Advice for teachers -
Bridging English as an Additional Language (EAL)

​Unit 2: English for life

Area of Study 3: English for the workplace

Outcome 3

Use a variety of print, spoken and multimodal workplace texts, and produce written, spoken and/or multimodal workplace texts. 

Examples of learning activities

• Examine samples of resumes and job application cover letters or emails, annotating language and formatting used. Develop a shared vocabulary bank to describe personal and professional capabilities as well as to describe work-related experiences.
• Use online job listings to complete a table that organises key information such as: location, salary range, shifts or hours worked, responsibilities, prerequisites and tasks performed. Use this information to customise an application for a specific job.
• Create a job application portfolio (including a resume and cover letters) responding to a small number of genuine job advertisements. Include appropriate certificates, references, licences or work samples (mocked-up examples can be used if authentic ones are not available). Responding to peer feedback, refine the application material and identify training or work experience that may enhance employability.
• Use role-plays to explore work-related situations; for example, customer service provider interaction or telephone call centre interaction. Reflect on the role-plays to provide constructive feedback about language use.
• Locate safety documentation for real-world workplaces, such as: school evacuation plans, safety policies, safety data sheets or first aid instructions. Summarise these documents to demonstrate understanding, taking note of features and conventions used to maximise clarity for their context and audience.
• Plan, draft and present formal work-related communications (such as letters or emails), focusing on developing awareness of appropriate register, language, structures and formats.
• Complete a folio of work-related texts (such as timesheets, forms, orders or messages to colleagues), highlighting instructions and key information provided on these documents as well as job-specific vocabulary.
• Discuss approaches to managing challenging situations and miscommunication in the workplace. Develop strategies to express dissatisfaction and to communicate with colleagues about workplace concerns.
• 
  Develop awareness of workplace safety practices and prepare an induction manual.
  

Detailed example

Safety in the workplace

1. Locate the safety-related documentation for the school or workplace. This may include formal policies, occupational health and safety guidelines, safety data sheets, signs or labels, equipment manuals, incident report forms, medical/first aid information or employee assistance programs.
   
2. Identify the hazards and organise information related to each hazard. This may involve inspecting a location to look for hazards and matching them to the appropriate documentation. For example, hazards such as cleaning chemicals are likely to have a corresponding safety data sheet, a list of storage policies, and directions on the location of a first aid kit.
3. Compile an annotated folio of related safety documentation, summarising each text and identifying how it responds to a particular need, context or audience.
4. Use the information from the safety documentation review to prepare an induction manual for a new staff member. This should include a summary of the key points, specific instructions for individual hazards and where more information can be found.