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5 November 2026

Teaching English is the easiest part of my job

ESOL lecturers help students rebuild their lives. The emotional cost deserves greater recognition
Jane Botros Guest Contributor

Edinburgh College ESOL lecturer

5 min read
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The final ESOL assessments have been marked, class trips to zoos and museums have gone well, all that remains is a few class parties and tidying up our desks. A time to reflect and take stock.

How do I actually feel after another demanding term in an FE ESOL department? Frazzled, burned out and emotionally empty. With over 60 students under my care, 90 per cent of them being refugees and asylum seekers, the emotional load of getting these students to the finishing line is becoming more and more difficult.

Teaching English is a fraction of the workload. Yes, planning and delivering lessons and administrating and marking assessments is a huge task, but the difficulties of managing 60 complex people in a classroom day in day out is far more gruelling.

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