How We Do It: March 2000, Teaching English As A Second Language

The trend toward a diversified workforce shows no signs of slowing. That means proportionately fewer workers in the green industry speak English. So we at The Care of Trees offer our employees training in English as a Second Language (ESL).

Safety was the No. 1 reason we began our ESL classes. We invest a lot time and effort into safety training for our crews, but if they can’t understand the information, the training is pointless.

Relying heavily on input from our bilingual Latino staff, we learned that the most effective ESL program uses instructors who speak only English in classes that are held at workplace locations. Our Hispanic employees also helped pick their ESL provider.

Instructors first familiarized themselves with industry terminology so they could immediately begin safety-oriented classes. From there, they began roleplaying with the employees, creating situations for them to practice client interactions to build their confidence. Many employees knew more English than we thought, but they needed to be more comfortable taking risks and making mistakes.

We pay participants for half the time they spend in class. Also, if an employee has a perfect attendance record, he or she receives a paid day off.

While there are obvious steps our managers can take to support employees in our ESL program, motivating them to sign up for it can be a bit more challenging. It can be difficult to convince some non-English speakers that learning the language can benefit them. The greatest motivator is when they see their peers gain new skills and confidence through the program. In our safety meetings, which are taught primarily in English, employees studying ESL answer questions right away, when before they couldn’t. This inspires their peers to consider the program. Because safety is a top priority at our company, we translate into Spanish during meetings, and we provide critical print materials in both English and Spanish.

Our ESL program involves training for our English-speaking managers, as well. They participate in workshops on communication strategies, one of which is learning to work with employees with some English-speaking skills. Managers also learn that cultural differences can color their perceptions of employee behaviors.

In the Hispanic culture, a person’s identity is very much tied to his or her group. The goal is to avoid standing out from peers. But in American culture, individualism is not only acceptable, but sought after. This difference can cause misunderstandings when managers seek to include Hispanic employees in management decisions. While managers see this as reaching out to employees, Hispanic workers can become uncomfortable at being asked to stand out from their peers.

Similarly, in Latino cultures, even constructive criticism is an affront when delivered in front of others. If an employee is not doing a task correctly, the manager can be far more successful talking with the employee individually. The way the message is delivered is equally important. Telling the employee that a task was done incorrectly, rather than the employee did a task incorrectly, will yield more successful results.

Your clients will also notice the ESL difference. Instead of avoiding contact with clients, your employees will have the confidence and skills to communicate with them.

The author is president of The Care of Trees, which has offices in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York.