Contextualized ESL at the Worksite CEANY Conference White Plains, NY Nov. 2019
Welcome and Thank You! Today, we will... 1. Learn about a partnership and collaboration that helped retail workers improve their language skills 2. Talk about effective ways to engage learners in contextually- relevant activities 3. How to motivate and support learners for life-long learning
1. Program Overview A Project of the National Immigration Forum (The Forum) Skills and Opportunity for the New American Workforce (SONAW)
The Partners Project Funded By Curriculum Developed in Partnership with Employer Partner
Participating Institutions for Year 3 of the Program
A little bit about me and my (many) hats: Claudia Carco ● CCIE* Consultant & Curriculum Expert ● WCC SONAW Coordinator for Year 3 ● SONAW Instructor for Remote Cohort
A national network of community colleges and other organizations committed to supporting immigrant education through innovative programs and services.
Why Community Colleges? ● Affordable tuition ● Workforce training ● Accessible locations & ● Smaller classes scheduling ● Diversity – sense of ● Flexible open door admissions belonging policies ● Academic support ● English as a second language ● Strong referral system in ● Practical majors the community
The English Language Institute... ❏ Serves about 4000 students annually. ❏ Employs about 80 adjunct ESL instructor each semester. ❏ Offers a variety of ESL courses ranging in levels from low beginner to advanced. ❏ Supports and advises students about educational opportunities and goals. ❏ Partners with CBOs and other organizations to provide their clients with on-site ESL courses. ❏ Offers a teacher-training program that arose as a result of a growing demand for qualified ESL instructors in Westchester County with training and experience in teaching adult learners.
Ana Negoescu Manager of Integration Programs, National Immigration Forum A little bit about her, the National Immigration Forum and their mission.
Here’s Ana
Program Goals ● Strengthen participants’ productive and comprehensive language skills as they relate to their jobs and everyday life ● Increase confidence and thereby job performance ● Increase participants’ comfort level with technology ● Increase participants’ awareness of and adherence to safety guidelines ● Improve participants’ communication skills on the job ● Broaden participants’ access to career opportunities
Nuts and Bolts Spring 2019: A total of 7 cohorts
WCC Cohorts Cohor ort t 1 Cohor ort t 2 Cohor ort t 3 Schedule: 12 Thursdays, 3:00-5:30 Schedule: 12 Thursdays, 3:30-6:00 Schedule: 12 Tuesdays, 3:00-5:30 Location: Main Campus, Valhalla Location: Cross County Extension Location: Remote Center, Yonkers Instructor: Victoria Instructor: Claudia Instructor: Leanora
Highly customized curriculum for ● 2. Curriculum Design frontline retail workers. Developed by the Forum, in ● and Technology partnership with Miami Dade College and CCCIE. Most recently, adapted for fully remote delivery in partnership with World Education. Blended Curriculum: 40% in-class ● or face-to-face & 60% online 7 Modules: ● 6 with content and 1 review ○ Multilevel classes ○
Face-to-Face Curriculum Highlights (40%) All modules... State a set of objectives and competencies ○ Are presented in the context of the retail industry ○ Have a combination of speaking and listening activities ○ Have grammar & vocabulary embedded in content ○ Engage learners in authentic practice ○ End with a multiple choice quiz to assess understanding ○
Curriculum Overview
Additional Curriculum Components ● Instructor Guide, which includes Handouts, Worksheets and Visual Aids ● Student Handbook ● Pre and Post Assessment Tools
Program Calendar Week 1: Registration, Program Overview, Assessment Week 2: Technology Orientation Weeks 2-11: Modules Week 12: Final Assessment, In-class Ceremony Program Graduation
Face-to-Face Content: 2 Formats 1. In-person: Cohorts met once a week at the ● main campus and at the Yonkers Cross County Extension Center.
2. Remotely: The cohort met synchronously once a week. ● Class used Big Blue Button to connect and share content. ●
Online Learning - Self-Directed Learning (60%) Available on Moodle - can be accessed on computer and mobile (smartphone or tablet) Six interactive online modules Comprised of games and activities ● Recycle learned materials and expand on it ● Include listening and video activities ●
Online Components Instructor ● Repository/Toolbox Customized ● Learning Videos Module Quizzes ●
3. Class Experiences and Outcomes
Emphasis on Oral Communication ● Authentic, useful practice - role plays ● Emphasis on listening & comprehension skills ● Focus on accurate pronunciation and speech intelligibility ● Focus on appropriate forms of language ● Vocabulary collaborative games and activities
Emphasis on Student Engagement Welcoming and Dynamic Environment ● Connecting classroom learning to work ● Classroom Setup ● Classroom Materials : ● Student Handbook ○ Handouts & Worksheets ○ Visual Aids & Laminated ○ pictures Realia ○
Use of Visuals
Class Activities ● Interactive and communicative ● Customized for retail workers ● Collaborative ● Adaptable ● Flexible ● Balanced ● Relevant ● Engaging ● Fun
Students at Work
Let’s have some fun! Imagine you work at your local grocery store. Some of you work in the Bakery, others in the Deli Department, others in Maintenance and others in Customer Service. In groups of 5, write three sentences related to your jobs using the verbs below. ● Write sentence #1 on all the index cards with the number 1, sentence #2 on the ● index cards with the number 2 and sentence #3 on the cards with the number 3. Your sentences must have 5 5 words. ● Write one word per card ONLY. ● VERBS: S: Stack k - Slice e - Arr rran ange e - Assist t - Bag - Remove ove - Organ anize ze - Bake e - Train in - Sort They unload oaded ed two trucks ks yesterd erday ay. .
Students Expectations In In-clas class Online ine Attend at least 70% of classes Log in to the LMS and familiarize ● ● Arrive on time and ready to learn themselves with the platform ● Bring Student Handbook to every class Complete 60% of online learning ● ● Participate of all class activities Complete all end-of-module ● ● quizzes
Student Feedback “It’s more convenient to to do it “I didn’t feel confident to online. The experience was speak the language. Like I felt fantastic. I love it. If I can keep doing this class, I will.” afraid to speak. People can Carolina S. make a joke of my accent. But actually in this time, I feel more confident. I can feel “I like this English class. For me it inside.” Valeria J. it’s very important improve my English. I am enjoy it every Tuesday. I hope soon we will have another class. I want to say thank you to my teacher and to my store - they give me this opportunity.” Maria C.
Instructor Expectations ● Take and report attendance weekly ● Administer and report scores for customized pre and post assessment ● Track and monitor students’ in -class and online learning, participation and progress ● Complete and submit weekly instructor surveys ● Complete Progress Assessment Forms for each student at the end of the course ● Participate in a total of 4 Community of Practice Calls
Instructor Feedback “Students did a role play between a manager/employee during a training and they did an amazing job! Their language was natural, appropriate and relevant. We worked on some skills after debriefing on everything they had done well. I could tell they were proud of what they had “I gave the students a “phrase of the week” done”. Claudia C. last week to try to use at work as many times as possible and report back with results. People really did try to do the phrase of the week. One person in particular spoke of how Students were given nervous he’d been to try it, but that it got pictures of the weekly sale easier each time he tried. [Phrase: “Do you flyer. Students used the prefer this (product name) or that (product language, “How much is name)?] He laughed at his co-worker teasing it?”. They demonstrated him about how nervous he was in anticipating ability to distinguish trying it, and that it did help. The class subjects, verbs and applauded his efforts after he told his story.” objects!” Tori W. Lea K.
Program Outcomes
Assessment Pre and post Customized Assessment (custom-made for retail ● workers) Pre and Post Oral Interview ● Weekly end of module quizzes ● Student Progress Assessment Forms ●
4. Challenges and Successes
Challenges 1. Enrollment 2. Attendance 3. Mixed-Level Ability Class 4. Technology a. Remote Class Challenges
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