The objective of this paper is to report the preliminary results of a telecollaborative project between a Brazilian university (UTFPR) and a Colombian university (Universidad de Pamplona) that both offer a Licentiate degree in English. The project had two purposes: a pedagogical one to show student-teachers how they can develop their communication…

The curriculum developed by the Fairfax County (Virginia) Department of Manpower Services in Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL) program is a response to the needs of Southeast Asian refugees for language and cross-cultural skills and to employers' needs for support services. The core curriculum, emphasizing fluency and listening…

The development of a course in English letter-writing for workers in the accounts-payable departments of Papua New Guinea businesses is described. The needs assessment involved extensive discussion with company staff and their supervisors, collection and analysis of letters recently produced by that staff, and development of a diagnostic test. It…

This study investigated potential problems associated with one method of testing English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) skills in work settings in foreign countries. The method, used by the Australian government to assess speech skills of individuals in locations outside Australia, involves having native English-speakers carry out a series of oral…

A discussion of English as a Second Language (ESL) in the workplace looks at current challenges and future educational needs. It begins with an overview of adult immigrant demographics in the United States and federal government conclusions about the kinds of skills needed by this population. Challenges facing immigrant workplace education are…

The role of item response theory (IRT) in determining the validity of second language tests is examined in the case of one specific test, the listening subtest of the Occupational English Test (OET), used in Australia to measure the language skills of non-native English-speaking health professionals. First, the listening subtest is described. Then…

This paper details a research project in Brunei Darussalam that explored vocational education teacher trainees' and their future students' views about the function of reading in vocational education and about reading in English. Part A, a review of current theoretical perspectives in literacy as a socially constructed phenomenon, is organized by…

A variety of materials and forms used in the development of vocational English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs for industry employees are provided, with little narrative information. They include: a list of criteria for teacher selection; forms for recording contacts with companies; a list of information sources and content areas and several…

A program designed to provide instruction in specialized English for Southeast Asian and other refugees redeveloping their skills as licensed practical nurses (LPNs) contained two language proficiency tracks and provided language instruction incorporating high school equivalency test practice material in the specialized English course. Technical…

The report describes the development and implementation of an English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) program for limited-English-proficient employees of the poultry industry. The program, undertaken at James Madison University (Virginia), was funded initially in 1991 by the federal government and has continued with funding from two poultry companies.…

A 16-week office specialist certificate program was developed for Spanish-speaking adults who have the ability and desire to obtain an entry-level office administration position but who have limited English proficiency and basic occupational skills. The program, which is based on the vocational bilingual training model, takes advantage of the…

A Pima County (Arizona) adult workplace education program in English as a Second Language (ESL) is outlined. Salient elements in program design, student recruitment and program marketing, student assessment, instructional methods, and program evaluation are noted, and the topical content of the ESL curriculum is charted. Tasks/competencies and…