Bridges to Opportunity: Linking VESL and Vocational

Training Classes

Donna Price, VESL/Technology Resource Instructor

San Diego Community College Continuing Education ProgramOctober 27, 2006 dprice@sdccd.edu

San Diego Community College District

• 50,000 students in credit program• 50,000 in Continuing/Adult Education• About 25,000 ESL students• Six Continuing Education sites• 3rd largest continuing education program in California,

within the top ten in the nation• About 1,500 students went through the VESL program last

year

Background

• Vocational Training Programs

• Employer needs

• VESL Dilemma

Solution

Cluster Vocational English as a Second Language• Auto Tech• BIT (Business Information Technology)• CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant)• Cosmetology• Electronics (Assembler & Tester)• Food Service• Graphics• Welding

 

Communication

To Link VESL & Vocational Class, VESL Instructors:

• Communicate with vocational instructors and employers

Fairfax County, VA, “The VESL teacher attends vocational classes, taking notes on troublesome vocabulary, idioms, slang, concepts, cultural differences, and then he/she addresses these things in the ESL class. This makes up most of the content of the ESL class with additional practice in the development of reading, listening, speaking, writing and problem solving skills.” (Johns, Price-Machado)

Communication in Virginia

To be familiar with the students’ vocation/discipline, the VESL instructor must have some communication with the vocational instructor.

To Link VESL & Vocational Class, VESL Instructors:

• collect form, charts, etc., used in vocational classes and in the workplace (target situation analysis/audit)

Centre City / Skills Center1400 Park BlvdSan Diego, Ca 92101PHONE – 619-230-2319 FAX –

INVOICEPrint Date : 08/09/96

Hanion, Greg 1990 Hyundai Excel123 W. Their Road Lic # :XLRATED Odometer in: Santa Monica, Ca 72128 Unit # :Home 619-234-7890 --- Office 619-39709876 Ext. 8359 Vin # :

Part Description/Number Qty List Extended Labor Description Extended:::::::::::::::::::::::::

:

Org. Estimate $0.00 Revisions $0.00 Current Estimate $0.00 Additional Cost Revised Estimate

Warranty on parts and labor is 90 days or 4000 miles whichever comes first. Warranty work must be performed in our shop & cannot exceed the original cost of repair.Authorized by…………………………………………………………… Date………………………..…….. Time………………….

Auto Tech Form

VESL Class Form Mirrors Vocational Form

Certified Nursing Assistant Graphic Chart

VESL Graphic Chart Mirrors Vocational Chart

Conclusion:

• Visit vocational classes.

• Build syllabus around the vocational class, emphasizing soft skills (small talk, clarification, request information, show understanding…)

• Success: more credible to students; curriculum more relevant

• Challenge: instructors don’t have time; aren’t paid extra; some vocational instructors feel intimidated

Industry +

Vocational Instructors +

VESL Instructors

Industry, “If you want your students to get jobs in our companies, please do this in your classes…”

Communication with Industry:

Advisory Meetings

Linking VESL & Vocational Training Classes: Models

Concurrent Enrollment

• Example:

Welding class is M-F, 6 a.m-12 p.m.

• Welding class: 6-8 welding lecture/demonstration

• VESL class: 8-10 VESL reading & math

• Welding class: 10-12 hands on

Linking VESL & Vocational Training Classes: Concurrent Enrollment

• Business Information Technology (BIT) M-F 8:30-12:30

• VESL class: 8:30-10:30: VESL (listening, speaking, reading, writing)

• BIT class: 10:30-12:30: computer technical skills, using a manual to learn Power Point, Word, etc.

Concurrent Enrollment: Conclusion

• Success: Students are more motivated; greater persistence

• Challenge: students aren’t ready for vocational demands, but don’t have time to take VESL and then vocational class

Linking VESL & Vocational Training Classes: 2nd Model

• 3-6 months in the VESL class

• 6 months in vocational training class

VESL and then Vocational TrainingModel: Conclusion

• Success: Students are more prepared for vocational training; vocational instructors are appreciative.

• Challenge: students don’t have time to go through VESL & vocational training—sometimes this takes over a year; vocational instructors need the attendance hours; students resent not being able to go to the vocational class right away; in a hurry to get a job

Quotes from vocational training instructors to VESL instructors:

• Welding: “Ricardo is a great welder, but he’s got a bad attitude. Teach him not to be grouchy. Teach reading and math—we’ll take care of welding. Teach how to act at an interview.”

• Electronics Assembly: “Teach clarification skills. Teach them to ask questions if they don’t understand.”

More Quotes from Vocational Training Instructors:

• Graphics: “Thank you for teaching them how to take notes. We give a lot of information in our lectures and we see how prepared the VESL students are.”

• BIT: “Tell them not to speak their first language to a classmate when others are

around that don’t understand.”

COMMUNUNICATE

• VESL and Vocational Instructors

(observe, collect, adapt, reflect)

• Instructors and Industry

Bibliography Grognet, Allene (June 1997) Integrating employment skills into adult ESL instruction. Project in Adult Immigrant Education: National Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education.  Johns, Ann & Price-Machado, Donna (2001) English for specific purposes: Tailoring course to student needs—and to the outside world. In Celce-Murcia, Marianne (ed.) Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language, pp. 43-54. Marshall, Brigitte (2002) Preparing for Success. Center for Applied Linguistics. Price-Machado, Donna (1998) SCANS—The missing link. CATESOL News, April: 19-21. Price-Machado, Donna (1998) Skills for Success. Cambridge University Press. VESL Clearinghouse Catalog:A list of public domain curriculums in different career fields.619-388-4941 West, Linda (1984) Needs assessment in occupation-specific VESL or How to decide hat to each. English for Specific Purposes 3: 143-152.