ESL

English at Work: English as a Second Language for Eldercare Workers

Improving English language skills to improve care and reduce costs

Job readiness and language skills are workplace essentials for our frontline caregivers if they are to provide quality care to our nation’s elders. Low unemployment and fierce competition have forced providers to reach out to an increasingly diverse population with little formal education to staff entry level positions.

Once on board, new challenges emerge—retaining and equipping workers with the fundamental job and English-speaking skills they need to be successful caregivers.

Table of Contents:

Unit 1: Communicating at Work (10 hours)

Meeting People
Small Talk
Being Polite
Asking for Help
Filling Out Forms

Unit 2: Where You Work (15 hours)

The Facility
Professional Services

Unit 3: Working Together (15 hours)

Interacting with Others at Work
Understanding Work Ethics
Understanding Benefits, Policies & Procedures

Unit 4: Health & Safety (10 hours)

Signs & Symbols
Fire Safety
Worker Safety
Resident Safety
Measurement

Unit 5: Life in the Community (10 hours)

Where You Live
Getting Around in the Community
Money
Family & Friends

English language and job skills training are the answer

The unique design of English at Work: English as a Second Language for Eldercare Workers gives non-native employees a working knowledge of the English language specific to the workplace. The 60-hour curriculum features a teacher’s edition that saves valuable time by introducing the skills and elaborating on the activities presented in the student book.

"The course materials developed by the Institute address real situations that the student will encounter and provide practical and understandable words and directions to use in those situations. This curriculum is well done and fills an important niche for nursing assistants who will work in the healthcare field."

—Genevieve Gipson, R.N., M.Ed., Career Nurse Assistant’s Programs, Inc., Norton, Ohio

How the program works

The complete teaching-learning package takes non-native workers on a journey through a fictitious long term care center where they focus on every-day workplace situations such as:

	understanding health and safety symbols
	completing oral and written reporting procedures
	evaluating and describing an elder’s functional capabilities
	interacting effectively with residents and their families
	understanding employee benefits, policies and procedures

Vocabulary-building exercises strengthen understanding and correct usage of eldercare terminology. Real "life skills" such as reading transportation schedules, understanding basic forms of measurement, and using coins and currency help students in their daily lives.