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English Language Civics Education
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The
Continuum of Language, Literacy, Civics,
and Workforce Development: Nothing Supports Literacy and Community Like
Gainful Employment!
By
Barbara Tondre-El Zorkani, Austin-based Consultant
A new idea? Hardly.
But the real focus here is on connections rather than differences among
programs - differences sometimes based on little more than funding sources.
Supporters of one or the other programs may argue that goals and objectives
differ dramatically from program to program: English language acquisition,
family literacy, adult education, civics, workforce development. However,
since a large percentage of the adult learners we serve have multiple
needs that transcend funding constraints, it behooves us to explore ways
to join efforts, combine forces and resources, and collaborate in providing
a continuum of services to our customers -- the adult learners in our
communities.
Now more than ever,
adult educators are aware of the multiple needs of the ever-growing number
of limited English proficient adult learners seeking our services. In
response to recent national and international events, as well as current
immigration laws, many others remain invisible. The 2000 U.S. Census Report
reveals that at least 10.5 million American residents speak little or
no English. Many of these adults had limited access to extensive education
in their own countries, or upon arrival here in the United States, pursued
their most critical and immediate goal of seeking employment, with literacy
and education taking a back seat to supporting their families.
Those involved in
family literacy programs such as Even Start will tell you that while a
mother may be very committed to her role as her children's first teacher,
the family's stability and its continued participation in education initiatives
is often heavily dependent upon the father's employability.
Others familiar with
Equipped for the Future's role maps for citizen/community member, parent/family,
and worker quickly point out the overlapping connections among the three
domains. But too often, employability training begins and ends with
teaching adult learners to complete a job application, prepare for an
interview, and dress for success. Or under the auspices of "training,"
the focus on specific skills limits instructors in addressing the broader
scope of skills needed by learners in order to succeed in roles as citizens,
parents and family members, and participants in today's workforce. Still
other adult educators do an impressive job of integrating workforce
development with literacy and basic skills training, but fail to recognize
the importance of what they are doing or cannot articulate the connections.
As a result, students are often unaware of just how complex and multifaceted
learning is and just how much they are learning! The good news: all
of our efforts are compatible and actually complimentary to one another.
How can literacy services
to the parent/family member, citizen, and worker be effectively integrated
to ensure that employed parents maintain gainful employment, thereby making
it possible for other family members and themselves to attend to community
and civic responsibilities as well? El Paso Community College's Workforce
Literacy Training and Technical Assistance Project (WLTTAP), housed at
the Center for Workforce Preparedness, and the Office of Workforce Adult
Literacy, housed at the Texas Workforce Commission in Austin, are both
engaged in efforts to address this question through research, pilot projects,
technical assistance, and professional development. If more than cosmetic
changes are wanted in workforce-related education initiatives, definitions
of teaching and learning must be revisited, teacher training restructured,
and guidance in curriculum development provided. Most importantly, institutional
support must be made systematic and substantive, and linkages with employers
strengthened.
A number of resources
are available to adult educators (administrators and instructional staff)
and their local workforce development partners:
The WLTTAP's Web site provides a resource adult educators and local workforce
development boards can use to identify local strengths and weaknesses,
and improve plans for continuous improvement in integrating workforce
development with adult literacy/education. This resource, a packet called
Are You Ready? enables communities to:
- evaluate their
preparedness to systematically integrate education and training services;
- identify and prioritize
programmatic and instructional needs;
- identify resources
for continuous improvement (training, technical assistance, partnerships,
other funding, etc.); and
- develop an effective
action plan for successfully implementing and sustaining local workforce-related
education programs.
The packet is one
of several developed by Barbara Tondre-El Zorkani and now available to
adult educators through WLTTAP. It can be downloaded by going to http://www.wlttap.net,
then clicking on products. For professional development opportunities
available to adult educators and their local workforce development partners,
click on training.
The
Office of Workforce Adult Literacy is making available via its Web site
the field guide, Planning Literacy and Language Services for Texas' Spanish
Speaking Dislocated Workers. This product is the result of a 2000/2001
research initiative sponsored by the Texas Workforce Commission and prepared
by Barbara Tondre-El Zorkani. The guide is designed to assist communities
in:
- effectively surveying
current and potential employers' labor needs;
- determining appropriate
assessment instruments for use with limited English proficient workers;
and
- accessing curricular
resources adaptable to the specific needs of workers.
This guide was developed
with input from numerous stakeholders, including a focus group made up
of Texas adult education practitioners as well as a workgroup of representatives
from Texas-Mexico border area businesses, adult literacy initiatives,
frontline workforce development personnel, and higher education.
While the targeted
goal of this research initiative was to identify and recommend innovative
approaches and products to meet the literacy and employment needs of Spanish-speaking
dislocated workers, the guide also provides valuable resources and strategies
for use with other populations served under the Workforce Investment Act.
It should be of particular interest to program providers relatively new
to customizing workforce-related English language instruction to community
needs.
TWC's
Office of Workforce Adult Literacy has also funded four workforce adult
literacy demonstration pilot projects with the intent of increasing
Texas' capacity to prepare individuals to compete for current employment
opportunities.
Meeting the demands
of today's workplace requires the best efforts of employers, educators,
and job seekers to collaborate and cooperate in addressing work-related
literacy needs.
About the Author
Barbara Tondre-El Zorkani is an independent contractor who has been involved
in adult education and workforce development for twenty-five years. She
has facilitated delivery of instruction for many Austin area businesses
as well as a national workplace ESL initiative for McDonald's Corporation.
Barbara has taught on four continents, including a five-year assignment
with the U.S. Department of Defense English Language Institute. She holds
a Master's degree in bilingual/bicultural studies and English as a Second
Language, and is also a certified specialist in developmental education.
Barbara recently completed a study for the Texas Workforce Commission
focused on serving Spanish-speaking dislocated workers with marginal literacy
and limited English language skills. She is CASAS - trained for Workforce
Learning Systems and ESL, and has just completed U.S. Department of Labor's
training as a Workforce Excellence Network examiner.
 
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