Thank you, Miriam.  I suspect that one of the products of your thorough
language task analysis was the compact chart on ESOL Worker Competencies (
to get a job, to survive on the job, and to thrive on the job) that you
included in one of your articles a few years back.  I have attached it here.
I find it very useful when clarifying for new instructors just what we're
talking about in terms of work-related literacy and language skills. Pat and
I included it in the Tennessee ESOL in the Workplace publication, and I also
included it in Charting a Course:  Responding to the Industry-Related Adult
Basic Education Needs of the Texas Workforce.  As you see from the
attachment, it also appeared in our SHOP TALK series along with
Pennsylvania's Workplace Foundation Skills Framework (an adaptation of the
EFF Wheel). 

 

Barbara Tondre 

 

  _____  

From: workplace-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:workplace-bounces at nifl.gov] On
Behalf Of Miriam Burt
Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 10:58 AM
To: The Workplace Literacy Discussion List; djgbrian at utk.edu
Subject: [Workplace 1522] Re: Taking the Plunge into Work-Based ESL

 

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) 
 <mailto:miriam at cal.org> mburtcal.org (email) 

 

-----Original Message----- 
From: workplace-bounces at nifl.gov [ <mailto: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 
 <file:///\\www.eastfieldcollege.com> 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>
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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