Communicating With Migrants Doesn’t Have To Feel Difficult
Learn how to speak in a way that helps migrants feel understood, respected and able to participate fully in your conversation
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Sound Familiar?
When conversations feel harder than they should
If you work for a local authority, you already know that everyday conversations become more difficult if the person has a low English level. You’re trying to explain housing, benefits, safeguarding or school admissions, all while the person in front of you is learning English and adjusting to a completely new country.
You slow down a little. You choose your words more carefully. But you’re still not sure if they’ve understood. Sometimes they nod politely. Sometimes they return with the same questions. Sometimes the conversation goes round in circles, and both of you leave feeling unsure of what was agreed.
On your side, there’s the constant worry:
“Am I speaking too fast? Too simply? Am I being clear? If I slow down more, will they feel patronised?”
What Your Client May Be Experiencing
On their side, there’s often anxiety, overwhelm and frustration. Many migrants don’t want to admit when they’re confused, especially when the topics are unfamiliar or sensitive. Interrupting you feels impossible if their English level is low. They may walk away more confused than you realise.
When this happens, nobody gets what they need – not you, not them, and not the families relying on this support.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
There is a way to make these conversations easier for both you and the people you support.
Clear communication isn’t about speaking louder or oversimplifying. It’s about understanding how English sounds to someone who is still learning it, and adjusting your approach in a way that feels natural and respectful.
That’s exactly what this workshop teaches.
And Here’s The Good News!
There’s a simple way to make these conversations clearer for both you and your clients.
Drawing on 25 years of experience, we show you practical methods that help migrants follow what you say, even when the topic is complex or emotionally sensitive. You’ll learn how to slow down without sounding patronising, phrase ideas more simply without losing meaning and explain abstract concepts in a way that genuinely lands.
And the best part?
You can use these skills immediately – in conversations about housing, benefits, safeguarding or any other part of local authority work that relies on mutual understanding. Booking an interpreter isn’t always justified, and even with an interpreter, meanings get missed.
This fun and interactive workshop gives you the tools to create conversations that feel calmer, clearer and far more human.
What Your Conversations Will Feel Like After The Workshop
You’ll start to notice small changes first. Clients relax more quickly. They are more able to interrupt you when they need to, instead of pretending to understand. Your explanations land the first time, and the whole conversation feels calmer and more human.
Instead of guessing whether someone has understood, you’ll be able to see it – in their body language, their responses and their confidence. You’ll spend less time repeating yourself and more time helping people move forward.
How To Communicate With Speakers of English As A Foreign Language
For front facing staff who want to master the skill of speaking in a way that helps migrants feel understood and respected.
What you’ll learn in this two-hour workshop
By the end of the workshop, you will have a better way of speaking to people from non-English speaking backgrounds. You will be able to adapt your communication style with confidence and skill so that you can better meet the needs of asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants.
What English sounds like to a beginner, through a short foreign-language listening exercise
See how your speech looks on a soundwave recorder. Are you leaving enough gaps?
The seven communication mistakes that can seem patronising, and how to avoid them.
The everyday words and phrases which cause confusion for learners of English.
How to be understood by beginners / how to speak quickly but clearly for those with better English.
A short description of the feature and how the visitor will benefit from it.
Hi, I’m Shelley Purchon
Founding Director of English Unlocked
I’ve spent more than 25 years teaching English to people from all over the world, including asylum seekers and other migrants. In that time, I saw a pattern again and again: my students could understand me easily, but they often struggled to understand the receptionists, librarians and other public sector staff they met in daily life.
It wasn’t because those staff were unkind or unprofessional. Most had simply never been shown how English sounds to someone who is learning it, or how small adjustments in the way they speak can make a huge difference.
I started sharing the simple techniques that the best language teachers use every day and staff quickly realised how transformative they could be. What began as a single workshop has now become a training programme used by resettlement teams, housing services, social care and other local authority employees across the UK.
My approach is fun and interactive, as well as practical, respectful and rooted in the real experience of supporting people who are new to the country and the language. These are skills that make conversations clearer, calmer and more human for everyone involved.
What Others Say
5 Star Feedback
This Workshop Is For You If…
- Resettlement teams
- Leaving Care teams
- UASC support workers
- Social workers
- Employability advisors
- Housing and homelessness staff
- Foster carers
- Caseworkers and casework coordinators
A Real Example From Resettlement Work
Safeguarding is one of the hardest concepts to explain to those who grew up outside the UK. It’s abstract, unfamiliar and in some languages it has no equivalent. If translated literally, it sounds innocuous. Without a clear explanation of safeguarding, people can fail to pay attention to this important concept and may not take your safeguarding concerns seriously.
In our workshops, we show staff how to avoid terminology like “safeguarding concerns” and instead break safeguarding down into simple, concrete language. Small changes in phrasing can make a noticeable difference.If a client genuinely understands safeguarding they are likely to ask questions and enter into a two-way conversation. Instead of switching off, they leave the conversation feeling informed and included. It’s a clear example of how the right communication approach can improve both trust and outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to some of our most commonly asked questions below
How long is the training?
All our workshops are 2 hours long.
Can you hold this training in-house?
Yes. We can deliver the workshop online or in-house. Depending on your location, in-person training may incur a small additional cost.
Who delivers the training?
This workshop is usually delivered by our founding director, Shelley Purchon.
Is this just for groups?
No. We also deliver training to individuals. Tickets are purchased through Eventbrite — email us to ask which workshops we have coming up, or to request that we schedule an Eventrite workshop. Prices start at £60 per person.
Can you help us solve a specific communication problem?
Yes. Bespoke workshops include a consultation beforehand and can be tailored to your team’s needs.
Past examples include:
- how to explain grooming to Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children
- how to explain housing legislation
- how to be understood over the phone
- how to explain volunteering to clients
Is there any follow-up?
Yes. Bespoke workshops include a consultation before and after the workshop.
Can we book this for mixed teams with different roles?
Yes. Many organisations book this for mixed groups – the skills are useful for all front-facing staff. If that’s your situation we recommend booking a workshop specially designed for mixed groups, rather than a bespoke one.
Do you offer a discount for third sector organisations?
Yes. Please mention this when you book.
We use interpreters. Do we still need this workshop?
Interpreters are essential for certain conversations, especially if the topic is legal, medical or financial. But booking an interpreter isn’t always justified, and even with an interpreter, meanings can get missed. This workshop complements – not replaces – interpreter use. To learn about our training on ‘How to Work Effectively with Interpreters’, check our website.
We already have cultural competency training. How is this different?
This workshop focuses specifically on language, not culture. It teaches you practical communication techniques you can use immediately, alongside any broader cultural awareness training you already have.
Is the workshop accessible for staff with different learning styles?
Yes. The session is interactive, visual and practical, with plenty of examples, opportunities to try techniques and space to ask questions.