Changing minds and lives! The Success of Creative English and Health Literacy
Vaccinations have been a controversial topic since Edward Jenner created the first smallpox vaccine in 1796. If you are navigating the world of vaccines in a country where the main language spoken is not one you feel confident in, this can be especially overwhelming. Speakers of English as an Additional Language are more likely to have lower levels of health literacy and higher levels of health inequality as a result, leading to poorer health outcomes and higher instances of chronic health conditions. Creative English never pressures people; rather, we make information accessible in a way that enables people to explore and make informed choices and reflections on their own lives as a result.
Through autumn and winter 2023-2024, FaithAction were commissioned by Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board to deliver our Creative English: Vaccinations Programme with a strong focus on increasing the uptake of winter vaccinations and lowering the associated risk factors of not getting vaccinated. 371 learners completed the programme, with 84% saying at the end that they had booked, or were intending to book, vaccinations. This increased from 26% at the start of the project, representing a mindset shift amongst no less than 58% of the participant cohort.
Why is Creative English so effective? The below quote from one of our learners sums it up beautifully:
I [would] not come if you say, ‘Come to this class on vaccine’. Pff! I know what I think! But I come for laughing, friend, [and] English learning and then we talk about vaccine and I go “Oh, ok and learn what I not think!”
The invitation is not to come and be lectured to about why you should have a vaccine: it is the desire to learn English that gets people through the door. Once there, the methodology takes over; with a programme carefully tailored to package crucial health messaging in a way that is light-hearted and accessible, learners enjoy themselves and find that they build connections with other learners more quickly than they might in a standard ESOL for Health class, as well as gaining new knowledge that helps them to navigate a space many previously found too overwhelming to engage with. The results are increased confidence, shifts in behaviour and mindset, positive lifestyle changes and learners achieving things they couldn’t imagine themselves doing before they started the course.
Want to deliver Creative English in your setting?
Our Creative English programme comes in a variety of different packages suitable for the needs of your group, including our Health programme with focus on vaccinations.
Visit our Creative English website or email [email protected] for more information.
