A mentor can 'stimulate the construction of the student's autonomy' (Freire 1998), empower people to think more positively about themselves and increase their network of contacts (McKenzie 1995, Jeruchin and Shapiro 1992). But few professional or non-qualified migrants with English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) have a mentor who can support and guide them into work, assist in extending their network or help them improve their English language skills. Many also are not unable to enrol in classroom based English language course for a variety of reasons. Therefore there is often a delay, sometimes of many years, in their communicating in English and finding fulfilling employment.
One possible solution is the World Wide Web where a virtual mentor can be established to support migrants to fulfil their social and employment aspirations. This paper reports on an internet site that mentors, and teaches language and culture, to ESOL members on-line. Issues of design heuristics are also raised.
