Charting a Course: Responding to the Industry-Related
Adult Basic Education Needs of the Texas Workforce
Handbook Two: Workplace Savy for Workforce-related Instruction
Modules # 5 & 6

Module Five: Identifying Adult Learners’ Work-Related Proficiencies and Needs

Stepping Inside the World of Work…

A few years ago, a workplace ESL pilot initiative sponsored by an international restaurant chain required instructors to job shadow and work a partial shift before going into the classroom to teach its employees. The experiences were invaluable to both instructors and learners, as the role reversals put the workers in the position of “teaching” the instructor.

As teachers of adult basic education, we usually approach language instruction with the broadest of perspectives, recognizing that adult language learners come to us with a myriad of interests and needs. What are the rationale then for a work-related, contextual approach to English language instruction? There are several:

1. English language instruction with a work-related context focuses on developing language and basic skills development critical to success on the job.
2. Almost all adult learners eventually seek employment or must provide moral and emotional support to employed family members; understanding the world of work facilitates both processes.
3. Teaching language skills as related to occupational applications with actual job materials enables learners to see the connection.
4. Having the opportunity to practice newly learned skills in a context related to work helps learners retain and use new language skills.
5. Research suggests that when language and literacy learning are “embedded” in contextualized instruction, learners are more likely to tap into their prior knowledge and make as much or more gain in “general literacy” as in programs not work-related (Sticht, 2007).

Effective workplace ESL programs are those designed to meet the needs of a business and its workers by successfully translating language learning into improved job performance. In similar fashion, traditional adult basic education ESL classes can include instructional modules that address general workforce-related topics and issues faced by adult learners who are employed or looking for employment. The curricular responses to Rider 82 utilize a modular format to enable instructors to incorporate the learning activities into instruction.

An ESOL instructor engaged in delivering workforce-related instruction can acquire a basic familiarity with the workplace by taking advantage of the following opportunities:

• tour a manufacturing plant or worksite
• participate in language task analysis activities (Handbook #1)
• meet with employers to discuss perceived needs
• job shadow a worker with limited English language proficiency
• encourage learners to bring work-related print to the classroom
• visit your local chamber of commerce website as well as those of local businesses
• request and pick up literature (company brochures, industrial association newsletters) for use in the classroom
• interview both native and non-native speakers of English employed in the workplace to obtain baseline information about language skills related to workplace success
• discuss with frontline supervisors the perceived challenges faced by workers with limited English language proficiency
• review environmental print that workers are expected to understand and use