According to a recent study, “Workforce mobility and diversity are now the reality for many businesses, requiring employers to facilitate their employees’ acquisition of foreign languages (FLs). Developing communicative competencies in an FL is necessary to fulfill the demands of an international workplace” (Mendes de Oliveira et al., 2023).[1] One example of this type of workforce mobility, which we have touched on briefly in previous articles, is the situation of healthcare workers in Kenya and other African countries who face un- or under-employment or receive low pay because of an oversupply of skilled workers and who therefore try to seek opportunities in countries which have severe labor shortages in their area of professional expertise. Velocity is an organization which assists highly trained nurses and other healthcare workers from several African countries to prepare to enter the workforce in Germany. This requires that they reach an appropriate level of language proficiency in German (earning a B2-level certification by the Goethe Institute), attain a high degree of cultural competency, and receive official recognition of their professional qualifications.
As we have pointed out before in our series of articles, it is essential for these healthcare workers to have a high degree of motivation, persistence, and resilience in order to attain their goals. As working professionals, they must deal with the daily challenges of balancing the multiple demands of work and family life and meeting the rigors of intensive language study. Fitting all this in means that the learners must be super-organized, strongly goal-oriented, and effective at managing their learning progress. But the responsibility for their ultimate success should not rest with the learners alone. Programs can—and should—also play an important role in getting learners to the finish line by creating the structures and conditions for learner success, removing the barriers to failure, and providing access for those who might otherwise be excluded.
Flexible, well-designed programmatic models that combine online and in-person learning and offer adequate support structures can open up opportunities for working professionals who are eager to advance in their profession but who may struggle to make it all work. Summarizing some of the points that we have made in our previous articles, let’s look at some of the key features of such models. First, it is essential to provide a carefully structured curriculum with attainable goals and clear milestones. When learners know exactly what steps they must take, it helps them to move forward toward their ultimate goals. A second key component is flexibility, as working professionals, especially in the healthcare profession, may have to manage busy work schedules that might change unexpectedly. They also frequently shoulder family obligations and deal with unexpected circumstances or home emergencies, such as childcare issues, family illnesses, etc. Programs should therefore make available multiple options for learners to stay on track: for synchronous in-person or online classes, it is helpful to offer flexible scheduling with options for daytime, evening, and weekend classes as well as regular makeup sessions to allow learners who have fallen behind to catch up. Thirdly, programs should make available plenty of learning opportunities beyond the classroom through a variety of asynchronous learning materials that align with the curriculum and supplement the classroom experience. Some of the materials that can help learners practice their skills and expand their cultural and linguistic understandings include mobile and web-based language learning applications, YouTube videos, news sites, online cultural resources, AI tutors, podcasts, and language games. A fourth component is affordability. Many learners do not have the financial resources to afford expensive courses or one-on-one tutoring, but it’s possible to find high-quality language instruction at a reasonable cost. Programs can also offer financial incentives to keep the learners motivated. The availability of affordable programs can broaden the access for many learners who might otherwise not be able to pursue new opportunities for professional advancement. The fifth and final component consists of providing a comprehensive learner support system. As we discussed in an earlier article, it’s difficult for learners to stay motivated when the challenges of life can be overwhelming no matter how eager they are to reach their goals. Such support can come in many forms and can include, in addition to the financial support we just mentioned, offering regular check-ins by teachers and program administrators, creating a peer support system both for language practice and for peer mentoring, providing assistance with exam preparation, making available interview coaching, and helping with the big cultural transition of moving to another country.
As we have described before, language learning takes time, patience, and persistence, and it’s particularly challenging for busy working professionals for whom becoming proficient in a new language might be a gateway to a future career. However, a well-structured program that takes a thoughtful and comprehensive approach to their learners’ real-life circumstances can make the difference between success and failure. Velocity is committed to helping their learners fit their language learning journey into their lives and is dedicated to guiding them on their path to a new future.
[1] Mendes de Oliveira, M., Sporn, Z., Kliemann, L., Borschke, A., & Meyering, M. (2021). Online language learning and workplace communication: A study on Babbel’s virtual-classroom solution. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 36(8), 1501-1527. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.2002364
