HOW DO I ASSESS A NEED FOR TRAINING?
If your organization has had misunderstandings with customers, vendors or co-workers due to miscommunication; if you employ a significant number of non-native English speakers; if individuals have asked if you have information about English schools in the area; or if workers hesitate to participate in work-based communication (e.g., meetings, presentations, production, quality control questions), your organization may benefit from English and/or cross-cultural training.
HOW MANY HOURS OF TRAINING ARE NEEDED?
The amount of time need to see results will vary on the skill level of the participants (i.e. beginning students will need more hours of instruction; advanced students will benefit in less time). Our on-going classes can vary depending on the participants’ needs and skill level, and your organization’s budget. An optimal schedule would be a two-hour class that meets twice a week for twelve weeks, for a total of 48 hours of instruction. Another scenario is a class that meets once per week for three hours for ten weeks for a total of 30 hours of instruction. However, we are flexible and will work to create an ideal schedule for your organization. Most companies find that the classes add value to their workforce and opt to renew the contract for more classes.
Our workshops are structured as a one-day eight-hour courses, or a half-day four-hour class. These, too, can be modified to fit your company's schedule and budget.
HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE IN A COURSE?
Because our courses are customized for the needs of your organization, class size will vary. We feel the ideal class size for the on-going classes is 8-12 participants; however, we allow up to 15 participants to enroll in a class.
For our workshops, we can accommodate between 10-50 participants.. We also offer private (one-to-one) and semi-private (one-to-two) classes which are ideal for upper-level management and executives.
WHERE and WHEN DO CLASSES MEET?
Our trainers come to your work site, in or near San Diego. All that is required is a private workroom or conference room, and your staff will work in the comfort of their own environment. Classes can be scheduled at your convenience, anytime between 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
WHY SHOULD WE HOLD THE CLASSES ON-SITE?
Having the classes at one's workplace saves a tremendous amount of time and money, not to mention lowers the stress levels of employees who would normally be rushing out of the office to get to a class, dealing with traffic, parking, etc. With Communicate, all of that is eliminated. Students walk from their desk or lab to the classroom and begin their class.
WHAT IF EVERYONE IS AT A DIFFERENT SKILL LEVEL?
At times, even colleagues working on the same team or project will have different language skills. However, as our courses are customized to improve workplace performance, there is a common motivation and context for learning, and this should not prove a problem. If there are dramatic differences in skill levels after an initial assessment, we can design concurrent courses aimed at different levels.
HOW DO I EVALUATE RESULTS?
Language classes are some of the hardest to evaluate in terms of how they add value to the organization. We begin each course with an initial diagnostic assessment and at the end of the course we give a follow-up assessment. Participants and managers will have an opportunity to compare their performance on various tasks. Assessment is on-going and we are confident that the participants will gain confidence and practical skills that will translate into improved job performance and productivity.
HOW DO YOU CUSTOMIZE THE COURSES?
A COMMUNICATE professional will schedule a meeting with you in order to determine the needs of your organization. A curriculum outline will be designed and presented to you for approval. Either prior to or during the first class meeting, the trainer will conduct both a skills and a needs assessment, and work to fine tune the curriculum to meet the exact requirements of both the participants and the management.
HOW MUCH DO COURSES COST AND WHAT DOES THIS INCLUDE?
Because COMMUNICATE courses come directly to you at your work site, overhead costs are low. Pricing for on-going classes vary by total number of hours per course, travel distance for the instructor, and extent of curriculum development. Workshop prices vary depending on the subject matter, travel time, curriculum development, and total number of participants, but on a per-participant basis are much cheaper than sending employees to an outside training facility. Fees include: curriculum development, instructor compensation, travel costs, and all in-house texts and materials (initial needs assessment, commercial text books and cd's are extra).
We can work out pricing on a per course or a per student basis depending on how your organization budgets and pays for training. Please call for a proposal.
WHAT ARE YOUR TRAINERS' QUALIFICATIONS?
Our trainers have extensive experience in teaching English as a Second Language to business people, scientists, researchers, and government employees as well as training others in office communications. They all hold at least a bachelor’s degree and are dedicated professionals with proven records in improving professional communication. For individual biographies, please see our About Us page.
HOW DO WE GET STARTED?
Upon receiving your e-mail or phone query, one of our trainers will contact you to schedule an initial assessment. We will then work with you to create a schedule that fits into your staff's workday and a curriculum that meets their needs. Our goal is to create a curriculum and begin a course as quickly as possible so that you can begin to see results right away. OTHER QUESTIONS? PLEASE CONTACT US TODAY: 619-640-6623. Info@communicatesandiego.com or nancyperitz@cox.net. 