Archive for February, 2009

We are excited to announce that starting in April Workplace Languages will be holding Workplace ESL / Job Readiness classes and also Survival Spanish for Today’s Workforce. The job readiness / workplace ESL class will be for anyone with limited English proficiency and will cover the topics of: Health, Employment, Education, Finances, Housing, Shopping / Major Purchases and Transportation. Our Survival Spanish for the Workplace will be for all managers, supervisors and anyone needing to communicate with their Spanish-speaking staff.

Both classes will be held at 844 Grand in St. Paul. The ESL class will be on Tuesdays, starting April 7th, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm and the Survival Spanish for the Workplace will be on Thursdays, starting April 9th, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm also.

Call 651-330-9419 for more details.

There is a quick & convenient way to order any of our Workplace Languages’ bilingual training products without using your credit card and having to use our shopping cart. Simply go to FAX NOW. PAY LATER. and print off / download the pdf and fax it to the number listed on document,

All products are shipped within 2 business days. We’ll send you an invoice via email. What could be easier? And we stand behind all of our products & services 100%.

You still can order with a credit card if you wish when using our shopping cart.

Call about volume discounts and the possibility of customizing any of our products.

If your company needs to improve productivity, wants to retain great employees and values diversity, Workplace Languages has language solutions to improve your bottom line. Workplace Languages provides an easy, effective and immediate way to close the communication gap at your company.

Below are some of the guidelines that I have put together to help our teachers place potential workplace ESL in the appropriate class. There will always be varying levels of English proficiency in the classes but not all of the students that want to participate are a good fit for the class. Sometimes participants need additional help before they qualify for a Level I class and other times their level of proficiency is too advanced for a Level I class. Here are my thoughts:

GUIDELINES FOR SELECTING APPROPRIATE CANDIDATES for a
LEVEL I WORKPLACE ENGLISH CLASS

I. TYPICALLY POTENTIAL PARTICIPANTS OF A LEVEL I COURSE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE THE NECESSARY ENGLISH SKILLS IF THEY:

· Do not make an attempt to communicate to the GM / Supervisor / Coworkers in English
· Haven’t completed the 2nd grade in the U.S. or their country
· Possess only a few vocabulary words in English
· Have worked less than 6 months at their company

II. CANDIDATES THAT ARE A “GOOD FIT” FOR A LEVEL I WORKPLACE ENGLISH COURSE TYPICALLY:

· Is shy / not confident of their ability (although they may possess good speaking skills)
· Knows a number of vocabulary words in English
· Have problems “getting their point across” although they can do it occasionally
· Is reluctant to speak with customers but will be able to communicate some ideas to their GM / Supervisor
· Needs to work at their company 6+ months
· Can make simple requests but can’t elaborate / give many details
· Is able to fill out personal information on a application – name, phone, address …
· Wants to take the class / has aspirations of advancement within the organization (have a bilingual coworker elicit some of this information)
· Would have completed any grade between 2nd and 8th in the U.S. or in their country

III. INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE CONSIDERED A GOOD FIT FOR AN ADVANCED ESL CLASS WOULD:

· Be able to communicate their ideas and make simple requests
· Speak “choppy” English and would have an accent but could “get their point across”
· Not have any difficulty completely filling out any simple forms
· Be able to explain roles & responsibilities of various positions in a simple fashion
· Have completed 8th grade or above in the U.S. or in their own country

At Workplace Languages, we believe the foundation of any successful organization is effective communication. So we have assembled a Panel of Experts who are some of the leading authorities in language learning and corporate communication. Our experts are educators, authors and linguists each trained in specialized fields of language learning.

Members of our Panel of Experts are available for media interviews, speaking engagements and corporate training seminars. Workplace Languages also offers a FREE 15-minute WebEx online consultation with one of our Panel Experts.

We have assembled a team of ten experts specializing in the fields of: Hispanic Marketing – Accent Reduction – Onsite & Online Workplace Language / Translation – Business English -Training & Development – Inclusion – Video Training – Business Culture and Customs – Problem-Based Classroom & Online Training – Latino Culture. Watch our website http://www.workplacelanguages.com/ and my blog @ http://edrosheim.blogspot.com/ for more information.

Workplace Languages, LLC is running a special on all of its translation services through Monday, March 16 2009 – 03-16-09. We are offering a 20% discount to new clients. Any language (we translate into over 100 languages) and any industry. Workplace Languages, LLC has over 250 internationally-based translators and each & every one is a specialist in a particular industry.

We are also happy to provide you with a sample of our work. Send us a one-page document – you name the language – and we will email you the translated document in the target language.

Workplace Languages, LLC always provides free quotes within 24 hours. Call toll free 866.330.9419 for more details or contact us through our website at http://www.workplacelanguages.com/quote.html.

Workplace Languages, LLC is proud to announce that we will be offering more “Lunch & Learn” classes in 2009. Typically these will be for 60 minutes over the lunch hour and will be for 10 weeks. The sessions can be more language-based, have a cultural focus or be a nice mix of the two. We have trainers throughout the US – you name the language or culture you want to learn about and we’ll find the perfect fit.

Apart from all of our oniste (at the various companies) & online offerings – we will be offering language tutoring at 844 Grand Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota. We will continue to “come to you” 24/7 – from classes to translation services – but now will be offering services at our corporate offices.

I just returned from presenting at the annual CMAA (Club Manager’s Association of America) National Conference in New Orleans this past Monday. This was the third time that I have been invited to speak and as always – I thoroughly enjoyed myself. New Orleans is one of my favorite cities from the beignets & chickory coffee to the French Quarter & the Garden District. And the hospitality I receive from all of those involved with the CMAA conference is simply unparalleled. This year I presented Survival Spanish for Today’s Workforce – a three-hour interactive seminar that I customize to address the communication issues facing the target audience. The industry-specific Spanish phrases I taught to these country club managers covered a variety of topics. Everyone in attendance wanted to do all they could to build rapport with their Latino employees and also ensure that all of their guests / members have the best experience possible at their clubs. The 3 hours flew by. The participants walked away with some of the basics to “get them up & speaking” immediately. And they also left with the necessary tools to help them continue the learning process outside of the presentation.

Back in St. Paul now and the cold temps of Minnesota. I am very happy to return to the land of 10,000 frozen lakes but had a great time down in N’awlins. I’ll post seminar pictures soon on our website – http://www.WorkplaceLanguages.com.

When you have set an appointment with a company to discuss online or onsite language training, these are some of the types of questions which you may expect. They make for good discussion points and can be the basis for planning. Developing clear answers to these questions ahead of time will help you further define your program and present yourself as a credible education and training vendor.

1) How much will a workplace Spanish or ESL program cost?

2) How long does the training take?

3) What can the company expect as outcomes?

4) What specific results will you guarantee?

5) What involvement will be required from the company?

6) What is the return on investment for the company?

7) Will on-site workplace Spanish or ESL help worker retention?

Is there curriculum already developed?

WHAT A COMPANY CAN EXPECT FROM YOU AS AN EDUCATION CONSULTANT

1) Help in formulating realistic measurement of program results. Results might include test score improvement, willingness of students to be cross-trained, better attendance on the job, speaking up at meetings, reduction in time spent answering questions, reduction in turnover.

2) Suggestions for how the company can reinforce what is being taught in class.

3) An invitation to visit the classroom. For the program to be successful, the company must be involved.

4) Regular information throughout the life of the program about progress and issues

Learn more at http://www.workplacelanguages.com/online_onsite.html