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ESL Courses For Construction Workers & 3 Tips To Improve Communication

ESL Courses For Construction Workers & 3 Tips To Improve Communication

 

ESL courses for construction workers, or English as a Second Language, can help to shorten the language gap that exists in the industry. A 2019 survey by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) revealed that of all the occupational industries in the United States, the gap between skilled workers who primarily speak a language other than English, and the number of managers who can actually speak those languages was the widest in construction. Of the managers surveyed, more than half expected the gap to increase in the next 5 years. When workers cannot communicate with their team, miscommunication should be expected; but those misunderstandings tend to have severe consequences in a dangerous field like construction. Providing English training for construction workers  pays off multiple times over as it increases the amount of people eligible for the role, increases the amount of projects and therefore potential revenue while reducing the amount of mistakes and communication errors and the amount of time spent on a project.

While communication is an essential skill in any industry, for a field like construction it becomes a matter of physical safety. Here are 3 tips to improve employee communication skills with online English training for employees:

 

1. Provide Ongoing Safety and Language Training

Specifically in the construction industry, ensuring safety materials are up to date is
imperative. Managers would be wise to take precautions when briefing employees on new or updated safety protocol. Engaged managers will ensure that all staff, including non-native English speakers have the necessary tools and manuals for the job. Investing in English language training for employees can improve confidence in spoken, written and reading comprehension skills which in turn, lowers the amount of mistakes on the job.

 

2. ESL Courses For Construction Workers To Avoid Jargon

We all use jargon, or industry specific terminology. For example, experienced roofers all over the globe know how to handle water that collects on top of a house. But for someone who speaks another language, may not know what "ponding" means. Flooring experts know what whitewashed floors are, but an employee learning English online might not know what "pickling" or "pickled floors" mean. In the end, ESL courses for construction workers teaches construction workers that it is quicker to say "the water on the roof" than it takes them to explain what "ponding" means.

 

3. Learn To Be A Better Listener With Corporate Language Training

An essential part of communication is listening. There are 2 main types of listening: Active and passive. Active listening is the ability to contemplate the speaker's message and responding in a thoughtful, or insightful way. Passive listening occurs when the speaker hears what is being said without really understanding what was just said. Some hallmarks of active listening include asking direct questions to get details, paraphrasing the main points, and maintaining eye contact. In a field like construction where misunderstandings can have costly and even deadly consequences, active listening is an essential professional skill that can come from offering ESL lessons for employees.

 

 

A 2018 study conducted by Forbes found that foreign born workers were 14% more likely to work in construction and maintenance jobs than native English speakers. Additionally, 67% of employers experienced miscommunication due to language barriers and over 40% cited reduced productivity as a result. While there are many different approaches to improving recruitment tactics for construction, offering corporate English training to construction employees can reduce accidents and improve communication on the job. Perfect your English further with our Corporate Language Training solutions designed to train students how to use advanced English grammar, improve English pronunciation, business English for meetingsbusiness writing skills as well as English public speaking skills, presentation skills and negotiation skills in English.

Our highly engaging In-Person English Training for employees and  interactive  Corporate  English classes online with live native-speaking teachers are easy to access from wherever you are. We offer Real-Time Private and Group Corporate English Training. Get a Free Quote for your Industry Specific Onsite or Online English Classes for Companies.

For more information contact our Language Training Department:
Phone: (617) 731-3700
Email: training@languageconnections.com

 

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