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##  Preparing Limited English Proficient Persons for the Workplace. ERIC            Digest No. 215.                                                              

Many individuals in today's workplace or preparing to enter it are              limited English proficient (LEP). According to the 1998 Perkins                 Vocational and Technical Education Act, an "individual with limited             English proficiency" is a secondary school student, adult, or                   out-of-school youth with limited ability to speak, read, write, or              understand English and whose native language is not English or who              lives in a family or community environment where a language other               than English is dominant. LEP individuals come from a variety of                social, economic, and educational backgrounds (Friedenberg 1995;                Willette, Haub, and Tordella 1988). The literacy levels of LEP                  persons are equally diverse. Many claims of illiteracy among the LEP            population refer only to literacy in English and ignore literacy in             other languages. Likewise, an LEP person's oral proficiency in                  English should not be confused with English- or native-language                 literacy--that is, the ability to read and write (Wiley 1997). This             Digest describes cultural considerations and effective approaches               for LEP individuals' work force development, including the impact of            recent training legislation. CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE            TRAININGLEP persons--especially immigrants--often come not only             from a different language background but also from a very different             cultural background; so English-language instruction must often                 provide cultural as well as linguistic orientation. Immigrants in               particular may experience profound adjustment or transformation in              their social identity--all those aspects of the self (family role,              life skills, sense of community, and so on) that define how people              understand themselves in relation to others (Ullman 1997). Four                 specific cultural factors may influence learner and teacher in the              classroom (McGroarty 1993): 
* Roles of learners and                           teachers--Learners may expect more traditional, formal,                         authoritarian, ordered, structured instructional style and                      activities and be put off by informal practices such as using first             names and moving freely around the room. Likewise, teachers may                 expect learners, especially adult learners, to be self-reliant,                 expressive, and assertive-a potential conflict with learners who are            carefully deferential and reserved. 
* Gender-related                          issues--Learners may expect different behavior from male and female             teachers and may not even have experienced mixed-gender classes.                Likewise, male-female issues might affect group configurations or               activities. Finally, different definitions of appropriate gender                roles can prevent or discourage LEP women from pursuing                         training. 
* Appropriate topics for instruction--Topics that are               innocuous to one person may violate social, dietary, or religious               prohibitions for another. In addition, recent immigrants may have               great difficulty describing the homes they fled in fear or answering            personal questions that might have a bearing on their unresolved                immigration status. 
* Appropriate behavior at school--Different               cultures define "appropriate" differently. Some learners may balk at            moving classroom furniture or may expect a quiet, orderly classroom             at all times. On the other hand, learners may expect to be able to              eat, drink, smoke, or litter freely in the                                      classroom. INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHESOne set of instructional               approaches is used to provide English-language instruction: 
*                 English as a Second Language (ESL) covers all aspects of English                grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation; survival or prevocational               ESL tends to focus on English skills needed by immigrants to find               housing, read want ads, use public transportation, and write (Platt             et al. 1992). 
* Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL), on            the other hand, focuses on the English skills specific to a                     particular occupation or vocational area. For maximum effectiveness,            VESL instruction relies on collaboration between vocational and VESL            instructors who work together to identify the specific oral and                 written English skills appropriate for the VESL course (Platt                   1996). 
* Workplace literacy programs upgrade current workers'                 English-language reading and writing skills. Workplace literacy                 programs can also serve LEP workers by providing workplace ESL                  instruction. A needs analysis first carefully identifies language               skills needed to perform successfully in the employer's workplace;              those language skills are then provided through classroom                       instruction (Grognet 1996). 
Friedenberg (1995) identifies five                approaches to content-area instruction: 
* Bilingual/bicultural                education provides content-area instruction to LEP students (usually            all with the same native language) in their native language; ESL                instruction is also provided at the same time. Over time, use of the            native language for instruction is decreased and the use of English             is increased. 
* Multilingual/multicultural approaches provides                limited content-area instruction in native languages when there are             LEP students with different native languages in a class or when                 bilingual or multilingual teachers or aides are not available. The              instructor becomes more a facilitator than a provider of                        instruction. ESL instruction is also provided at the same                       time. 
* "Sheltered" content instruction uses English to provide               content-area instruction but begins by first developing appropriate             vocabulary by extensive use of visual aids, gestures, graphic                   organizers, and cooperative hands-on student activities. It is often            used for classes with multiple language groups or multiple English              proficiency levels or when bilingual teachers or aides are                      unavailable. 
* Immersion is an approach used frequently but                   inconsistently, ranging from "carefully structured sheltered                    techniques with bilingual assistance to nothing more than                       submersion" (ibid, p. 44). In immersion, LEP students' native                   language is not used (National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education            1996). 
* Submersion provides no special services at all to LEP                students--it's either sink or swim. 
THE LEP POPULATION AND THE                1998 PERKINS ACT 
How does the LEP population fare under the latest            amendments to the Perkins Act? Some differences between the 1990 and            1998 acts related to the LEP population are superficial. In the 1990            act, for example, "individuals of limited English language                      proficiency" were one of five specifically identified special                   populations; the 1998 act includes "individuals with limited English            proficiency" among a general "individuals with other barriers to                educational achievement" (American Vocational Association 1998). The            definition of an individual with limited English proficiency remains            the same. 
On the other hand, the new act continues a significant              change in the emphasis given to serving special populations. The                1990 Perkins Act had strengthened provisions for providing education            services to special populations (ibid.), in part by specifying a                10.5% set-aside for sex equity and programs serving single parents,             single pregnant women, and displaced homemakers, as well as                     requiring each state to have a full-time sex equity                             coordinator (Hettinger 1999). At the same time, however, it                     eliminated some earlier funding set-asides for specific special                 populations, including the limited English proficient (Kochhar                  1998). The 1998 act eliminated the 10.5% set-aside and the sex                  equity requirements. 
Probably the most significant changes in the             1998 act are provisions balancing greater state flexibility in                  administering and allocating federal funds with greater                         accountability for results. The 1998 act allows state and local                 agencies and programs increased flexibility (e.g., in how they                  deliver services, whom they target, how they measure participation              and progress of members of special populations) and changes in                  requirements (e.g., in the assurances for access and criteria for               services to special populations) (Hettinger 1999; Kochhar 1998).                States must now establish systems to monitor four core                          indicators (Hoachlander and Klein 1999) of student performance: (1)             attainment of state-established academic and technical skill                    proficiencies; (2) acquisition of secondary or postsecondary                    diplomas, degrees, or credentials; (3) placement, retention, and                completion of postsecondary education or advanced training or                   placement in the military or employment; and (4) participation in               and completion of training leading to nontraditional                            employment. 
Furthermore, states must individually define the                  specific indicators and performance levels for which they are                   accountable; so state success will depend on four                               factors (ibid.): (1) defining workable indicators and performance               levels; (2) identifying relevant populations of students who                    participate significantly in career and technical education; (3)                developing strategies for local implementation and local                        accountability; and (4) involving local personnel in state system               design and helping local providers learn how to use performance                 measures. 
THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT OF 1998 
Among the key                elements of a work force development system, the Workforce                      Investment Act (WIA) recognizes the need for "basic literacy as a               key element of participation in the labor force and national life,              especially in view of the large number of non-English-speaking                  adults in the workforce" (Kaufmann and Wills 1999, p. 9). And with              an emphasis similar to that of the 1998 Perkins Act, the WIA gives              the states new responsibility for sorting out how best to fulfill               the targeting task. In line with this recognition of the need for               basic literacy, the training provided under the WIA must be related             to labor market needs but can combine literacy education with                   occupational training (ibid.). 
Given the WIA's recognition of the             need for basic literacy, recurring aspects of the WIA system could              be of benefit to LEP individuals, even though they are not                      specifically targeted as a special population (Employment and                   Training Administration 1998a,b). For example, Core Services,                   available to all at one-stop centers with no eligibility                        requirements, include career counseling, information on skills                  needed for in-demand jobs, skill and needs assessment, and                      information about available services. The second level, Intensive               Services, includes comprehensive and specialized assessments of                 skill levels (i.e., diagnostic testing); development of an                      individual training plan; group counseling; individual counseling               and career planning; case management; and short-term prevocational              services, which specifically include development of learning skills,            communication skills, and interviewing skills to prepare individuals            for unsubsidized employment or training. 
At the highest level are             Training Services directly linked to job opportunities in the local             area and may include adult education and literacy activities in                 conjunction with other training. All in all, the WIA appears to                 offer a range of services designed specifically for work force                  development that would coincidentally meet the English-language                 instruction and literacy needs of the LEP                                       population. REFERENCESAmerican Vocational Association. THE                OFFICIAL GUIDE TO THE PERKINS ACT OF 1998: THE AUTHORITATIVE GUIDE              TO FEDERAL LEGISLATION FOR VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL EDUCATION.                      Alexandria, VA: AVA, 1998. 
Employment and Training Administration.            IMPLEMENTING THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT OF 1998: A WHITE PAPER.               Washington, DC: ETA, 1998a. (ED 427 177) 
Employment and Training              Administration. WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT OF 1998. Washington, DC:               ETA, 1998b. (ED 425 334) 
Friedenberg, J. E. THE VOCATIONAL AND                LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT OF LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT ADULTS.                      INFORMATION SERIES NO. 363. Columbus: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult,              Career, and Vocational Education, 1995. (ED 391 104) 
Grognet, A.              G. PLANNING, IMPLEMENTING, AND EVALUATING WORKPLACE ESL PROGRAMS.               ERIC Q&A. Washington, DC: Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on ESL Literacy            Education, Center for Applied Linguistics, 1996. (ED 406                        866) <http://www.cal.org/ncle/DIGESTS/> 
Hettinger, J. "The New                Perkins...Finally." TECHNIQUES: MAKING EDUCATION AND CAREER                     CONNECTIONS 74, no. 1 (January 1999): 40-42. (EJ 675                            796) 
Hoachlander, G., and Klein, S. "Answering to Perkins."                   TECHNIQUES: MAKING EDUCATION AND CAREER CONNECTIONS 74, no.                     2 (February 1999): 46-48. (EJ 578 865) 
Kaufmann, B. A., and Wills,            J. L. USER'S GUIDE TO THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT OF 1998: A                   COMPANION TO THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS. Alexandria, VA: Association              for Career and Technical Education, 1999. 
Kochhar, C. "Analysis of            the Special Populations Provisions in the 1998 Carl D. Perkins                  Vocational Technical Act Amendments." JOURNAL FOR VOCATIONAL SPECIAL            NEEDS EDUCATION 21, no. 1 (Fall 1998): 3-20. (EJ 558                            139) 
McGroarty, M. CROSS-CULTURAL ISSUES IN ADULT ESL LITERACY                CLASSROOMS. ERIC DIGEST. Washington, DC: Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse             on ESL Literacy Education, Center for Applied Linguistics, 1993. (ED            358 751) <http://www.cal.org/ncle/DIGESTS/> 
National Clearinghouse            for Bilingual Education. WHAT TERMINOLOGY IS COMMONLY USED IN                   BILINGUAL AND ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE EDUCATION? Washington,               DC: NCBE, George Washington University,                                         1996. <http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu/askncbe/faqs/10terms.htp> 
Platt, E.            THE VOCATIONAL CLASSROOM: A GREAT PLACE TO LEARN ENGLISH.                       Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics, 1996. (ED 406                   856) 
Platt, E.; Shrawder, J.; Ujhelyi, Z.; and Wannawati, T.                  COLLABORATION FOR INSTRUCTION OF LEP STUDENTS IN VOCATIONAL                     EDUCATION. Berkeley: National Center for Research in Vocational                 Education, University of California, 1992. (ED 351 549) 
Ullman, C.            SOCIAL IDENTITY AND THE ADULT ESL CLASSROOM. ERIC DIGEST.                       Washington, DC: Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on ESL Literacy                      Education, Center for Applied Linguistics, 1997. (ED 413                        795) <http://www.cal.org/ncle/DIGESTS/> 
Wiley, T. G. MYTHS ABOUT              LANGUAGE DIVERSITY AND LITERACY IN THE UNITED STATES. ERIC DIGEST.              Washington, DC: Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on ESL Literacy                      Education, Center for Applied Linguistics, 1997. (ED 407                        881)  <http://www.cal.org.ncle/DIGESTS/> 
Willette, J; Haub, C; and            Tordella, S. ESTIMATES AND PROJECTIONS OF THE LIMITED ENGLISH                   PROFICIENT ADULT POPULATION IN NEED OF EMPLOYMENT TRAINING.                     Arlington, VA: Development Associates, 1988. (ED 315                            532) 
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This project has been funded at least in part with               Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education under Contract              No. ED-99-CO-0013. The content of this publication does not                     necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of             Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or              organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Digests may             be freely reproduced and are available                                          at <http://ericacve.org/fulltext.asp>.                                       **Title:** Preparing Limited English Proficient Persons for the Workplace. ERIC            Digest No. 215.                                                              **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** For full text: http://www.ericacve.org/fulltext.asp.                         **Descriptors:** Adult Education, Bilingual Education,  English (Second Language),                Federal Legislation, Immersion Programs,  Job Training, Labor Force            Development,  Limited English Speaking,  Literacy Education,                    Multicultural Education, Second Language Instruction,  Teaching                 Methods, Vocational Education, Vocational English (Second Language),            Workplace Literacy                                                           **Identifiers:** Carl D Perkins Vocational Technical Educ Act 1998, ERIC Digests,                Workforce Investment Act 1998                                                
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