mapped to the Skills for Life ESOL curriculum and the work can be used as evidence of component skills for assessment and accreditation.

Download: ESOL Teachers' pack (PDF 7.9MB)

Citizenship tours

The V&A's Citizenship tours are designed to complement the Citizenship component of the ESOL curriculum and help prepare those students planning to take the Life in the UK Test.

Tours and worksheets are offered at levels E2-L1.

The V&A is particularly well placed to cover elements of UK history and culture. The British Galleries (1500–1900) help to bring the past to life, enabling students to walk thorough history, and our rich collections of religious and cultural artefacts from around the world give  insights into the backgrounds of many of the diverse communities who live in the UK today.

The aim of the V&A's Citizenship tours, led by experienced ESOL tutors, is to increase students’ awareness of UK history and cultural diversity, and offer them the opportunity to develop their language skills in a stimulating environment.

Citizenship tours max 15 students per group.

Please specify that you want a Citizenship tour when making your booking.

Citizenship tour resources

We provide a teacher's pack to help prepare for the visit, including some general information about the V&A, suggestions for pre-visit activities and post-tour worksheets. These are designed to stimulate and test students’ knowledge before and after the visit.

For further details about the programme don’t hesitate to contact the ESOL Programme Manager, Marilyn Greene by phone: 020 7942 2212 or via email: m.greene@vam.ac.uk