When is language the barrier to building literacy skills?

This very well-written piece gets right to the heart of the objectives we should emphasize when working with English language deficient adults.

LLN and VET Meeting Place

Increasingly we hear from trainers that there are more learners for whom English is a second, or third, or … language in the course they deliver.  This brings additional challenges to assist learners who may be unfamiliar with the workplace context and language. Language is the link or key to being able to grasp concepts, interpret texts, and communicate.

It’s not surprising that more trainers speak about the multiple languages spoken by learners in class. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reveals:

• in 2016, for approximately 40% of the Australian population English is not their primary or first language.
• in 2016, over 400 languages were spoken in Australia – more than a 100% increase since 2006.
• the percentage of the population that speak only English is declining.

Furthermore, RTO delivery has expanded to include training within, or for countries other than Australia, so more trainers are involved with workplace training and…

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