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Focus On Basics

Volume 7, Issue B ::: November 2004

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"Issues in Improving Immigrant Workers' Language Skills," by Miriam Burt, December, 2003, is an NCLE digest. The author reviews the research from 1992 to 2003 on outcomes in workplace ESOL instruction, identifies five issues to be addressed in improving the English language skills of immigrant workers, and provides suggestions for addressing these issues. It's available at www.cal.org/ncle/digests/workplaceissues.htm

The AFL-CIO Working for America Institute recently published Getting to Work: A Report on How Workers with Limited English Proficiency Can Prepare for Good Jobs. The report is a study of training and workforce development programs in manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and hospitality that assist limited English proficient (LEP) and immigrant workers get, keep, and advance in good jobs. It is available to download from www.workingforamerica.org. Request a hard copy from Jean Pierce at 202-974-8123 or at info@workingforamerica.org for $5.00 each.

Tennessee ESOL in the Workplace, A Training Manual prepares both program supervisors and instructional staff to launch successful workplace initiatives. It's available at http://cls.coe.utk.edu/pdf/esol_workplace/Tenn_ESOL_in_the_Workplace.pdf

Bridging the Gap: Best Practices for Instructing Adults Who Are Visually Impaired and Have Low Literacy Skills is an online course offered free to all professionals interested in improving their understanding of issues faced by adults who are visually impaired and have low literacy skills. The American Foundation for the Blind National Literacy Center designed this program, available at www.afb.org/btgregister.asp. For more information contact Tina Tucker, American Foundation for the Blind, at 212-502-7781.

In-Sites Annotated Bibliography for Workplace Literacies, by Sue Folinsbee and Judy Hunter, (2002), includes annotations of articles and books on research on workplace literacy and learning and related writing on aspects of literacy as social practice. It can be downloaded from www.nald.ca/insites/annotatd.htm

The Work-Based Learning Project is a web site that provides the research, best practices, tools, tips, and learning communities needed to meet the needs of employers, unions, workplace educators and trainers, and officials at the state and local levels responsible for workforce development. Available at www.work-basedlearning.org/index.cfm

The National Institute for Literacy's Workplace Literacy Discussion List is a forum for adult educators working or interested in workplace literacy and workforce education to discuss issues such as marketing, funding, program design, instruction, curricula, assess ment, evaluation, staff training, research, and policy. To subscribe, go to www.nifl.gov/ lincs/discussions/discussions.html.

The National Institute for Literacy Workforce Education Special Collection demonstrates the value of workforce learning, fosters and promotes the develop ment of high-quality workforce education programs, provides guidelines for planning and supporting these programs, and supports ongoing communication and collaboration among stakeholders. This project can be found at worklink.coe.utk.edu/

In "Why Do Companies Provide Workplace Education Programs?" by Alec Levenson, in NCSALL's Annual Review of Adult Learning and Literacy, Volume 4, the author reviews what is known about company-provided training and notes implications for future practice and research. A summary of the chapter is available at http://ncsall.silicongoblin.com/?id=582. The book is available from Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, https://www.erlbaum.com/shop/tek9.asp?pg=products&specific=0-8058-4629-8

Updated 7/27/07 :: Copyright © 2005 NCSALL