This guide discusses the ways in which educators in technical and vocational education programs can maximize opportunities for limited-English-proficient students to learn English language skills. Vocational classrooms are viewed as potentially excellent environments for language learning because of the hands-on nature of the work, undertaken in…

This document contains eight lesson plans for a beginning course in work-related English for non-English or limited-English speaking entry-level employees in the hotel and hospitality industry. Course objectives include the following: helping participants understand and use job-specific vocabulary; receive and understand job-related instructions;…

This document contains 16 lesson plans for an advanced beginning and intermediate course in work-related English for non-English- or limited-English-speaking entry-level employees in the hotel and hospitality industry. Course objectives are as follows: helping participants understand and use job-specific vocabulary; receive and understand…

Bilingual vocational education (BVE) offers a way to improve both the job and English skills of workers with limited English proficiency (LEP). Initially using both the native language and English to provide job training makes instruction immediately comprehensible to the students. Gradually, the use of the native language decreases while English…

This curriculum for hotel employees is based on the analyses of worksite tasks and interactions. Hotel housekeepers were observed on the job, supervisors were consulted, and existing resources were reviewed to determine the language and basic skills needed to effectively and efficiently perform job duties. Twelve curriculum units were developed,…

The Orange County Public Schools' Job Site English Project was initiated to provide employees of businesses and industries with work-related English for speakers of other languages. The program features individualized curricula that are developed after the curriculum writer visits the business/industry in need of services, analyzes the…

A study was undertaken to determine the kinds of communication that occur in the workplace and are needed for workers to be effective, for the purposes of developing English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction for workers. Five hourly employees of an automobile parts company were interviewed. Communication needs identified included common…

This book is written primarily for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers who are preparing to meet the challenge of teaching ESL in the workplace. The book focuses on the role these teachers play in establishing and implementing workplace language programs. The aim of the book is to provide ESL teachers with a basic orientation to the…

Although basic skills and English language instruction are often viewed as real needs at the workplace, few companies provide this for their workers. Those that do are motivated by one or more of these factors: product quality improvement, commitment of top management to training and education, or the sales effort of an educational provider. Those…

Listening is a critical element in the competent language performance of adult second language learners. Listening is a demanding process, because of both the process itself and factors that characterize the listener, speaker, message content, and any accompanying visual support. The speaker's use of colloquial language and reduced forms,…

This handbook contains several different sections to aid volunteers teaching English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) to refugees. Part 1, "Getting Started," discusses cultural differences and difficulties the students may encounter. Part 2, "Mechanics of Teaching," offers tips on teaching refugees and general teaching methods. Lesson planning,…

There are an estimated 30 million people in the United States with native languages other than English. Within this group are a number of limited-English-proficient individuals. Whether seeking a first American job or better employment, this group encounters a job market that is changing drastically in the number of jobs it can offer to…

Materials relevant to English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) workplace or vocational literacy education are presented. These materials include: curriculum guides tailored to meet the particular needs of workers in various vocational settings (geriatric centers, a university physical resources department, an aircraft company, manufacturing plants, food…

This bilingual combination cookbook and instructional text is intended for use in training Spanish-speaking individuals for jobs as cooks. The first section is a dictionary of cooking terms consisting of parallel English and Spanish lists of foods, cooking terms, utensils, and common cooking directions and substitutions. The second section deals…

Drawing on native/non-native speaker discourse data from goal-oriented interaction in Australian workplaces, it is argued that modality is inherently a centrally important function in such discussions, and that appropriately nuanced expression of modality is often crucial to "getting the job done," and that emphasis should be given to…