Renton Technical College

ESL for the Trades

David Dickson, M.S.Ed.: TESOL

Vocational ESL Instructor

Renton Technical College

Introduction

The “ESL for the Trades” class was designed to introduce ESL students to various trades and the training and career opportunities within those trades.  It was run as a pilot project through the Basic Studies Department at Renton Technical College during Summer Quarter 2006.  It was designed as a Level Two ESL class.  (The Basic Studies Department has a five-level ESL program, with beginning students at Level One.)

Since there were only 28 days in the quarter, we focused primarily on the construction trades, but also included some manufacturing and repair trades. Students learned basic terminology, the titles and roles of various tradespeople, and some of the tools and equipment they use.  Field trips to training and apprenticeship programs at RTC were integral to the course—providing opportunities to meet the instructors and to see the workshops and (sometimes) trainees/apprentices in action.  Students also learned about and practiced using information resources so they can—more independently—continue to learn about the trades and pursue their training and career goals, while continuing to develop their language skills.

The language acquisition aspect of the course is built on the theory, as outlined by Stephen Krashen that, “. . . subject matter teaching in a second language, when comprehensible, is language teaching, because it provides comprehensible input.” [1]  So the key for ESL instructors is making this content comprehensible for our students. The course outline shows the main components of the pilot course and provides some ideas for organizing a Trades ESL class, and the resource list and example materials provide ideas on making this content comprehensible for our ESL students.

I developed and taught the class after formulating the idea with Beth Arman (Dean of Trade & Industry and Apprenticeships) and Debbie McLaughlin (Director of Basic Studies).  We discussed several potential benefits which include:

• Improving attendance and lowering the ESL drop out rate.  There is a tendency for ESL students to drop out of the ESL program after Level 3—often to take low-paying jobs.  By focusing on careers at Level 2, we hope students will be motivated to continue their ESL studies long enough to improve their language skills to a level at which they can pursue those superior career opportunities.

• Increasing students’ awareness and knowledge of trades-related training programs at RTC.  In turn, that could boost enrollment in those programs and ensure that students select the most appropriate program for their interests and objectives.

• Improving ESL students’ success in vocational / technical programs. By developing core trades-related vocabulary and concepts early on, prior to the students’ entry into their desired training program, students would be much more prepared to be successful in those programs.

• Developing a model for other career-related ESL courses, such as health care, business or computer technology.

Ideas for future courses

As a pilot project, I believe this course represents only the tip of an iceberg of opportunity.  This class was only 28 days long, but it could easily be expanded into a full length course. Beyond that, I believe it could even be a series of courses—from Level 2 to Level 5 ESL—in which students explore career opportunities in more depth, develop job search skills, and continue to acquire general and specific (trades-related) English language proficiency. 

Moreover, this type of course could be developed for several different career areas, such as Allied Health, Business Technology, Automotive and other programs. At the lower level of ESL classes, students could explore broad areas of careers, and as they advance in the ESL program they could focus on particular training and career objectives. By raising students’ awareness of career opportunities and giving them the language skills they need to pursue those opportunities, we can enable our students to pursue satisfying and rewarding careers.