From the asylum ‘crisis’ and the ‘riots’ in Oldham and other northern towns in the early 2000s to Brexit, citizenship has been a central issue of UK political debate. Much attention has focused on immigration, but borders, identity, the rights of migrant and established communities, and the English language have all been issues of contention. With the stress on English as a marker of British citizenship and the obligation on migrants to learn the language, ESOL has been at the centre of citizenship policy.
It was this positioning of ESOL that prompted the edited collection, Brokering Britain, Educating Citizens. Across different ESOL sites and student groups, its thirteen chapters explore the role of ESOL teachers as ‘brokers’ who mediate ideas of citizenship through their classroom practices and professional identities. The book argues that ideas of citizenship are implicit in ESOL and makes the case for an active and activist citizenship that is inclusive and participatory. The collection offers theoretically-informed but practical alternatives to top-down, mandated forms of citizenship learning. We hope that Brokering Britain, Educating Citizens will be of interest to ESOL teachers and researchers, and others concerned with citizenship in post-16 education. Melanie Cooke and Rob Peutrell Use the code 'BBEC30' at checkout for a 30% discount on the Brokering Britain, Educating Citizens. |