Abstract:

In present times, a significant number of English medium universities operating in non-native local contexts offer English courses to their employees that are specifically aimed at developing diverse workplace linguistic skills. The latter assists staff to adequately carry out workplace tasks in the language of work at their institution. These courses also contribute in motivating employees to hone their skills in efforts to advance in their positions. The course offerings at these institutions are generally provided sporadically and vary depending on instructor and learner availability, learners’ prior knowledge of the target language, internal resources and so forth. However, as institutions in non-English speaking countries adopt Anglo-Saxon educational models, the former require structured English for Staff Programs (EFS) in this regard. In the given context, the following paper is a retrospective account of the design phases of a language program specifically developed for staff employed at an English-medium university in Morocco. As a result of informal and formal discussions and a critical assessment of generic ad hoc English courses offered to employees, the need for a structured and well thought out linguistic training program for staff was apparent. The latter required the development of a multi-faceted and centralized training scheme. To achieve this goal, special attention was essential vis-à-vis the general content of the program and the specific needs of the mature adult learners. The training beneficiaries were university employees working in different units and departments including the campus bookstore, business office, IT department, athletics, health centre, grounds and maintenance, campus security, campus restaurants and cafés. It is incontestable that local employees need to acquire both general English as well as specific target language related to their work to communicate with students, clients, colleagues, faculty and visitors on a daily basis. In designing and structuring the English for Staff program, a needs analysis through several interviews with instructors and staff was conducted. In a few weeks, a scheme of the structured program included: 1) detailed descriptions of courses offered for the EFS Program; 2) a meticulous course syllabus for each course outlining the following elements: a description of the course, language outcomes, course activities, compulsory resources, learning evaluation marking scheme, policies on the: mid-term and final exams, class participation, attendance, grading scale, and plagiarism; and 3) a weekly breakdown of a detailed course outline for a 45-hour course. A pilot project has been set for the fall and winter sessions at the institution. The latter will allow for the assessment of various aspects of the program. To conclude, developing English for Staff training programs for English medium institutions operating in non-English speaking environments can assist both universities and their linguistic units in taking into account institutional strategic objectives. In addition, structure will enable for the accumulation of knowledge in various aspects of English training while maintaining common standards of English teaching and learning.

Keywords:

English for Employees and Staff, English for the Workplace.