The Bottom Line

Effective Practices in Workplace Language Training is a must-have road-map to workplace English language training services providers. While the book provides plenty of insight for classroom teachers in the workplace, its true target audience are the decision makers who establish the framework and deliver the goods to institutions who require English workplace training. The effective practices outlined could, however, be easily transferred to other language workplace training situations.

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Pros

• This guide provides an exhaustive overview to effective English language workplace training.
• The materials covered are applicable to all language learning environments, not just English.
• The guide provides advice not only on business and pedagogical issues, but cultural issues as well.
• Insights to be had for all stakeholders in any language workplace training environment.
• Illustrative case studies provide real-world meat on the bone of theory.

Cons

• Not only for teachers, but for those who desire to develop and run language learning programs.

Description

• Nine effective practices to be used in an iterative fashion to ensure top-notch English workplace training.
• Clear goals for each effective practice followed by practical objectives to achieve each goal.
• Each objective provides a look into a wide range of issues including not only pedagogic, but also cultural issues.
• Each objective to reach an effective practice contains an illustrative real-world case study.
• Ample introduction and resource sections provide solid pedagogic background for non-teaching professionals.

Guide Review - Effective Practices in Workplace Language Training - Review

Effective Practices in Workplace Language Training by Joan Friedenberg, Deborah Kennedy, Anne Lomperis, William Martin, and Kay Westerfield with contributions from Margaret van Naerssen, provides a complete guide to establishing successful workplace English language training services. As such, this book is not for the faint-hearted or just-curious crowd - which is its true strength. If you are a stakeholder in any workplace English language training program this book provides the blueprint for your organization.

The guidelines are organized in nine "effective practices". Each effective practice contains an overarching goal such as; "The workplace language training provider conducts a comprehensive research-based instructional needs assessment" (Effective Practice 5), or "The workplace language training provider provides quality program staff and appropriate staff support" (Effective Practice 4). Each effective practice is then broken up into various objectives that will help accomplish the effective practice outlined. Each objective includes an illustrative real-world case-study. The steady referral back to the 'real-world' helps readers understand how the practices might best fit their own organizations.

One of the strengths of these guidelines is its inclusion of cultural, political and economic factors which all play into the decision making process. This is not only a guide for how a language training provider should set up an effective learning environment within a workplace, but also a guide for making a frank business assessment of any project based on the surrounding cultural, political and economic context.

Finally, the introduction, follow-up references and further reading section provide ample suggestions for an even deeper understanding of the complexities of delivering top-notch English language training in the workplace. Even though the guidelines and case-studies apply to the English language workplace, they could easily be applied to any workplace environment that requires a language learning component. Effective Practices in Workplace Language Training can help teachers improve their offerings, but will be best appreciated by director of studies, human resource personnel, and, most importantly, decision makers amongst workplace English language training service providers.

By Kenneth Beare, About.com Guide

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