Preparing English Learners for Work and Career Pathways

“In the United States, as elsewhere, there is an increasing demand for a job-driven adult education system that teaches adults the skills needed for work in ‘good jobs.’ As the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (2014) makes clear, adult education and training need to be more closely aligned to prepare students for employment in a reasonable time frame….In many cases, this calls for collaborative relationships between training providers, such as community colleges that offer career pathways, and adult education programs focused on English language acquisition (ELA). Research suggests that ‘good jobs’—that is, jobs that pay family-sustaining wages—require at least some postsecondary education. For many low-skilled adults, including English language learners (ELLs), a good option appears to be focusing on education and training for middle-skill jobs that require some postsecondary education but not a 4-year degree.

This issue brief is a part of the LINCS ESL Pro suite of resources on Preparing English Learners for Work and Career Pathways. The purpose of this issue brief is to provide teachers and administrators with practical ideas and present a broad overview of considerations for connecting ELA to career pathways. It is intended to serve as an introduction to the topic of career-focused contextualized instruction that teachers and administrators can use as a springboard to additional in-depth resources on this topic. This brief describes program models designed to strengthen the alignment of adult education, employment, and skills training. The Instruction section outlines the skills that ELLs need to succeed at work and in postsecondary education and offers ideas for teaching practice” (p.1-2).

“An English language learner is defined as an adult or out-of-school youth ‘who has limited ability in speaking, reading, writing, or comprehending the English language—and whose native language is a language other than English; or who lives in a family or community environment where a language other than English is the dominant language’…” (p.1).

(Abstractor: Author)

Key considerations from the brief are: • “Responding to the Language and Literacy Needs of English Learners” (p.3); • “Connecting Adult English Language Learners to Work and Training: Practical Strategies” (p.4); and • “Engaging Employers to Support Adult Career Pathways Programs” (p.5). The brief also outlines “…key skills that a contextualized ELA program might address, along with strategies for strengthening these skills. • Speaking and Listening Skills: Unlike native speakers, ELLs may not be familiar with the social and technical language used in modern workplaces and training” (p.5). o “[Strategy:] A needs assessment to identify the language demands of certain job sectors can serve as a framework for instruction” (p.5). • “Academic Listening Comprehension Skills: The skills needed to understand and respond to lectures are particularly important in training, whether they are part of workplace training or part of an occupational skills course offered in a career and technical program” (p.5). o “[Strategy:] Hearing a mini-lecture on a topic related to careers (e.g., The 10 Skills Employers Want) gives students practice in listening for a main idea and identifying examples” (p.6). • “Written Communication: The writing that ELLs must do at work and in training courses is quite different from the personal narratives that are common in many ESL programs, particularly at the beginning levels” (p.6). o “[Strategy:] Integrating a computer literacy component into ELA classes and offering hands-on practice in electronic communication will help students be competent and confident in using new tools” (p.6). • “Technical Language and Vocabulary: The language used in job skills training tends to be quite different from the everyday language that ELLs hear and read in conventional ELA classes” (p.6). o “[Strategy:] Using image-rich materials written for both lay people and specialists can afford exposure to new forms of discourse” (p.6). • “The Culture of Work and Training: Immigrants and refugees who are still learning English and have been in the United States for only a relatively short time may need a great deal of guidance on how to navigate the U.S. workplace or how to succeed in a training course at an academic institution…” (p.6). o “[Strategy:] Scenarios depicting ‘sticky situations’ at work or in training can offer a jumping-off point for discussion on ‘how things work’ in the United States” (p.7). (Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2015
• Author(s): Wrigley, Heide.
• Organizational Author(s): American Institutes for Research
• Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies