TEXAS Adult & Family Literacy QUARTERLY

Adult Education Responds to Workforce Needs With a Focus on Rider 82

Overcoming Fear of Teaching Industry-Based ESL

When I first thought about teaching an industry-based curriculum, I asked myself, “What do I know about industry?” The answer was, not very much! I knew basic accounting, business math and a little about economics. What should I care if some people wanted to get a job? Let them work at it. You really don’t have to do this, I told myself. You’re supposed to be retired and taking it easy. Remember?

Yes, I remember. I remember about ten years ago I was checking out my groceries at Costco in Santa Clara, CA, when the checker said to me, “Hi, Teacher, remember me? I’m Fernando. You were my first teacher. Now I study English at City College. I make X per hour here at Costco. I couldn’t speak any English, but you teach me!” Around that same time, I was in the habit of going to Burger King once a week for a Whopper (99 cents back then—what a bargain!). One day the server said, “You don’t remember me, teacher. I’m Estella.” Recognition did come to me at that moment. She had wanted to study more in Mexico but her family didn’t have the money to help her, so she came to the United States with her sister. “I’m the assistant manager now, and I am studying business and English at West Valley College.” Another time I was about to start my evening class when a young woman approached me. She introduced herself as Jiang and her companion, as her cousin. She then said, “I want her to be in your class. I know she will learn English in your class. I was your student six years ago and now I am a dental assistant.” The first thing I could think of was “Wow! How wonderful but you must give yourself credit, too,” was my reply. I added, “Please tell your story to the class. It will be a morale booster for them.”

I don’t believe a teacher can find such joy or gratitude in any other area of education, and it is because of those memories that I decided to accept the challenge to pilot the manufacturing ESL curriculum that was developed under the Education Rider 82 initiative. All immigrants want to “make it in the USA.” They want to learn English to get a leg up in the job market. As teachers, we must find a way to help them. This is the legacy of the USA—to help its people, immigrants, all, from every corner of the world.

The manufacturing ESL curriculum does just that. It helps people learn English and provides them with an opportunity to get a job in the field of manufacturing. The ESL teacher should, therefore, not be afraid to implement this curriculum. The teacher’s lesson plan book clearly guides even the novice teacher in a step-by-step format through each activity. It provides background knowledge and even the words to say to introduce and teach every activity so that the lesson flows from the objective, to the review, to the assessment.

The experienced teachers will find many of the tried-and-true ESL techniques included in the lesson plan book as well as some very clever techniques that they have never seen before. I had worried about the background knowledge in manufacturing, but I needn’t have. The authors have provided such excellent information. This was very well communicated to the student in the readings, dialogues, and writing activities for the students. Somewhere I have read that good curriculum begins with good content. The manufacturing ESL curriculum certainly has that. The first time you teach this curriculum, you probably will read the Teacher’s Lesson Plan book a couple of times, but slowly and gradually, the pieces fall into place and the “big picture” emerges. There is fear in everything that is unknown, but this curriculum has been so well designed and written that nothing has been left to chance. There is guidance every step of the way.

The four modules that I taught in the June-July 2007 pilot were:

• The Manufacturing Industry
• Equipment, Tools and Workstations
• Safe Working Environment
• Quality Control and Improvement

In addition to the ESL piece, each lesson has three other components—a Math component, a Technology component, and an Employability component. These components are mini-lessons which teach simple mathematics, technology skills and employability skills.

The program has a Training Notebook with many extras. There is a scope and sequence chart and assessments for Math and Technology. There are guides on the methodologies used for phonics, grammar, reading, fluency and TPR. In addition to the assessments for each objective of the lessons, there are rubrics to help the teacher with further evaluations. These rubrics include a Running Reading Record for comprehension and pronunciation, Oral Communication for fluency, and Written Communication for grammar and punctuation.

The program lends itself to making a trip to a job fair or having employers visit the classroom. We did both of these. Of the nine who finished the course, only two did not get a job within a short time. One student had a baby and the other felt she wasn’t ready to work yet. That’s a very good return on an eight-week investment of time in class. In closing, I encourage teachers to not be afraid to tackle the curriculum. Don’t let fear of the unknown stop you!

About the Author

Starting her fourth year with the Seguin ISD Adult Education program, Mrs. Annie Walker teaches manufacturing-based ESL at the Central Texas Technology Center in New Braunfels. She holds an M.A. in Elementary and Secondary Education, and has over 12 years’ experience teaching adult education in California. Prior to teaching adults, she taught pre-K through eighth grade in Scotland, New Jersey and California.