Amber's use of the term VESL caught my attention.  Business and industry is
beginning to use this term but I'm not sure what they mean by it.  Do we
dare include defining this term in our discussion?

 

Barbara Tondre 

 

  _____  

From: workplace-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:workplace-bounces at nifl.gov] On
Behalf Of Amber Gallup
Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 3:05 PM
To: The Workplace Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [Workplace 1531] Managing expectations

 


In response to Pat Sawyer's last message -

Several posters have alluded to the challenge of managing the client's
expectations.  It's common to hear questions like that which Pat mentioned,
"How many weeks is this going to take?"  I have found that it will take much
more than one conversation before my clients really begin to understand
what I'm saying regarding the process and time commitment of language
learning and the goals of the course (which we develop together as much as
possible through the needs analysis process.)  

I have found that the needs analysis itself is useful not only to identify
students' and workplace needs, but also to bring out into the light of day
the stakeholders' expectations....which are often unrealistic and/or
conflicting with other stakeholders' expectations.  The needs analysis
process provides an opportunity to do the very important work of getting all
stakeholders on the same page...it's a little teachable moment.  If
important stakeholders have different ideas of why we're doing this (say,
union and management) and  how it will impact them....that can deal a death
blow to a program!  

I always use an example from a electricans' union for which I once put
together a VESL program when I first began this work:  In the needs
analysis, I did my language task analysis and I interviewed some workers,
the union leaders, the apprentice coordinator, the organizer, and the
contractor (the "big boss").  I felt good that this part of the needs
analysis had been thorough and everybody shared an understanding of our
goals.  Yet, by the end of the semester, the otherwise very successful class
was almost done away with!....why?  Because the workers' foremen (who were
not getting jobs finished on time because they lost some of their crew for a
few hours each week) were angry and refusing to let their workers leave for
the class.  I had neglected to make them part of the process, and their
differing expectations and needs led to revolt.  We modified the course
schedule and luckily continued on, but I learned some lessons about needs
analysis.

Also, I liked Miriam's description of how she did her observations (language
task analysis) BEFORE she interviewed the various stakeholders.  I'll be
using that tip...it's a great idea - because it gives us more information on
which to base our questions to stakeholders, and as Pat already mentioned,
often the management (or HR, or union leader, etc.) will just say, "I want
them to learn English," and not be able to go much farther than that.  

Amber

Amber Gallup

Director, Essential Language

(202) 234-4565

www.essentiallanguage.com

 <mailto:agallup at essentiallanguage.com>  

 

 

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