OCCUPATION-SPECIFIC LANGUAGE TRAINING

(OSLT)Tsae-Ling Tenney

October 2012

Welcome

• Familiarize yourself with instructor and course1

• Set your learning goals2

• Meet your classmates3

TODAY’S OVERVIEW

OSLT InstructorTsae-Ling Tenney

tsae-ling.tenney@senecacollege.ca

Work experience• College Instructor (Seneca College) - ESL courses and computer

courses • Business System Analyst (IT) – Business Applications• Teaching Assistant - MBA Program in China (CIDA Project)Education• University of Saskatchewan - English as a Second Language TESL

Ontario Certificate (Honour Roll)• University of Alberta - Master Degree in Business Administration• University of British Columbia - Bachelor Degree in Electrical

Engineering

Overview

Participants• The OSLT Accounting and Finance Curriculum

has been developed for newcomers whose language skills fall within Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 6 to 8.

• Accounting Personnel or Finance Personnel

Overview

Purpose

OSLT helps prepare participants with the language and communication skills for finding and retaining work in accounting and finance occupations.

Overview

Key Features • Language training is the primary objective.• developed in collaboration with experts from

accounting and finance programs at Ontario colleges

• builds cultural awareness to enhance communication

• draws on the knowledge and experience of the participants

OSLT Accounting and Finance Curriculum

Unit 1: Working in Accounting and FinanceUnit 2: Gathering and Sharing InformationUnit 3: Communicating Using TechnologyUnit 4: Managing InteractionsUnit 5: Moving Forward in Accounting and Finance

OSLT Accounting and Finance for FCAHIGHLIGHTS• Learning about Employment Pathways• Gathering and Sharing Information• Using Appropriate Telephone and Email

Communication• Participating Effectively in Team Meetings• Practicing Interview and Networking Skills• Decoding Job Ads

Course Outline (Handout)

• Course Description• Global Outcome• Unit Outcomes• Assessment Process• Course Expectations

Needs Analysis (Handout)

• education/training or work experience• learning goals

Time Spent

Skill

s W

orke

d O

n

Become Aware

Achieve Learning

Goals

Working Toward Learning Goals

Practice - Get

Experienced

Doing Your Best Work

• Participating actively in class

• Working independently outside class

• Using resources effectively

Ice Breaker ActivityInterview and introduce your partner to the class.1. In what occupations have you worked within accounting

and finance?2. How long have you worked in each of your occupations?3. In what country did you do your training?4. What kind of accounting or finance training did you

receive in your country of origin?5. What kind of accounting or finance training have you

undertaken in Canada?6. If you are currently working in your occupation in

Ontario, how long have you been doing that?7. What kind of job would you like to eventually get in

Canada?

Exercise

• Email at Work– Mistakes made– Corrections required– Goals achieved– The moral of the story

The following is an email sent by a project leader regarding a viability report on his project.

From: Ian RobsonTo: Leo LeongSubject: Meeting

hello mr. Leo, I was wondering if there was a way to get in contact with you to discuss your report and, the conclusions coming out of it. I was unsure if I could email you with my concerns because of your schedule, so if there was a way that we could talk in person about your report it would be very helpful. I thank you in advance for whatever inconvenience this may pose for you.

Thanks, IAN ROBSON

The following revised email includes a few corrections:

From: Ian RobsonTo: Leo LeongSubject: Meeting re: Report on Leasing Project

Good morning Leo,

Hope you had a good long weekend.

I was wondering if we could meet to discuss your report on the Leasing Project, specifically on point #5 on page 25 of the report. I would like to provide you with a detailed breakdown of the reliability tests proposed and the justification for these tests.

I will call your office and arrange a meeting with you sometime this week.

Thank you.Ian

Sometimes a careless typing error causes a polite request to be not so polite.

Hell Bruce,

Would you please give me access to the daily tax reports. Thank you kindly,Rebecca

Of course Rebecca meant to say Hello.

Accidentally omitting a word can change the meaning of a sentence.

Hi Dave,

Would you please provide an explanation of how we calculate fees on a customer invoice. I hope I am causing any trouble to anybody.

Thanks,Bob

Bob meant to say “I hope I am not causing any trouble to anybody…”

Sometimes if you choose the wrong word, which is pronounced the same as the correct word, it changes the meaning altogether.

Hi Dave,

We have had a number of inquiries about the slow network response. Unfortunately the satellite signal is down. Please bare with us.

Regards,Joy

Joy should have said, “please bear with us”.

Discussion

• What we can learn from this

• Best practices• Take-aways

Summary

• Define your challenges– Technological as well as personal

• Set realistic expectation– Goals are not achieved overnight

• Keep your eye on the goal– Maintain focus and don’t be discouraged

QUESTIONS?