There is no other area of lifelong learning policy that has a more positive impact on the life chances of Britain's poorest settled communities than English for speakers of other languages.
Study after study shows that the lowest levels of participation in education and training after school are experienced by communities of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Somali heritage, and in particular by the women of those communities.
You need English to get a job, to support your children at school and to play an active part in the wider community – in short, to join the "big society".
The launch of the Skills for Life strategy over a decade ago increased the demand for Esol courses. Pressure on class places intensified with the arrival of large numbers of European Union workers.
By 2006, there were in excess of a quarter of a million people signed up for Esol classes. Two in three of those were women. Almost half were pursuing entry-level courses. And still there were long waiting lists in the cities, especially in London.
But since 2007 the success story has been marred by difficulties. We have seen measures to introduce fees, to change eligibility criteria, and to cap the numbers of Esol students funded by the government. There is no shortage of enthusiasm to learn the language, yet numbers have dropped year on year – from 267,000 in 2005-06 to around 187,000 this year.
The loss of government support for low-wage families and those on what the government now calls "inactive" benefits could mean an even bigger drop in participation. The Association of Colleges calculates that as many as half of all places are at risk next year. And it's not just the learners who will suffer; providers will cut classes and skilled teachers will lose jobs.
So how did we get here? Successive governments have been concerned – and understandably so - with persuading employers recruiting abroad to pay for their workers' English classes. And it didn't help to cool the debate to hear of posters in Poland saying "Come and work in Britain – the government will teach you English free", or words to that effect.
But the truth is, few employers are willing and able meet the cost of English lessons. Of course, the government will still continue to meet half the overall cost, but that leaves learners needing to find hundreds of pounds no matter how poorly paid they are. For many, that means the door to learning the language is now closed.
The government drive to focus resources on helping people actively seeking work to move quickly and successfully into sustainable employment also has its part to play. While this is also understandable, it doesn't reach out to all those in need, as those without work may well be in that situation because their language skills aren't up to scratch.
For people like this, Esol classes are a key cornerstone of industrial training. That is why so many have taken advantage of the classes on offer. At the parliamentary briefing on the Esol crisis co-ordinated by Niace and the Refugee Council last month, there was testimony after testimony from learners who, after Esol classes, moved on to become health professionals, community workers, teaching assistants, accountants and volunteers.
So, despite the sterling efforts of John Hayes, minister for lifelong learning, and Vince Cable, business and skills secretary, to protect further education and the role it can play in improving life chances, the situation facing many Esol learners is bleak. It is not too late to tweak the policy to ensure they get a fair chance.
• Alan Tuckett is chief executive of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (Niace)