ENGLISH @ WORK has entered new territory at University Medical Center Brackenridge. In our second round of classes at Brackenridge, we have encountered our most advanced group of students yet. The eight housekeeping associates who study with instructor, Michele Arnett, all scored well above average on their pre-assessments and continue to impress us with their thirst for fluency and professional development.
Their home countries span nearly 10,000 miles, from Mexico to Bhutan, making this the most linguistically diverse class on our roster (stop by the hospital on a Monday or Tuesday, and you’ll have nine languages to choose from). These two factors – their advanced levels and unique backgrounds – have been an exciting new challenge for us this spring.
As teachers, we know how important it is to elicit background information and new ideas from our students. What I find so fascinating about this group is that they are the ones eliciting information, engaging Michele and visitors to the class in questions like, “If you had one wish, what would you wish for?” and “What is the best way to teach conversational English?” (This one from Kul, who teaches an English class for the Bhutanese and Nepali communities in North Austin).
Their high oral proficiency has certainly paved the way for more complex sentence structures, but it has also brought new depth to the learning that takes place on the 9th floor of the hospital.
On a visit to class yesterday, I was struck again by how inquisitive these students are. Michele invited her class to write an essay (yes, an essay in an ESOL class) on why their jobs are important. Three students stood up to read their thoughts out loud. I, along with E@W staff, Edward Olmeda (Seton’s Senior Diversity Project Coordinator), and Kevin Burges (Director of Environmental Services) were floored to hear them describe the personal initiative and patient care that make Brackenridge such a standout hospital and Seton such a respected hospital network.
When the folks at Brackenridge decided to start a second E@W class, they asked that we emphasize patient engagement, a training objective which encourages associates to go beyond the comfort of scripted dialogues and really engage patients in meaningful conversations. I’m pleased to report that even after just six weeks of class, I’d say these housekeeping associates are well on their way to mastering English and patient engagement.
Here, take a look at their essays. Tell us what you think. Would you be interested (not to mention engaged) if one of these associates asked you, “If you had one wish, what would you wish for?”
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To read our students essays in .pdf form, click here.
– Bekah
Program Manager