Building Basics: ESOL Toolkit for General Construction, Landscaping, Painting and Plumbing
Career Field: Technical Fields – Construction
Adult Career Pathway: General Construction, Landscaping, Painting and Plumbing
Type: On-ramp
Prepares Students for: Greater success in entry-level positions and potential for promotion
Target Student Population: Non-native speakers of English – NRS levels Beginning Literacy, Low Beginning, and High Beginning
Access Curriculum: View Materials
Course Description: Building Basics can be used in a school or community-based program with learners who have expressed a need and desire to learn English in the context of the building trades. The lessons may also be used in instructional settings within the workplace, e.g., contracting or landscaping companies. Learning activities focus on job-specific vocabulary-building, conversation, workplace skills like schedule-reading, and more.
Duration: 2 hours/session, 4-5 sessions per module, 4 modules = total 36 hours of instruction; can use modules separately or combined
Curriculum Materials: The curriculum is organized into four modules: General Construction, Landscaping, Painting and Plumbing. Each module has four to five lessons. Each of these lessons has a facilitator guide, facilitator materials, and student handouts.
Curriculum Pluses: Well organized. Each module can be used alone or in combination with others. The Facilitator Guide contains step-by-step instructions for implementing each lesson, including warm-up/review, introduction, presentation, practice, and application/extension. All learning materials are provided. Some materials are provided at two levels for differentiated instructions within a multi-level classroom.
Curriculum Drawbacks: Materials are in PDF format, so cannot be easily modified. A few assessment activities are included, but teachers will need to create additional informal assessment practices.
Author: Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center; Hillary Major, Editor
Created: 2008
Contact:
Hali Dayberry, Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center
The Literacy Institute, VCU School of Education, Richmond, VA
804-828-6158 / [email protected]