'When you communicate with clients, your strategies develop; sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. You reflect a lot about what are the things that work or don't work? How to communicate with clients next time? Every client is different.' - English Trainer, Gaza Sky Geeks
Life cycle
2019-ongoing
Country/Region
Palestine
Client/Partner
British Council
Vision
To increase the capacity of Palestinian youth to engage with the global digital economy, overcoming two of the most profound challenges namely restrictions on trade and travel by working with and through local institutions.
Situation
@Palestine gives unemployed youth the English and soft skills they need to access employment opportunities through the digital economy as freelancers. With high unemployment rates for university graduates in the country (21 per cent for males and 51 per cent for females), young people are seeking alternatives to traditional employment. Restrictions on trade and travel have encouraged increasing numbers to turn to online work. Strong English language skills can increase the number of opportunities available to them.
Implementation
The project partnered with Gaza Sky Geeks to develop English for Freelancers, an English for specific purposes course available to individuals and local tech hubs that aims to improve the language skills of new and aspiring freelancers.
The course consists of 45 hours of blended learning materials, including 12 online modules and corresponding lessons that can be delivered synchronously online or face-to-face. Based on initial research, the course material was tailored to the reported needs of freelancers. The content covers useful language and strategies to help freelancers navigate their way through common work situations; such as writing a tailored proposal, negotiating deadlines and pay and conducting virtual meetings with clients. An additional 20 hours of training materials for course trainers were also created and delivered to an initial group of 12 trainers. This training covered tools for blended teaching, understanding learner needs, and the flipped classroom approach.
Impact
The complete blended course including online modules, bridging activities and synchronous lessons is currently being piloted by Gaza Sky Geeks with a group of 95 learners. The course has already received very positive feedback, with trainers highlighting that the online self-study material provides learners with the basic knowledge they need and allows them to focus on more challenging aspects and practice with production during live lessons. One trainer who had previously taught a course for freelancers using generic business English materials said that English for Freelancers more closely represented the experience of freelancers in its content. English for Freelancers will be used by Gaza Sky Geeks to prepare learners for their Freelancer Academy, thus providing more training opportunities.
Mutual benefit
There is an increasing trend in the 21st century for Palestinians to seek entrepreneurial outsourcing service models across borders to generate income. Desk research and partners cite a lack of sufficient English language and 21st Century skills (and not technical competency) as the main barrier to success. We believe that better teaching and learning of English increases academic and career opportunities and enables people to participate actively in a global society. The project aims to bring together a network of Palestinian and international actors in supporting Palestinian participation in the global digital economy. This helps to build a community of practice and policy influence through relevant and impactful research and thought pieces.