Hello, everyone.

I'm enjoying the discussion about setting up work-based ESL classes. I'd
like to respond to this question:

 How do you go about identifying the language skills needed in the
workplace? 

Years ago, while I was setting up the federally funded (under the U.S.
Dept. of Ed's National Workplace Literacy Program [NWLP] ) Food &
Beverage Workers Union and Employers Benefits Fund Skills Enhancement
Training (SET) program, I was allowed free access to the workers and the
workplace to determine the language skills needed on the job. This meant
I observed workers on the job, during their breaks, and at meetings  to
determine the skills needed for communicating with supervisors, with
customers, with co-workers, and with union staff.  I took extensive
notes, which I later clarified/confirmed during interviews with union
personnel, supervisors, HR personnel, upper management, co-workers, and
the targeted workers themselves. For the literacy demands of the job, I
collected and reviewed both all formally required texts: contracts,
memos, manuals, recipes, policies, and so on, as well as all
environmental print...for example, signs and notices posted on the job. 

I did this complete oral/written scan for every worksite involved in the
project.  It was great to have this extensive access to the worksite and
the time it took up front was well worth the effort as it served to
introduce me to all the players, to get them all on board. It also meant
that I was able to develop a curriculum that truly addressed the
language need/communication skills of each worksite. And each player was
contacted and knew that he or she had been listened to. It also got
co-workers to support the project as their valuable assistance and
counsel was sought concerning the language skills needed by English
language learners at their worksite.

Hanging around during the breaks was especially useful as I was able to
see how co-workers communicate, topics discussed, level of formality of
discourse, and so on. 

So I guess a summary of the above is that it's extraordinarily important
to spend the time up front involving all players in this scan of
language needs of the workplace.

Miriam
*********
Miriam Burt
Center for Applied Linguistics
4646 40th Street NW
Washington, DC 20016
(202) 362-0700 (phone)
(202) 363-7204 (fax) 
mburtcal.org <mailto:miriam at cal.org>  (email)


-----Original Message-----
From: workplace-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:workplace-bounces at nifl.gov] On
Behalf Of Maria Caratini-Prado
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 12:42 PM
To: Maria Caratini-Prado; workplace at nifl.gov; djgbrian at utk.edu
Subject: [Workplace 1513] Re: Taking the Plunge into Work-Based ESL


>>> Maria Caratini-Prado 07/22/08 11:36 AM >>>

Good morning!

Thank you Dr. Brian for reposting these questions. As the Program
Director for ESL at Eastfield College in Mesquite, Texas, and with eight
years experience in Business Industry ESL I will introduce our model.

Questions about Workplace Literacy:

-The terms workforce, workplace, and work-based are often used
interchangeably in discussions of work-related literacy, basic skills,
and English language instruction.  Is one preferred over the others and
is there a marked difference in meaning? 

I perfer the term workforce because every important office in our state
bears the word:  "Texas Workforce Commission" for example. And our
college division bears the word in its title: "Division of Workforce
Development."  Keeping to the term "workforce" allows businesses to
relate and access our services faster.   

-If you recognize a local need for work-related literacy services in
your community, what do you do about it?  How do you go about
approaching the employer(s) to discuss needs? 

At Eastfield College, I use census demographics information and city
statistical information to learn where in the area there is marked
density of non-English language speakers.  I drive through those areas
and meet with directors or managers to talk about what I see.  (I do
this every summer in early July.)  I have a document that shows the
different programs and courses my college offers and emphasize that
those courses can be adapted to fit industry.

-What needs to happen at the initial meeting between a company/employer
and a workplace ESL provider?  I like to provide a "mini-college fair"
at the company.  Once I am in the door, I feel that the first person I
need to speak to is the one needing the language because in significant
numbers, the employees will clamor for the company to offer ESL.  I also
provide my customary presentation to the CEO, managers, etc. and provide
a sample of what a Business Industry ESL class is like.

-How do you go about identifying the language skills needed in the
workplace?  Once I choose the perfect instructor, we request permission
to shadow the company, collect brochures to create vocabulary logs.
This information is sorted and included in the various units presented
in class.

-How can you address the work-related language needs of learners coming
to your regular ESL classes?  Our program at Eastfield provides
workforce content in our textbook series that is further enhanced with
instructional handouts provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.  We
have four posters provided by TWC that teach our students about getting
a job, interviewing, calculating salary, and sustaining performance.  We
use some handouts from Equipped for the Future that show the importance
of mastering English for home, work and community.  In the spring of
2009, we will be offering a new program at our college, Basic Workplace
ESL Skills, with a weekend college format, to allow students who want a
greater emphasis on workforce skills to have their own program.

 
 



Maria Caratini Prado, M. Ed. TESOL
ESL/ESOL Teaching & Learning
Arts, Languages & Literature Division
Eastfield College, Texas
mcaratini at dcccd.edu
www.eastfieldcollege.com
(972) 860-7659 office
(972) 860-8392 fax
"Advancing English Education Globally"

>>> "Brian, Dr Donna J G" <djgbrian at utk.edu> 07/22/08 5:23 AM >>>

 

Colleagues,

For some reason, Barbara Tondre was unable to post directly to the list,
and I was without electricity all of last evening due to a ferocious
storm that passed through, and so was without computer access.  

 

The questions that Barbara provides below are all good jumping off
places.  Which ones are of special interest to you?  To let us know,
just reply to this post with your comments.

 

Donna

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Dear Colleagues, 

 

It is only Monday, but I thought I would try giving our discussion a
jump start by offering some prompt questions that Pat and I provided
Donna Brian.  If you are just beginning to venture into matters related
to the workplace, these questions may "speak to you".  If so, send a
reply and let us know what peaks your interest.  If on the other hand,
you've got questions you don't see here, or issues you would like to
discuss, we hope that you will introduce them.  

 

Questions about Workplace Literacy:

 

1.	The terms workforce, workplace, and work-based are often used
interchangeably in discussions of work-related literacy, basic skills,
and English language instruction.  Is one preferred over the others and
is there a marked difference in meaning?
2.	If you recognize a local need for work-related literacy services
in your community, what do you do about it?  How do you go about
approaching the employer(s) to discuss needs?
3.	What needs to happen at the initial meeting between a
company/employer and a workplace ESL provider?  (see page 74 of the
Tennessee Handbook)
4.	How do you go about identifying the language skills needed in
the workplace?  (see section starting on page 75)
5.	How can you address the work-related language needs of learners
coming to your regular ESL classes?

 

Anything pop off the page?  Let us hear from you!

 

Barbara Tondre

 

________________________________

From: workplace-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:workplace-bounces at nifl.gov] On
Behalf Of Pat Sawyer
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 12:19 PM
To: workplace at nifl.gov
Subject: [Workplace 1503] What do we do first?

 

I know that many of you who are members of this discussion list are
experienced educators who have established ESOL classes in the
workplace.  There may also be others who have had little if any
experience in the workplace. 

 

 I am an "educator" and my only experience in the workplace was to wrap
Christmas presents at a department store when I was 18 years old. I
didn't know who to contact  or how to approach someone in a business
where we wanted to establish an ESOL class. This is the first and most
common question asked by those who are beginning to work with workplace
ESOL classes, "What do we do first?"

 

This question is answered many times and in many sections of our
workplace book, but if you will read page 144 in Appendix B-1 you may
begin to think about "what you do first."

 

Pat Sawyer


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