Tesol08 Efl Acad Session080404

Moving from Academic to Job-Related Writing EFL-IS Academic Session Friday, April 4, 2008 – 8:30 – 11:15 am TESOL 2008, NY, NY, USA 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Agenda 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Learning vs Memory (1) 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Learning vs Memory (2) 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Education is a social process;
education is growth; education
is not a preparation for life but
is life itself.
John Dewey, (1859-1952)
4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Learning Approaches 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Informal Learning & Formal Learning
“ Most of what we learn, we learn from other people -
At work we learn more in the break room than in the
classroom. We discover how to do our jobs through
informal learning -- observing others, asking the
person in the next cubicle, calling the help desk, trial-
and-error, and simply working with people in the know.
Formal learning - classes and workshops and online
events - is the source of only 10% to 20% of what we
learn at work.”
Jay Cross (2003)

The Big Picture Of Informal Learning http://www.jaycross.com/informal_book/poster.htm @ 2006 Jay Cross, Internet Time Groups LLC, Berkeley, California 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Push Learning vs Pull Learning
Formal learning = Push learning
Informal Learning = Pull learning

Case Study: Gulf Bank of Kuwait
Putting Theories into Action
http://alothman-b.tripod.com/content-gb.htm
A pilot ESP program for a group in the financial industry

Case Study: A Pilot Blended ESP, (BE) Program for Branch Managers
Phases:
Needs Assessment
Objectives
Program Design
Syllabus (weekly activities)
Logistics
Implementation
Program evaluation & Recommendations

Needs Assessment
Organizational Needs Assessment, (ONA)
Needed employees to write summary reports on job-
related (assigned) seminars and presentations (listening and writing skills, and to have fun).
Job-Task Needs Assessment, (TNA)
Needed employees to write: emails, memos, complaints
and recommendation letters, (technical professional
writing).
Instructional Needs Assessment (INA)
Oral skills: good to very good; Listening Skills: good to very good; Writing skills: Poor grammar (verb forms, sentences, spelling, and using caps).

Distinguishing between “Wants" and “Needs"
Blending Formal and Informal learning
approaches using new technologies to
teach communications skills:
Formal and informal Email
Memo
Summary report
Group-writing and presentation

Building a Collaborative Professional Community to Enhance Formal & Informal Learning http://alothman-b.tripod.com/content-gb-e-community.htm 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

New Technologies for Learning by Doing 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008 used as a CMS, for announcements, and to practice email writing to practice writing through reflection and sharing information to practice collaborative group-writing for the final project for voice messages and audio activities ProActive English for performance support activities – to practice listening, speaking with focus on pronunciation and presentation skills

Formal vs Informal Email 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Formal Email 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Informal Email 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Virtual Environments to Support Just in Time Learning 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008 for voice & text instant messaging & international conversations For formal and informal activities: lessons, meetings, discussions, presentations Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Delicious - social bookmarking, using the tags Blip.tv Video to improve communications performance

Examples of Performance Support Blended Activities formal and informal learning situations: three participants were reflecting and reporting on a seminar using Elluminate 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Different Learning Environments for Performance Support convenient for the busy manager Learning from one another Practicing various communication skills at different environments to support informal learning approach and have fun! 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Other Effective Activities Dennis Oliver Dave Winet John Bradly Inviting Guest Speakers / Authentic Audience to communicate with the learners via live text and voice sessions 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Promoting Informal learning through International Conversation Activities Live conversation with authentic audience via Skype - Venue: Arab Planning Institute (API) Barbara Sawhill Abeer Bouftain 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Simulation Activities at the Virtual Classroom Performance support fun activities - (David Winet as Bill Gates  ) David Winet Bill Gates 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Summary of Program Evaluation’s Results 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Some Results of the Program Evaluation 4/4/2008 AlOthman, B. TESOL 2008

Challenges
HR team & training management
IT challenges ( equipment, support)
Training / classroom equipment
Miscommunication
Barriers and Motivation - (Principles of Adults Learning, by Stephen Lieb, Fall 1991 - http://tinyurl.com/8etyf )

Recommendations / future plans
Improve Organizational Needs Assessment
Suggest the use of virtual social network tools for HR and training managers
Provide orientation for each technology shortly before it’s used

Final Word
Things manage to work themselves out and nature has always confirmed that….
Change is happening; so, let’s let it be
Time to Learn how to learn 

The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.
(Carl Rogers)
I think everyone should go to college and get a degree and then spend six months as a bartender and six months as a cabdriver. Then they would really be educated.
( Al MacGuire)
Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion has no hold on the mind.
( Plato)

Tesol08 Efl Acad Session080404

by Buthaina AlOthman on Apr 11, 2008

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