the world, the cleaning of office buildings, schools, etc., is a small industry involving relatively few people. This often means the skills necessary to properly perform cleaning tasks are simply not taught in their home countries. This was a key issue that “emerging nations” such as China and others in parts of Asia had to contend with when major offices, hotels and the like were first being built a decade or more ago. Not only did developers need to turn to Western companies and consultants to help build these large structures, but they also had to consult the same folks to learn how to properly clean and maintain them. Should You Hire Interpreters? There are ways to successfully teach clean-ing tasks to people with little or no under-standing of English. One way is to simply hire interpreters, as do many cleaning contractors and a select few in-house operations. As a contractor or custodial supervisor demonstrates and describes how to refinish a floor, for example, the interpreter conveys the information to the students. However, hiring interpreters can be costly and typically requires bringing large groups of people together to learn cleaning tech-niques at the same time. This is not always possible and, when it is, can prove to be a large investment in both time and money. Another major problem often develops once the students are back on the job attempting to perform what they have been taught. Unless trainers devote a considerable amount of time to allow students to practice what they have learned in a classroom set-ting, they may forget key information when on the job. Studies indicate that less than 10 percent of what we learn is retained unless the train-ing involves hands-on practice. Tricks Of The Trade There are no set rules that work for everyone when it comes to teaching people how to properly clean, according to Mike Englund, a trainer and product manager for Powr-Flite. What works well with one group may not necessarily work well with another. However, over time and with experience, most trainers learn some ways to make the process more effective for their students. Englund shares the following tricks of the trade for teaching people with limited or no English skills: ■ Make learning interactive Allow the students to not only practice what they have been taught but work com-munally with others in the class. This can be very powerful and improve learning and retention significantly. ■ Be mistake friendly In situations where language skills are an issue, people are often shy and easily frightened, which inhibits learning. Create an environment that allows all stu-dents to be comfortable making mistakes; mistakes are part of the learning process. ■ Form small groups If working with large groups, teach clean-ing concepts first and then break the group into smaller numbers to teach the cleaning practice. And, offer one-on-one training with each person as much as possible. ■ Implement color coding Color coding can prove beneficial, espe-cially when it comes to identifying ideal tools for specific tasks and selecting proper chemicals. ■ Provide nonverbal context Teach using pictures, training videos, graphics and other nonverbal learning tools and visuals. Pictures and things like color-coded charts are more universal than any specific language. ■ Teach small chunks of information Students learn at their own pace. But, when language is a barrier, teaching cleaning tasks in small segments typically results in greater learning retention. ■ Look for a bilingual helper In most classroom settings, certain peo-ple will know some English. Find these people and ask them to inter-pret items that might be confusing or dif-ficult to understand. ■ Provide bilingual written materials Studies indicate that people learn better when they have written materials to refer to during training. Providing educational materials in mul-tiple languages further increases the chanc-es of retention. Language And Settings According to Englund, most cleaning tasks can be taught to people with limited English skills fairly successfully; however, in certain settings, having an understanding of the English language may be necessary. “This is especially true in medical settings and schools,” says Englund. “There can be health and safety concerns, and custodial workers may be called upon to help in an emergency or need to know what to do should an emergency arise. This typically requires some basic English understanding and communication skills.” He also suggests that communication is a two-way street and that cleaning con-tractors and supervisors would be wise to learn a little of the language spoken by their foreign-born workers. “Again, this is especially helpful in medi-cal and educational facilities, but it really can pay off in the long run for everyone involved — the cleaning worker, the clean-ing contractor and the customer,” con-cludes Englund. CM Training Retention Percentages According to Dr. Edgar Dale, an American educator who developed the Cone of Experience, the following is an average of how much we retain from different learning experiences: ■ Lecture: Five percent ■ Reading: 10 percent ■ Audiovisual: 20 percent ■ Demonstration: 30 percent ■ Discussion group: 50 percent ■ Practice by doing: 75 percent ■ Teaching others: 90 percent ■ Immediate application of learning: 90 percent. www.cmmonline.com 17
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