CM/Spotlight: Training Communication When English Is Not A Native Tongue Educating employees who speak English as a second language can be difficult, but it shouldn’t be an excuse to forego training. By: Richard Sanchez A Richard Sanchez is a building service contrac-tor (BSC) working in Northern California. Sanchez, who has had suc-cess training employees who speak English as a second language, often utilizes the technique of incorporating an interpret-er into his demonstrations. He may be reached at [email protected]. According to the 2012 U.S. Census, the number of foreign-born people living in the United States is nearly 40 million, roughly 13 percent of the total population. The largest group, from Latin America, accounts for approximately 53 percent of this group. The second-largest group, from Asia, accounts for about 28 percent of the foreign-born people living in this country. While many of these people are here to study or are not seeking work, the overwhelming majority do need employment to meet living expenses. Some speak English as a second language, commonly referred to as ESL. However, a great many of them do not speak any English. Either way, with little or no understanding of the English language, attaining work can be a prob-lem, which is one reason the cleaning industry can be so attractive. Cleaning is one of the few professions available that requires not only little English comprehension when compared to most other professions, but few, if any, language skills at all. That is true except in one key area: Training. And, problems associated with teaching profes-sional cleaning techniques to foreign-born people can be compounded because, in many parts of Because retention increases nearly 40-fold when hands-on practice follows classroom lec-turing, a learn by doing approach is recom-mended by many veteran custodial trainers. for more info Visit www.cmmonline.com and type in search keyword: Instruction . For more information on related products, visit www.cmmonline.com , select SUPPLIER SEARCH from the main navigation bar, and enter keyword: Training . 16 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • August 2012 Image courtesy of Powr-Flite
CMM – Archives August 2012: 16
