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Mixing it up: learning English with Heart & Parcel

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Heart & Parcel are a Manchester based community organisation who support people learning English. They have honed an innovative approach centered around cooking, using the everyday act of preparing a meal as means to help learners communicate confidently in English. Their engaging model involves cooking food from around the world and sharing cultural experiences, recipes and stories. In the printed edition of Feast Spice Caitriona Devery talks with Heart & Parcel learners about their experiences and the importance of sharing their stories through food.

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Heart & Parcel work with English language learners to recognise, celebrate and develop their existing rich skills and knowledge, so they can communicate confidently and live fulfilling lives.  They do this by supporting people learning English to flourish in their local communities and forge connections by developing English language and communication skills through the medium of food.

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All images courtesy Rebecca Lupton photography.

Heart & Parcel

Founded in Manchester, England in 2015 by Clare Courtney and Karolina Koścień, Heart & Parcel initially aimed to support Women from ethnic minority communities. As of March 2020, they have widened their founding ambition to include all people learning English who would benefit from their unique provision: developing English language (ESOL) and communication skills by coming together to cook dishes from around the world, sharing recipes, stories, experiences and connections along the way.   In addition to regular classes, Heart & Parcel have run fundraising public food events such as supper clubs, markets, catering, private workshops and online sessions as learning networking platforms for their participants to connect and practice their skills. They raise awareness of the need for providing recognition, language, learning and community for English language learners in the UK through their self-published collaborative cookbook working with participants to share recipes and stories from their communities, cultures and lives. Heart & Parcel’s work is rooted deeply in research surrounding ESOL, English language provision, policy, migration, identity and arts-based practices.