Teach English in ShuAnghe Zhen - Zhumadian Shi

The business world is driven by numbers: progress reports, data analysis, statistics and graphs. In order for an English teacher to show value in a world driven by numbers, he or she must be ready to deliver data that business managers and executives understand and value. The best way to show an employer the benefit of hiring an in-company language teacher is to ensure that you can demonstrate the progress of students for the duration of the course. One of the first dilemmas that in-company Business English teachers face is that classes can consist of students from different departments and at different levels in the company hierarchy. Such a varied group of students presents the teacher with several challenges. Firstly, it is likely that class participants have a wide range of abilities in English, which means the teacher will likely have to consider differentiation in the teaching approach, graded teaching materials, and activities. Additionally, if class participants come from different company departments it is likely that the group will have mixed needs and there may even be conflicting views among different stakeholders. In traditional classroom settings, such as in a language school, level testing and needs analysis are performed separately; however, when working in-company it makes more sense to carry out both the level test and the needs analysis at the same time. The teacher can then group students on the basis of what they need and their current English level. Another obstacle that in-company Business English teachers face is sporadic attendance. If the class takes place at the company office the students are still in the workplace, so if any business problems arise or if a department meeting is scheduled, class size may be significantly affected. This can not only impede that day’s activities and learning, but it can slow down the progress of future lessons if the lessons build upon each other. Furthermore, adult learners are often attending language classes on top of a standard 8-hour workday. They often have families, children and other responsibilities to attend to, which can cause both an increased level of absenteeism and a decreased ability to absorb and retain new information. A Business English teacher has to be able to demonstrate that their instruction and teaching approach can deliver results. As mentioned, business managers and executives understand and value numbers. Setting up the course with the intention of displaying numerical data of course success will ensure client satisfaction and greater job security. It is important to receive a list of clearly defined needs and objectives from the hiring manager in order to know exactly what measure of success they are looking for. Then design a graded level test which addresses the skills and language abilities related to the measures of success set out by the hiring manager. Along with the level test, distribute a needs analysis before the course commences. It is important to keep all student level tests as well as needs analyses for reference at the end of the course. Design a syllabus that meets the goals set out by the hiring manager and addresses the needs of the students as analyzed from the needs analysis data. Keep records of attendance throughout the duration of the course and if possible, annotate the reason for absence (work-related or personal). Distribute regular progress tests, even if they are a short 10-minute quiz at the start of each lesson. This data will help you gauge student comprehension, retention and overall progress throughout the duration of the course. At the end of the course, administer an achievement test. It might be of value to utilize the level test used at the start of the course as the achievement test at the end of the course. Since it is graded and designed to meet the hiring manager’s objectives and measures of success, it will clearly show both individual and group progress from the start of the course until the completion of the course. Finally, it is important to analyze the data and show trends. Was there a high level of absenteeism for certain students compared to others, and how did that relate to their overall progress in the course? Was there more variation in language ability at the start of the course compared to the end of the course? If this was the case, this data would indicate that the students who had a lower language ability at the start of the course benefitted more and all students have an approximately equal language ability on the target skills and measures of success at the end of the course. If however, the variation in language ability was the same at the start of the course as it was at the beginning of the course, but with a greater overall average, that would indicate that all students gained approximately equal benefit from the course and that those who were weaker at the start of the course are still weaker at the end of the course, even though they have improved their individual language level. Of course, all this data can be better displayed in graph form. The benefit of analyzing the data in such detail is that the teacher can then make supported recommendations to the company on how to conduct future in-company language learning. Should they separate the groups further? Should they consider a different time frame for the language class (perhaps outside of work hours, so that students aren’t pulled back to work by business emergencies etc.)? A final recommendation is to distribute a course evaluation at the end of the course. The course evaluation can provide important feedback both for the teacher and the company regarding course success. In addition to statistical data, one of the best forms of marketing is testimonial data. Highlight what the students thought went well and draw attention to areas that the students thought could be improved in order to show your employer your willingness to improve and display transparency - both qualities valued in good business models.