1st Sudanese International English Language Conference “Teaching English Language as University Requirement at Tertiary Level” 15 and 17 June 2009

Ahfad Institute of Languages English for the Workplace Presented by: Dr. Amna Mohamed Bedri

Importance of English for the workplace the concept of English for the workplace and whether it is different from ESP. a vital factor in employability a good command of English is considered an asset and a vehicle for professional, social and economic empowerment

Professional Competence what kind of English are we speaking about here? Which skills are needed in the workplace? Do all professions need the same kind of English? The same skills, or is it profession-specific? Consequently does it need a special syllabus or is an ESP syllabus sufficient? Then when shall it be taught? That is at which stage?

What are the current approaches adopted by syllabus designers to provide suitable material / textbook for English in the workplace?

Textbooks

Initiatives 3 experiences; Ph.D. Thesis Arab countries BC symposiums, website British universities Facebook

Adult courses (on site) Nearly 30,000 limited-English-speaking adults around the state who want to improve their new language skills for work are taking classes that range from basic literacy and job training at local community and technical colleges to business-presentation courses at the University of Washington. www.esl.about.com

Items covered Oman ( case study) Name of the Course / place English for aircraft engineering technicians- Royal Air Force of Oman Situation analysis Detailed description of workplace + background Needs analysis Details of target group+ tools ( questionnaires) and procedure + results by skill Material Bank of material for each section; transitional, authentic from the field + MOE syllabus +military alphabet + justification Language skills Listening, reading ,writing and grammar (implicitly) in details+ use of dictionary Methodology Activities based on actual language functions needed + editing written material for language and style Administration 10-hour and 40-hour courses, learners attend by turn in small groups or individually Constraints limited time+ learners can’t come at the same time Evaluation Too detailed and limited situation + limited time

Sudan ( Ph.D. Thesis) Need for English by Sudanese employees in 10 institutes; 2 academic, 2 commercial, 3 civil service , 2 agencies Details of situation in Sudan + background about each workplace Details of target groups+ tools (questionnaires + structured interviews + attitude scale) and procedure + Diagram for designing material based on needs in workplace All language skills needed + some functions more than others Methodology needs to be changed More time to be given to ELT Second stage is designing suitable material

Universities ES2007(A) Professional Communication Description: This course teaches receptive and productive communication techniques needed in increasingly global and competitive environments. Students learn to generate and organize ideas for clear, convincing and effective oral and written messages; present these ideas with linguistic and graphic competence, and deliver messages appropriately according to their audience, context and purpose.

Oral Communication Oral presentations Presentations for business and other professions - Preparation and organization of information - Presentation of message Small group discussion Analysis of workplace-based case studies

Written Communication Reports and proposals Superstructures Organization and persuasion Style and tone Design elements Source documentation Letters, memos and e-mail Organization of information Résumé

Workplace English Writing Level 6 – WEW6 Course Information Course Fee: $2125/1 module (27 hours – 9 weeks) Course Length: 54 hours, 2 modules Class size: 16 Registration starts: 26 November 2007 Next course starts: February 2008 / May 2008 Location: Admiralty Course dates & Timetable: February Term 2008 / May Term 2008

Facebook: Workplace English Campaign The Workplace English Campaign organises a series of exhibitions at shopping malls to introduce the Campaign and its online self-learning platform. For the full exhibition sc... Host:Workplace English Campaign Time:11:00AM Thursday, June 25th Location:G/F Park Central (Tseung Kwan O MTR Station) Hong Kong

The Workplace English Campaign organised an exhibition on 1 and 2 November 2008 to promote the Campaign’s Funding Scheme for Workplace English Training and the Government’s Continuing Education Fund (CEF), which provide subsidies for Hong Kong people to improve their English proficiency.

Arab Countries English language training and career development British Council Symposium on English for the Workplace: Policy and Practice Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain – December 2007 “The need for the different sectors to meet and talk to each other in a meaningful and practical way” = English language training and career development Papers include “work-based ESOL: How can we assess it?” , Preparing students for the future International English: An industrial tool

Recommendations Integrating English for the Workplace into ESP courses, teaching terminology is not enough (and not necessary) Designing a core course + specialised skills based on needs analysis of a particular workplace