Professional Development: New Directions for Texas

Tennessee ESOL in the Workplace:
A Training Manual for ESOL Supervisors and Instructors

Barbara Tondre-El Zorkani, one of Texas' own adult education and workforce development specialists, is the co-author of a new publication released this October by the Center for Literacy Studies, University of Tennessee at Knoxville.  Tennessee ESOL in the Workplace is a training manual for adult educators, ESOL supervisors and instructors.  The manual's development and the regional training scheduled for October and November are products of a collaborative effort between the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Office of Adult Education, and the University of Tennessees Center for Literacy Studies. The manual is the culmination of three years of field research, utilizing the research model so successful in the development of Equipped for the Future initiatives.

According to a federal study tracking regional changes in the number of individuals with limited English proficiency, the numbers have more than doubled in 24 states during the last decade.  Tennessee has experienced an incredible 371% increase in the last ten years.  Nationwide, studies count more than 4.7 million English language learners, compared with 2.6 million ten years ago.

Many of these individuals have an excellent work ethic but are limited by their lack of English language skills, Barbara explains. Many are well educated, while others lack all but the most basic skills.  They assemble and pack the computers we buy; they are often the backbone of the hospitality industry; they haul freight across the nation; and they work in our healthcare systems and construction industries.  In Texas, they represent a significant percent of the work force, just as they do in a growing number of states across the nation.  They are Hispanic, Vietnamese, Korean, Eastern European, and Middle Eastern, and they bring a wealth of knowledge with them, contributing to the economy and to the very fiber of our society in ways that often go unappreciated.  States able to appreciate and support their significant minority populations are those that will survive the lean economic times.

The new 175-page resource can be downloaded online at: http://www.cls.utk.edu/esol_workplace.html. We can also send you ONE hard copy by mail if you send us a NEW email (tcall@tamu.edu) or call 800-441-READ to request it.