Most projects engaging with learners from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups encountered learners for whom English was not their first language.  Many took the opportunity to embed English-language learning within their courses.  Often this was focused on speaking and listening, as informal adult learning offers many opportunities for conversation.

Some projects engaged members of BME groups as learning facilitators, sharing aspects of their culture and their skills with people from other cultural and ethnic backgrounds.  This often placed new demands on their communication skills in English so such projects found themselves offering English-language support.