Bridges to Opportunity: Linking VESL and Vocational Training Classes

1. Bridges to Opportunity: Linking VESL and Vocational Training Classes Donna Price, VESL/Technology Resource InstructorSan Diego Community College Continuing Education ProgramOctober 27, 2006 dprice@sdccd.edu

2. 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

3. Background • Vocational Training Programs • Employer needs • VESL Dilemma

4. 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

5. Communication To Link VESL & Vocational Class, VESL Instructors: • Communicate with vocational instructors and employers

6. Communication in Virginia 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)

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

8. To Link VESL & Vocational Class, VESL Instructors: • collect form, charts, etc., used in vocational classes and in the workplace (target situation analysis/audit)

9. Auto Tech Form Centre City / Skills Center 1400 Park Blvd San Diego, Ca 92101 PHONE – 619-230-2319 FAX – INVOICE Print Date : 08/09/96 Hanion, Greg 1990 Hyundai Excel 123 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………………….

10. VESL Class Form Mirrors Vocational Form

11. Certified Nursing Assistant Graphic Chart

12. VESL Graphic Chart Mirrors Vocational Chart

13. 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

15. Communication with Industry: Advisory Meetings Industry + Vocational Instructors + VESL Instructors Industry, “If you want your students to get jobs in our companies, please do this in your classes…”

16. 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

17. 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.

18. 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

19. Linking VESL & Vocational Training Classes: 2nd Model • 3-6 months in the VESL class • 6 months in vocational training class

20. 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

21. 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.”

22. 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.”

23. COMMUNUNICATE • VESL and Vocational Instructors (observe, collect, adapt, reflect) • Instructors and Industry

24. 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.