INTERIM REPORT

J. B. I. Technical English Program at P. T. Koba Tin

Pulau Bangka, Indonesia

15 April, 1996

Consultant: Thor May

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Distribution:   R. M. Patterson      Roger Bastone       Alex Howell     Yusmin Tanzil

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INTERIM REPORT : J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Position paper on JBI Technical English Program

2. Options on program duration and hours

3. Illustrative bridging course in Technical English (48 hour sample)

Explanatory Supporting Papers:

4. Spoken Language Skills a) Applications b) Teaching Notes c) Teaching Activities	5. Writing Skills a) Applications b) Teaching Notes c) Teaching Activities	6. Reading Skills a) Applications b) Teaching Notes c) Teaching Activities
7. Numeracy in English a) Applications b) Teaching Notes	8. Social Language Functions (e.g. giving instructions) a) Applications b) Teaching Notes c) Exponents of Social Language Functions

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Position Paper on J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996

Discussion:

1. Existing JBI technical language materials, brought to support the one month consultancy, are most suitable for students at a 2(+)/5 level of English language competency.

2. P.T. Koba Tin employees nominated for training have an average English competency level of 0+/5.

3. Depending upon Koba Tin training decisions, it will be a year or more before current Koba students can make the optimum use of existing JBI language materials.

4. The focus of initial language training must necessarily diverge a little from purely technical English. This is a function of the psychology of language acquisition itself. The technical emphasis can be progressively built in, but a first language requirement is for basic communication skills; (see supporting papers). Some very useful abilities, such as English number recognition, can be developed from the outset.

5. When Koba students are linguistically ready, existing material from JBI should integrate fairly seamlessly with the ongoing Koba language program.

6. The JBI consultant will do everything possible to equip the local trainer with the knowledge, skills and insight needed to develop a bridging program for English language skills from 0+/5 to 2/5.

7. A teaching program has been established on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 pm to 5 pm. This program commenced on 9 April 1996, and is operating at the existing skill level of Koba students (approximately 0+/5). The consultant has programmed and taught this class to date, in demonstration mode. Yusmin Tanzil from Koba Tin, and (from 11 April 1996) Anwar Rohini form the Pankal Pinang STM school have been observing. The consultant will progressively transfer teaching responsibility to Yusmin Tamsil.

8. Special care should be taken in interpreting the sample technical English bridging program attached. This outline is illustrative only. Early language learners can take in only a tiny amount of new language in a single session, although the struggle inside their heads is very great. A program of "modules" at this level is frankly meaningless. The language teacher must survey what has been taught (or rather, learned!) at the end of each lesson, and it will always be less than he programmed. Half of it will have been forgotten by the next lesson, and must be revised. Although a strategic game plan is useful even at 0+/5 level, the actual lessons must in practice be planned from session to session.

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

 

Options: Program Length and Teaching Terms

Starting Language Level: 0+/5 (zero plus out of 5, where 5 equals mother tongue proficiency)

Notional Exit Target: 2/5 = approximately 500 to 600 hours of tuition

Time Frames: 3 years @ 200 hrs/yr = 600 hrs = 5 hrs/wk x 120 weeks

= 4 hrs/wk x 150 weeks

2 years @ 250 hrs/yr = 500 hrs = 5 hrs/wk x 100 weeks

= 6.25 hrs/wk x 80 weeks

1 year @ 500 hrs/yr = 500 hrs = 10 hrs/wk x 50 weeks

= 12.5 hrs/wk x 40 weeks

Term Blocks:

Annual teaching is normally broken up into a series of terms. This gives students a chance to decompress, take holidays, pursue other commitments etc. It gives teachers a chance to review, consolidate and plan. Without such breaks, productivity drops through burnout.

Common term configurations:

Term sizes obviously determine the length of breaks. Timetabling may be influenced by extraneous factors such as Company needs or children's school holidays.

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ACTION => P.T. Koba Tin will need to make its level of commitment to technical English
                      teaching known before firm timetabling can proceed.

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

Illustrative Bridging Course in English as a Foreign Language (Technical)

Student levels:   0+/5 to 2/5 where 0 = no English and 5 = native speaker competence
Duration:            48 hour sample in two hour blocks

 

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

Spoken Language Skills (reference levels 0+/5)

Applications (Spoken Language)

1. Spoken language has many essential applications relevant to early second language learning, even where a sponsor's main aim is to improve the ability of employees to read particular types of texts (e.g. service manuals).

2. The human brain and general physiology have evolved for the efficient acquisition, generation and transmission of spoken language. First languages are always learned orally. We "hear" language inside our heads. The vast majority of communication is still oral/aural.

3. Most people are social learners rather than solitary learners (which is why we have classes). The social preference is especially marked in Indonesian cultures. Social learning requires spoken communication. It is much better for language learning for students to talk in English about English rather than talking in Indonesian about English.

4. Teachers will greatly assist in the long run if they talk in English about English. It is a huge temptation for an Indonesian speaking teacher to give a quick explanation in translation rather than struggling to get the concept across with mime, demonstration and basic English. The quick convenience comes at a high price. The intense psychological pressure to operate in English is removed from the students, and their real progress will slow accordingly.

5. The small expatriate management group in an operation such as P.T. Koba Tin has an incentive to master Bahasa Indonesia. Their status, and work pressure, means that they are not required to do so. In practice, management relies heavily on an elite of bilingual intermediaries. From an Indonesian perspective, the ability to communicate orally (and in writing) in English is a very powerful vehicle for upward mobility. This is quite apart from any practical benefits to workplace communication.

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

Teaching Notes (Spoken Language)

1. A perceptive linguist once remarked that "language is a noise in the head". For a 0+/5 student the English "noise" (and its meaning) disappears almost as soon as it is spoken. A large part of language teaching is to make that English "noise" in the student's head, and to keep it there until it becomes a part of the mental landscape.

The job is obviously much easier in an English speaking country with immigrants, as opposed to a community where the learner is constantly drawn back to operate in his first language. In such an environment, it is important to create domains outside the classroom where English is actually heard and used. This might be in the workplace, or it might be in designated zones. For example, Lee Kuan Yew (ex-prime minister of Singapore) is reputed to have required his family to speak Malay at one daily meal, Chinese at another and English at a third. Many Chinese cities now have "English corners" where people gather socially on Sundays to practice English. Initiatives like this are really up to a local community, but should be encouraged. Expatriate residents who wish to learn Indonesian would do well to develop similar domains in that language.

2. Students need frequent (preferably daily) practice in English rhythm, intonation, stress and pronunciation. Most of this is best done in a situational context of text, dialogue etc., rather than as separate exercises. It should be fun; (fun activities are remembered, which is critical in language learning).

3. Teachers should monitor the ratio of teacher talk to student talk in the classroom. Students need an English language model. However they also need maximum opportunities to practice speaking themselves, as naturally as possible.

4. Since talk is inherently social, a large part of the spoken language component should involve students talking in pairs, groups, or circulating freely.

5. A beginning language learner is in a very weak emotional position. Self-respect is stripped away; the learner is reduced to baby-like dependence. Teachers should avoid browbeating or dominating a student when seeking a response. Students tend to operate nervously and uncertainly in L2 (the second language). They need "mental space", and plenty of time to collect their thoughts. Teachers may have to wait patiently, quietly, for a minute or two while a student assembles a response.

6. Prior planning must go into role plays, and into activities which set up "communication gaps". That is, situations where students are made to feel a need to need to generate English language; e.g. one student may have to obtain information held by another student. Such activities done without planning can easily degenerate into embarrassed silence.

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

Teaching Activities (Spoken)

The following examples are a selection only from the possible repertoire of activities at an elementary level.

1. Getting Information: Students have a small questionnaire with which they elicit spoken information from other students or outsiders.

Notes a) Rhythm, intonation, stress and pronunciation should be pre-taught.
          b) The responses to questions required at 0+/5 level should be very simple; (e.g. a number).
          c) The information seeking works best if students are asked to leave their chairs and walk around              "cocktail party" style.

2. Role Plays: With 0+/5 students these work best where short dialogues are pre-taught. Dialogues can be based on social language functions such as apology, giving instructions etc.

3. Information Giving: One student gives directions, instructions or information to another student who must record it or perform some action; e.g. a text pinned to the wall (print too small to read from a distance) can be communicated bit by bit to S1 through S2 acting as a messenger. Or S2 can instruct S1 in the assembly of a simple machine, bit by bit.

4. Class Break Chat: The teacher who talks and listens to students during class breaks will often encounter far more genuine attempts at communication in English than during formal exercises. This is immediately valuable for students. The teacher who can or will only respond in English is of greater use here than one who lapses into the local language.

5. Story Retelling: The teacher tells a little story to the class in simple language. The story should be memorable, and if possible humorous. When students have understood, each student must retell the story to a neighbour.

6. Telephone Exchange: Students exchange information "by telephone" (which may be imaginary); e.g. one student telephones a purchase order through to S2, who is "in Jakarta". S2 writes down the order and reads it back as an accuracy check.

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

 

Document Production (Writing) : reference level 0+/5

Applications (Written Language)

1. Documents are produced at many levels of sophistication in a workplace. Whatever an employee's position, the ability to write coherently and succinctly is a major asset. Conversely, individuals who are barely literate in their first language are not going to acquire a writing and reading facility easily in a second or subsequent language.

2. Increasing responsibility often goes with the production of documents which are more complex and less pre-structured. In the Koba Tin environment there is also an increased likelihood that writing will be required in English.

3. Some management styles minimize documentation, others demand elaborate records.

4. Less senior employees need coaching in the routines of generating particular forms, some simple reports (e.g. accident reports) and short memos or notes. It is a management decision as to how many of these documents require or favour an English language format. Clear meaning (in whatever language) is more important than grammatical accuracy in these contexts.

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

Teaching Notes (Written Language)

1. Individuals at an English ability level of 0+/5 obviously cannot be expected to produce trustworthy documents in English.

2. It is useful to take an inventory of documents that a) employees are required to produce in their present role, and b) that they might be required to produce at their next level of promotion. Such material is an obvious source of realia for teaching purposes. Note however that the satisfactory production of documents in L2 (the second language) in the real world is only likely to occur after a significant training period.

3. Students can be encouraged to become familiar with writing in English through a very wide variety of classroom activities, some simple and some more elaborate. Not all writing need (or should) have a workplace focus since the initial barriers are at least as psychological as linguistic. Capturing a student's emotional engagement is a large part of the battle.

4. People who are able to write fluently and spontaneously are the exception, even in highly educated populations. The inhibitions are much greater in a second language. Teaching activities should therefore offer maximum structural support where it seems needed, while being flexible enough to allow more creative individuals the freedom to innovate.

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

Teaching Activities (Written)

The following examples are a selection only from the possible repertoire of activities at an elementary level.

1. Reconstruction I: Students are given a skeleton on key words from a pre-taught text (which has been removed from sight), and asked to reconstruct that text. Some students prefer to do this in pair-work, which is OK.

2. Reconstruction II: As above, but the text is not pre-taught. Students have to infer or predict its final form from their knowledge of the language.

3. Model Copying: Students are given a model of a simple, relevant document (or part of a document); e.g. a memo requesting something, an order list, a (very simple) accident report etc.. Their task is to rewrite it, changing relevant details to suit their own circumstances. More advanced students can also write a response. The teacher needs to pre-teach not only content, but also layout, forms of written address etc.

4. Written Instructions: Students are given two labeled diagrams of simple machines. The first diagram will be accompanied by step by step operating instructions which refer to numbered parts on the diagram. Students must produce a set of step by step operating instructions to go with the second diagram.

Notes: a) The teacher will have to pre-teach the required vocabulary.
            b) This kind of activity is adaptable to many contexts; e.g. instructions for performing a job, writing                  a recipe etc.
            c) This kind of activity will sensitize students to efficient techniques for reading workshop &                 operations manuals.

5. Text Restructuring:

a) Students are given a text whose sentences have been jumbled. The task is to reassemble the sentences into a coherent text. The skills acquired here are the recognition of sentence connectives and sequencers, and the need for logical ordering. Note that the language content must be either known or pre-taught.

b) The same process as a), but with paragraphs rather than sentences jumbled.

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

Reading Skills (reference levels 0+/5)

Applications (Reading)

1. Every industrial enterprise requires employees to read written information efficiently. Reading skills should be promoted in both first and subsequent languages since the carry-over is significant.

2. These are some examples of written material in the Koba environment:

a) Signs (mostly in Indonesian or bilingual. Note international symbols).

b) Forms (often in Indonesian or bilingual. May require interpreting for a response).

c) Memos (often require translation to/from management).

d) Reports (may require translation to/from management).

e) Equipment markings, I.D. plates etc. (often in English).

f) Vehicle equipment specifications (typically English + numeric).

g) Vehicle manuals (normally English).

h) Workshop manuals (normally English)

3. The Value of Bilingual Literacy:

a) Greater employee flexibility
b) Less time loss, fewer errors, less involvement of other personnel due to an translating requirement.
c) Less likelihood of concealed mistakes due to embarrassment about poor understanding of manual     instructions etc.
d) A much more direct line of communication between management and staff.

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

Teaching Notes (Reading)

1. The level of literacy in a first language has a big influence on the ease of acquiring literacy in a second language. Note that literacy is an incremental skill, not an "all or nothing" matter.

2. Reading difficulty is influenced by
    a) the frequency of unknown words;
    b) the familiarity and interest level of the topic;
    c) the "density" (level of abstraction & implied information); and
   d ) the complexity of argument.

At greater than 10% of unknown words, frustration will totally de-motivate most readers. Layout, sentence length and logical text organization also influence reading ease.

3. Technical manuals often depend for textual cohesion on linking points in a diagram to points in a text. Making these links conceptually is a reading skill that may have to be taught.

4. Manuals are normally read to extract specific information. Therefore scanning skills need to be taught. Scanning is also an important way of overcoming learner reading frustration. However, note the danger in real-life applications of second-language readers overlooking crucial qualifiers, negatives etc. in the text.

5. Following from 4), employees with 0+/5 level English should not be trusted to extract accurate information from English texts. They need the practice, but should always check their understanding with a competent English language reader.

6. When 0+/5 English level students are asked to read in class, they must be given plenty of time and "mental space". A hovering teacher can distract students and hinder reading. Some students will want to read together with a peer (which is OK), while others will prefer solitary reading.

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

Teaching Activities (Reading)

The following examples are a selection only from the possible repertoire of activities at an elementary level.

1. Students are asked to find the main idea in a text, or in each paragraph. Note that this will be far too difficult for 0+/5 level students with most texts. The teacher will have to construct special material.

2. Students decide on an appropriate title or heading for a text after they have read it. This checks comprehension as well as being a small language creation exercise.

3. Using a very simple text, students must extract information to answer a list of short, factual questions; (inferential questions will be too difficult).

4. Students read simple, step by step instructions and then do them.

5. Students are regularly given a slightly challenging text, plus a bilingual glossary to read for homework. The teacher quizzes students next lesson.

6. Students practice reading aloud with good rhythm, intonation, stress and pronunciation. The technique is to scan a phrase or a few words, memorize, then look up and speak, keeping eye contact with the audience. This technique needs to be taught and practiced. It is also an excellent way of internalizing the patterns of the language.

7. Students regularly tell the class about something they have read elsewhere (e.g. in a newspaper). This gives immediate speaking practice, but also has the effect of validating reading as a useful activity, both in first and subsequent languages.

8. The teacher distributes a personal written message to each student at the end of class. The teacher refuses to explain anything. Curiosity will induce students to read and decode the message.

9. The teacher takes an audit of common documents used in the organization, and uses or modifies them for teaching activities. This includes administrative documents.

10. Pairs of students are assigned to extract particular bits of information from manuals. They report back to the class. The total of information obtained by all pairs should add up to a coherent description (e.g. of equipment) or a set of instructions, or a task activity. Students discuss the outcomes and recheck the manuals to sort out any confusion.

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

Numeracy in English : reference level 0+/5

Applications (Numeracy)

1. A large percentage of spoken and written exchanges in technically oriented workplaces involve the transfer of numeric information, or its translation or projection into real world events, expressed as statements.

Examples:

       i) "Get me that four-ninety-seven-B part".

       ii) + "Twenty percent of the turbo units have failed in the last two weeks."
           - " You had better bring the other eight trucks in for a check then."

2. Uncertainty in the English language use of numbers can cause expensive misunderstandings.

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

Teaching Notes (Numeracy)

1. Teach number recognition by short number dictations at regular intervals. Use a variety of contexts; e.g. linear measurements, dollar or rupiah costs, times, dates, repair schedules etc.

2. Set up information-getting exercises that involve students in quizzing each other or outside parties, or researching manuals for numeric information. Use questions such as "How many; how much" etc.

3. Incorporate a numeric reporting function (verbal) when students do exercises in measurement, calculation, graphing etc.; e.g. a student must give a verbal report on numeric results to the class or group.

4. Develop exercises that require the interpretation of numeric tabular information into written or spoken prose; e.g. A short dialogue can be developed based on information in repair-interval statistics, equipment specifications, timetables, tide charts etc.

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

Social Language Functions : reference level 0+/5

Applications (Language Functions)

Social language functions are the currency of human interaction. The examples below are illustrative only, since the totality is in fact a catalogue of human behaviours. Social language functions play a crucial role in the workplace, as they do everywhere else.

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

Teaching Notes (Language Functions)

1. It is a characteristic of many social language function expressions that they are quasi-formulaic. That is, there are often only certain ways of saying things in an appropriate manner. Other forms may be grammatical, but no native speaker would ever use them. Teachers with a non-English speaking background should check with a native English speaker to be sure that material taught is truly colloquial.

2. Good teaching practice is to put a spot aside in each class session for a short role play or dialogue practice using one social language function.

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

Exponents of Social Language Functions (sample only)

1. Simple statements	2. Asking questions	3. Asking for clarification
4. Asking for help	5. Asking permission	6. Giving encouragement
7. Giving praise	8. Making a criticism	9. Making an excuse
10. Making a promise	11. Making a guess or estimate	12. Giving advice
13. Giving an instruction	14. Expressing doubt	15. Expressing concern
16. Expressing commiseration	17. Giving congratulations	18. Greetings & farewells
19. Making an introduction	20. Giving a warning	21. Expressing thanks or       gratitude
22. Expressing displeasure	23. Making small talk;       (note cultural differences)	24. Expressing urgency
25. Suggesting alternatives	26. Presenting options	27. Asking for more time
28. Asking for guidance	29. Expressing satisfaction	30. Expressing amusement

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J. B. I. Technical English Program 1996 consultant: Thor May

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