Job-specific English for non-native speakers offered

Madeleine Knight, San Jacinto College (SJC) education program manager; Angelica Cruz, SJC English as a Second Language (ESL) course instructor; National Strand employees and ESL students Martin Facio, Victor Cea, Jose Henao, and Emiliano Anguillon; and Je

San Jacinto College's on-site English courses, each ranging from one to four months, offer English lessons with terms and instructions related directly to a worker's industry.

The program has permitted people such as Emiliano Anguillon, a father of five, to carry on a conversation with his children's teachers and communicate with peers and superiors at his job. Anguillon was able to take the courses because of a partnership between his employer and San Jacinto College. He is part of a group of employees at National Strand who took the English-as-a-Second-Language courses, which were taught on site by San Jacinto College's Continuing and Professional Development division.

"English learners should be able to understand vocabulary and safety signs that are vital to the workplace," said Madeleine Knight, San Jacinto College education program manager, according to a press release. "Each of our ESL courses is customized to fit the needs of the various companies we serve. Once we begin teaching at a company, English learners are taught how to identify and report unsafe situations, recognize and warn others of potential workplace hazards, understand and follow directions, ask for clarification, and describe and respond to a workplace injury. It's really a win-win situation for an employee receiving the English instruction and for a company that is saving time with on-site courses."

For information about the ESL courses offered through the San Jacinto College Continuing and Professional Development division, call 281-476-1838.