CONTEXTUALIZED INSTRUCTION

IMPACTS THE WORKPLACE

Kristin Ekkens, MA TESOL

Vera Grishkina, MA TESOL/LinguisticsTESOL/Linguistics

Jane DeGroot, MA TESOL

Kelly Hernandez, MA TESOL

TESOL Conference 2010

March 25, 2010

Workshop Agenda

� Brief overview of workplace English program

� Introduction to contextualized instruction� Introduction to contextualized instruction

� Conducting needs assessments

� Creating contextualized lessons

� Levels of contextualization

� Employability Skills Resources

� Additional resources

Overview of Literacy Center of West Michigan

Literacy Center of West Michigan

LCWM’s

Mission:

Build a literate community and transform lives

� Executive Director: Susan K. Ledy

� Type of Company: Non-profit, 403c since 1986

� People Served: 1,372 Total (ABE, ESL, MWT)

(PY 08-09)

Programs: Adult Tutoring Program, transform lives by strengthening language and literacy skills.

� Programs: Adult Tutoring Program,

Customized Workplace English Family Literacy Program

� Staff: 10 Full-time paid6 Part-time paid, 9 AmeriCorps315 Part-time volunteers

� Annual Budget: nearly $1.3 million

� Website: www.literacycenterwm.org

Recognized for

Innovation and Quality

� Featured in 2008 broadcast of ABC World News Tonight with Charles Gibson.

� Cited as a model program for workplace literacy in 2008 CLEG report and received 2006 Best Practices Award by MDLEG

Featured multiple times in The Grand Rapids Business

Customized Workplace English Building Bridges over Language and Culture Barriers

� Featured multiple times in The Grand Rapids Business Journal, Business Review of West Michigan, and MiBiz(area newspapers)

� Awarded the 2007 Vendor of the Year Award by Windquest Companies, Inc., Holland, Michigan

� Ranked 6th on the Grand Rapids Business Journal’s list of Top Area Corporate Training Companies of 2008.

Customized Workplace EnglishLearner Achievements (Oct 08-Sept 09)

• Learning Gains and Class Attendance

– Average gain on CASAS – 3.5 Listening; 3.9 Reading; 4.8 Math

• National Career Readiness Certificates• National Career Readiness Certificates

– 50 WorkKeys tests administered

– 25 individuals tested

– 4 bronze and 2 silver NCRC’s achieved (PY 08-09)

Literacy Center of West Michigan’sCustomized Workplace English Building Bridges over Language and Culture Barriers

CWE Instruction

� Classes� On-site at companies or community-based classes, flexible scheduling

� 3-20 participants

� Recommended 30-40 hours of instruction over 10 weeks

� Classes divided by proficiency levels (no multi-level classes)

� Instruction� Instruction� English only immersion (allows a variety of language backgrounds)

� Hands-on, contextualized instruction, transferrable skills

� Curriculum and instruction based on nationally recognized content standards and best practices

� Trainers have MA in TESOL or related field or graduate ESL endorsement on teaching certificate and are trained in workplace English

� Use a variety of language teaching methods (i.e. content-based, situational, TPR)

� Tangible goals that are outcome-driven

Contextualized Instruction

What is Contextualized Instruction?

� Providing instruction for the development of skills, knowledge, and attitudes drawn from the context in which they will be used, using the context in which they will be used, using real-life materials and situations from that context. Work-based basic skills is an example of a particular context.

Source: PA Department of Education (http://www.pawin.org/pawin/cwp/view.asp?a=239&Q=88343 )

Contextualized Instruction

� Shifts the focus from acquisition of skills and knowledge to active application in realistic situations

� Demands more hands-on, active learning that stimulates learners to think, act, and apply skills and knowledge as they would in the workplace and real lifeas they would in the workplace and real life

� Marginally literate adults enrolled in job-related programs make approximately twice the gains in performance on job-related reading tasks than on standardized, general reading tests

Source: Tennessee ESOL in the workplace, Module 3

Benefits to Employers

The Conference Board of Canada.

CONFERENCE BRIEFING

The economic benefits of improving literacy skills in the workplace

BY MICHAEL R. BLOOM, MARIE BURROWS, BRENDA LAFLEUR AND ROBERT SQUIRES

What does that look like?

� When teaching reading an instructor may use the following workplace materials:

� When teaching math an instructor may use the following workplace skills:

� Compute sales prices

� Food order slips

� Logs of working hours

� Appropriate safety procedures

� Operation procedures

� Safety logs

� Compute sales prices

� Count finished products to determine if product orders are complete

� Weigh or measure ingredients

� Collect payments from customers

� Balance currency, coin, and checks in cash drawers

Source: PA Department of Education (http://www.pawin.org/pawin/cwp/view.asp?a=239&Q=88343 )

Conducting a Needs Assessment

Workplace ESOL focus varies according to need

�Employability – Soft skills

�Basic skills training – Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, Math

�Occupational and technical knowledge�Occupational and technical knowledge

�Limited in scope and duration

�Delivery format

�Work-centered and worker-centered

What is a Needs Assessment?

� What do the employers want the employees to know or learn?

� What do the employees want to know or learn?

What kinds of problems is the company � What kinds of problems is the company encountering with respect to language skills and work habits?

� How can the problems be addressed with the help of the language, literacy or cultural training for managers?

Needs Assessment Process

Interview stakeholders

Assess employees

Tour the facility:

pictures/video

Job shadowing

Collect job-specific

documents

Analyze and design the course

Sample Needs Assessment Interview Questions

� What jobs are performed by workers with limited English language skills? What skills are required for those jobs?

� What skills do workers have? What skills do they still need and want?

� What problems do workers experience in performing their jobs and moving to new jobs?

� Why is the site considering a training program for its employees?

Who determined that there was a language or literacy problem, and with � Who determined that there was a language or literacy problem, and with whom is the problem presumed to lie?

� What are the workers' educational aspirations, and how do they participate in planning the program?

� What are the language, literacy, and cultural issues to be addressed?

� Who will measure progress in the program? How? What is at stake if a certain literacy level is not attained by the program's end?

Source: Tondre-El Zorkani, B. (2007). Charting a Course: Responding to the Industry-Related Adult Basic

Education Needs of the Texas Workforce, Handbook #1 – Planning and Implementation Tips for Program

Planners and Administrators. Houston, Texas: Texas LEARNS.

Language Task Analysis

Question Notes

1. What are the language, literacy, andcultural issues you as an employerwant to have addressed?

My employees do not understand working instructions that are given to them.

2. What jobs are performed by workerswith limited English language skills?

Production, but the jobs rotate frequently, so the employees with limited English language skills? frequently, so the employees need to be able to do several jobs.

3. What skills are required for these jobs? What other skills are required?

Understand spoken directions, commands, ability to state mis/understanding; teamwork

4. Do workers need to read safety and chemical warnings, manuals, or digitalized screens on pieces of equipment?

Need to enter information regularly on computer screens.

Source: Tondre-El Zorkani, B. (2007). Charting a Course: Responding to the Industry-Related Adult Basic

Education Needs of the Texas Workforce, Handbook #1 – Planning and Implementation Tips for Program

Planners and Administrators. Houston, Texas: Texas LEARNS.

Workplace Scenario #1

� Your organization was hired to provide language and literacy training at a local manufacturing company.

Recently, following a company-wide training session on the use of an electronic procedure for tracking of produced parts and labor (“Electronic Timesheet”), it produced parts and labor (“Electronic Timesheet”), it became obvious to the HR department that a number of employees did not understand much of the training. You realize that the employees are struggling with company jargon or obscure language. This makes it especially difficult for non-native speakers of English to follow the procedure and enter information correctly on the screen. This scenario may require specialized training, and the company’s not sure where to begin.

The company has some questions…

� What solutions can you offer to this company in

terms of services?

� What additional information/ resources do you

need and how can the company provide it?

� What activities will the instructors have to carry out

in preparing to deliver services?

General and Specialized Vocabulary

Creating Contextualized Lessons

Contextualized ESL learning activities

� Based on employer/employee needs

� Job contextual, using workplace materials

� Activity oriented and focused on application

� Tap into learners’ prior knowledge� Tap into learners’ prior knowledge

� Specific, measurable outcomes/competencies

� Support improved job performance

� Motivate, build, model, guide, and provide independent, applied practice

Source: Tennessee ESOL in the workplace, Module 3

Lessons and activities are…

� …built around teaching the particular skills using materials and scenarios needed for success in the workplace.

� …designed to include measures for learner gains through observation, surveys, checklists, and role plays.

Workplace instructional resources

� Company Newsletters

� Purchase and work orders

� Invoices

Safety and health forms

� Operating instructions

� Medical forms

� Job descriptions

� Workers’ compensation and insurance forms� Safety and health forms

� Union material

� Signs

� Employee handbooks

� Inventory sheets

and insurance forms

� Company brochures

� Pay slips, memos, labels

� Manuals

� Pictures and video of the workplace

Source: Tennessee ESOL in the workplace, Module 3

Workplace Scenario #2

� You are providing workplace ESL training to a

local coffee company.

HR shares with you that the non-native English speaking employees are struggling with identifying speaking employees are struggling with identifying the different kinds of coffee bean roasts. This is slowing down production and causing a number of errors in orders. In addition, there have been an increasing number of errors with correctly filling out manufacturer order labels.

� Where would you start? What additional

information/ resources do you need and how can

the company provide it?

� What activities would you suggest to help the

employees learn the vocabulary? And to complete

manufacturer orders correctly?

Levels of Contextualization

SpecializedSpecialized

Customized

Off-the-shelf curriculum

Off-the-shelf curriculum: Supplemental materials

�Ready to Go (Pearson and Longman)

�Preparing Workers, Math, Reading & Writing

(Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth,

online publication)online publication)

�KeyTrain (Thinking Media)

�Clear Speech (Cambridge)

�Work Matters (Contemporary’s)

�English ASAP (Steck-Vaughn)

�Other suggestions?

Customized: Off-the-shelf with created activities

Specialized: Tailor-made materials

� Welcoming Environment•Courtesy and Respect•Communication •Communication •Teamwork•Service Recovery and Responsiveness•Wayfinding and Elevator Etiquette

Excellence in Action: Wayfinding and Elevator Etiquette

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

•Evaluate your areas of strength and areas for improvement in regards to wayfinding and elevator etiquette

•Recognize and use the common words and phrases related to workplace evaluation, specifically, in the area of wayfinding and elevator etiquetteevaluation, specifically, in the area of wayfinding and elevator etiquette

•Help patients and guests find their way around the hospital

•Understand the rules of elevator etiquette

•Communicate different ways of expressing “I don’t know” which are helpful and not dead-end responses

Please help me find my way!

Starting points:

� Can you help me find the Lacks Cancer Center?

� How do you get to the North Visitor parking lot?Main hospital

245 Cherry

How do you get to the North Visitor parking lot?

� How do I get to the Medical Office Building?

� Do you know how I can get to the Wege Center?

Loretto Hall

Lacks Cancer Center

Elevator TRIVIA FUN!How well do you know elevator etiquette?

Elevator Etiquette Game: True or False

1. If you are waiting to board, do not stand in front of the elevator door. TRUE or FALSE

2. Unless you are sure no one is exiting, do not enter the elevator car. TRUE or FALSE

3. If you cannot see an indicator lamp (if the elevator is going 3. If you cannot see an indicator lamp (if the elevator is going up or down), it is rude to ask the riders of the car which direction the car is traveling. TRUE or FALSE

4. As a general rule, for every one person who is attempting to get on the elevator, there should be room enough for two people. TRUE or FALSE

5. If an elevator is crowded, it is impolite to split up and agree to meet at your destination floor. TRUE or FALSE

Adapted from www.elevatorrules.com

� Equipped for the Future

Employability Skills

� Equipped for the Future

� Preparing Workers for 21st Century Employment

� KeyTrain and National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC)

Equipped for the Future (EFF)

� EFF Mission: To provide the tools, professional development and technical assistance that support the implementation of standards-based adult education in ways that meet the needs of adult learners.

� http://eff.cls.utk.edu/� http://eff.cls.utk.edu/

Four Purposes for Learning

Fundamental tools for facilitating the EFF approach to teaching, learning and learning and assessing, and program improvement.

Michigan DELEG’s Preparing Workers materials: Math, Reading, Writing

� www.maepd.org/lib-preparingworkers.html

� Personal quote from company representative

� Vocabulary� Vocabulary

� Scenario set in the workplace

� Think About It! Questions to engage the learner

� EFF Work Readiness Profile Tasks

KeyTrain and the NCRC

� KeyTrain is the complete interactive training system for career readiness skills, based on ACT's WorkKeys®

assessment system and the National Career Readiness Certificate.Certificate.

� The National Career Readiness Certificate is the national standard in certifying workplace skills. Requested and required by employers across the nation, the Certificate allows individuals to demonstrate their level of skill in the most common skills required for success in the workplace.

KeyTrain: Career Skills

Summary

� Contextualization will accelerate the learning process and help close the gap between language classes and the workplace.

� To have quality contextualized instruction, lessons must: must: � Be based on a thorough needs assessment of various stakeholders

� Use nationally recognized and statewide content standards

� Emphasize the worker and work-centered nature of learning

� Connect learning and the real lives of the employees in their jobs

�Texas Learns: Charting a Course

�Tennessee ESOL in the Workplace

Additional Resources

�Tennessee ESOL in the Workplace

�Introduction to Workplace ESL

�Workbase (New Zealand)

Questions and Answers

Kristin J. Ekkens, MA

Customized Workplace English,

Program Director

Email: kekkens@literacycenterwm.org

Website: www.literacycenterwm.org