This curriculum was developed by a coalition of business and educational organizations, Project Workplace Literacy Partners in Chicago, to provide beginning workplace literacy instruction. The basic core curriculum is adaptable for use in a variety of workplace settings and in both job-specific and general work skills courses. The curriculum provides a resource list of competencies and a framework for instructional units from which teachers can develop a lesson plan. Content covers seven language use contexts, including: job performance; clarification/verification; work schedule/time sheet/paychecks; safety; general work-related interaction; social language; and general company language. Within each of these seven topic areas is a list of competencies and instructional units, which outline lesson content. Each instructional unit includes the following: the target competency; descriptions of one or two related situations; materials; vocabulary; grammatical structures for incorporation into learning activities; examples of spoken conversations or excerpts, with possible adaptations; and company-specific materials from actual worksites. A sample competency checklist and achievement test are appended. (MSE) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education)