Vocational ESL (VESL)

MiraCosta College’s noncredit Vocational English as a Second Language program at the Community Learning Center offers courses that will help you explore career options, prepare to get a job, improve your English skills for your current job, or prepare to study for a career.

Students may enroll in the afternoon or evening classroom course in which they practice English for getting a job, communicating in the workplace, working as part of a team, and completing important speaking, reading and writing tasks and projects related to work.

Students can study modules to help them gain vocabulary and reading skills in one of these career fields:

  • Automotive Technology
  • Certified Nursing Assistant
  • Child Development
  • Computer Information Science
  • Customer Service
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Horticulture
  • Hospitality
  • Landscaping
  • Office Systems
  • Travel and Tourism

Instruction is provided through the use SCANS, an engaging textbook, the latest teaching methods, and state-of-the-art computer technology.

Check List

Syllabus

Lab Syllabus

Writing Tasks

Write a Career Goal Statement

Your first writing assignment is to describe your career goal. You gave up free time, work assignments, and/or time with your children to come to VESL class. We are glad to have you in this class. However, to make this class meet your expectations, Angela and I need to have a clear idea about your career goal.

  • Write short answers to the following questions:
    - What is your name?
    - Where are you from?
    - How long have you lived in the United States?
    - How many years did you go to school in your native country?
    - Do you have any degrees or certificates from your native country?
    - What jobs have you had or do you have right now?
    - What do you like about the jobs?
    - Is there anything you didn't like about a job you had or don't like about a job you have now?
    - What kind of job would you like to have in the future?
    - What do you need to do to get that job?
    - What is the most important things you want to learn in this class?
  • Look at the sample career goal statement
  • Now use the information you have written to answer the questions and write your own career goal statement. Your goal statement should have 10 - 12 sentences

Sample Goal Statement

My name is Minerva Nielsen. I am from Norway, and I have lived in the United States for four years. I speak Norwegian, Swedish, and I also speak a little English. I attended 12 years of school in Norway, and I also completed a computer certificate course. In Norway, I worked as a home aide for older people. I cleaned for them and cooked their meals. In the United States I have only been able to find work as a hotel maid. I liked helping the older people in Norway because I felt good that I could make their lives better, and they were always so glad to see me. I don't really like cleaning hotel rooms because it is boring, and I never get to talk to anyone. I would like to work in an office in the United States. I hope I can learn to speak and write English well, and I want to learn more about computers.

Complete the ESL Career Plan using Information from Eureka

Now it's time to begin to focus on the right career for you. This activity will help you learn about different careers and make a plan of action - your own career plan. Follow these steps and be prepared to learn a lot!

  • Go to the Continuing Education home page.
  • Click on "career plan".
  • Complete the online plan.
  • Ask your teacher for the Career Research Assignment Using Eureka.
  • Use the Eureka Program to complete the assignment.
  • Review your career assignment with me.
  • Write an essay about the occupation you selected. In your essay, describe
    - the job tasks
    - working conditions/physical demands
    - salary o job future
    - training/education requirements
    - why job interests you
  • Get an editing checklist. Find a partner and check each other's essays. Make changes and revisions.
  • Turn in revised Career Essay for my review and credit.
  • Ask for another career plan and complete the plan using the information from your essay and career research assignment.
  • Give me a copy of your plan for credit and keep a copy in your folder.

VESL Links

  • English for All - Click “Visitor.” Click on an episode to learn about U.S. culture and civics while watching a video. Practice listening, grammar, vocabulary, and more. Your computer needs to have Macromedia Flash Player, QuickTime, and Adobe Reader.
  • Purdue Writing Lab - Includes resources on job search, resume, employment letters and documents, general business writing, grammar.
  • Work-Based Learning Connections - On-line quizzes and articles about a variety of work-related issues: transferable skills, teamwork, problem solving, e-mail, diversity, study skills, ethics.
  • Career Builder - Information about getting a job and succeeding on the job: cover letters and resumes, job search, changing jobs, getting hired, getting ahead, the workplace.
  • English Baby! - Listening practice about current events. Click on the Student Corner. Then click on any lesson under "Lesson Zone" on the left side of the screen.
  • Okanagan University College - Pronunciation. See videos of the correct mouth position for difficult-to-pronounce sounds in English, listen and do dictation and other exercises, record and listen to your own voice (if your computer has a microphone).
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