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Custodial Outreach Program
INTO USF, Fall 2015
Module 1
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Custodial Outreach Program, INTO USF, Fall 2015
Module 1
Instructors: Dr. Jane Harvey, Leslie Lust
Emails: jkharvey@[Link], llust@[Link]
Class meetings: Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 1–2 PM
Required Textbook: Compelling American Conversations: Questions and Quotations for
Intermediate Language Learners (Aberson & Roth, 2012).
Course Description: The Custodial Outreach Program, or COP, is an intensive workplace English
program organized by INTO USF for custodial workers at the University of South Florida. This
program helps custodial workers develop critical workplace vocabulary and English
communication skills, along with technology skills, in order to improve their daily interactions
with coworkers, supervisors, and dorm residents.
Course Goals:
1. Participants will learn work-related vocabulary and features of English conversations.
2. Participants will improve intelligibility in their workplace communications.
3. Participants will be able to communicate effectively in an emergency.
4. Participants will acquire necessary computer skills to carry out work-related
communications.
Course Objectives:
1. Participants will demonstrate their ability to intelligibly initiate and sustain short face-to-
face conversations in the English language through greetings, encouraging statements,
follow-up questions, and closing statements.
2. Participants will be able to give and receive directions on and around the USF campus.
3. Participants will develop and expand their vocabulary of workplace cleaning items,
furniture, room types, and duties.
4. Participants will demonstrate their ability to intelligibly communicate and respond to
various workplace emergencies by developing an emergency action plan and role-playing
worst case scenarios.
5. Participants will be able to comprehend and intelligibly respond to basic face-to-face and
telephone conversations involving doctor’s visits and medical emergencies.
6. Participants will be able to comprehend and intelligibly respond to basic face-to-face and
telephone conversations involving financial orders and payments.
7. Participants will demonstrate their ability to log in on their GEMS account.
8. Participants will be able to access, compose and reply to their emails.
9. Participants will demonstrate their ability to enter sick leave information through GEMS.
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10. Participants will be able to access pay stubs and other employment information through
GEMS.
11. Participants will demonstrate their ability to navigate basic online search engines, online
maps, and social media websites.
Class Structure
This intensive course will meet three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) for ten
weeks, with each meeting lasting one hour in the afternoon (1–2 PM). There are five units within
this module, four of which will focus on acquiring and practicing language skills in specific
situations, with the last unit focusing on a practical application of language content and
communicative skills.
Module I Units
Unit 1 Going Beyond Hello
Unit 2 Job Activities and Responsibilities
Unit 3 Handling Emergencies
Unit 4 Finances
Unit 5 Assessment
Monday classes will consist of a review of the previous week’s materials and an introduction of
the new target skills and language. Wednesday classes will consist of an application of the new
target content to simulated real-world situations. Friday classes will focus on the technological
component of the course, both in developing basic computer skills and in applying the target
language to a technological context.
Course Requirements
Grade component Percentage of final grade
• Class participation 45%
• Final assessment 30%
• Attendance 25%
Assessments
Participants in this course will be assessed through both formal and informal means. Formal
assessments will include a pre-assessment at the beginning of the course, as well as a unit-long
assessment at the end of the course. These assessments will consist of activities designed for
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participants to demonstrate their understanding of English conversation and their language abilities.
The final assessment will consist of participants interviewing student volunteers on a variety of
subjects, two oral assessments with instructors, a written vocabulary assessment, a typed
computational assessment, and their vocabulary journal. This will count for 30% of the final grade
and will help determine participant promotion to the next module.
Informal assessments will consist of in-class activities given at the instructor’s discretion. These
assessments will range from short answer writing assignments to verbal responses, and will aim to
elicit the target vocabulary, phrases, and communicative skills of each unit. The results of these
assessments will count towards class participation grade (45%).
Attendance and Tardiness Policy
Class attendance is mandatory. Attendance will be taken daily and will contribute 25% of the
participant’s final grade, and thus their ability to move onto the next module. Absences will be
excused if a participant is sick, has a religious holiday, a doctor’s appointment, or other legal or
work obligations.
As this course will take place during the work day, participants are expected to arrive on time and
prepared for class. If a participant arrives more than ten minutes late, they will be marked tardy
for the day. If tardiness occurs on a consistent basis, participants will be expected to discuss the
issue with their instructor and their work supervisor.
Promotion
Promotion from this module to the next level of study will be determined upon completion of this
course, and will depend on performance in the final assessment, attendance, and overall
participation in the class meetings. These components will be calculated into a final grade
percentage, and participants with a score of 70% or higher will be able to move onto the next
module.
Classroom Etiquette and Participation
Participants are expected to:
• Come to class on time and ready to learn.
• Participate in class activities and discussions.
• Turn off cell phones.
• Listen to the instructor and other participants while they are talking.
• Speak only English to communicate with the class.
Class participation will consist of contributing to various class activities, such as pair and/or group
work, individual assignments, class discussions, assessments, and so forth. Instructors will provide
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a variety of spoken and written activities, so participants who have different learning styles and
preferences will have opportunities to contribute to class. Performance in these class activities, as
well as performance on informal assessments, will comprise 45% of the final grades.
University Emergency Policy
In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During
this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are
not limited to: Canvas, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It is
the responsibility of the participant to monitor for course-specific and general information
regarding these possibilities.
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Tentative Course Schedule
Unit 1: Going Daily Topics and Materials
Beyond Hello
Monday Wednesday Friday
Week 1 Pre-assessment/ Meeting each other Search & Share: We’re
Creating and using a • Verb “to be” talking about my
vocabulary journal • Asking and hometown!
*(In-class handouts) answering simple *(Compelling Amer.
questions about Conv., Ch. 2) / (In-class
personal handouts)
information
*(In-class handouts)
Week 2 Telling your story Talking about current Search & Share:
Encouraging others events Watching the news
• Speaking and • Expressing your *(Compelling Amer.
listening: opinion and Conv., Ch. 1) / (In-class
understanding supporting your handouts)
information in a statement
short dialogue *(In-class handouts) Participant written
*(Compelling Amer. feedback (in Spanish, if
Conv., Ch. 2) / (In- necessary)
class handouts)
Unit 2: Job Daily Topics and Materials
Activities and
Responsibilities Monday Wednesday Friday
Week 1 Giving directions USF Scavenger Hunt Accessing, composing,
• Prepositions of • Language and sending emails
place directions using *(In-class handouts)
*(In-class handouts) the imperative
• Understanding
workplace
directions
*(In-class handouts)
Week 2 Workplace vocabulary Workplace complaints TED talk: “Your body
• Custodial items and responses language shapes who
and duties • Prepositions of you are”
• Common time *([Link]
workplace phrasal • Common idioms amy_cuddy_your_body_langu
age
verbs *(Compelling Amer. _shapes_who_you_are)
*(In-class handouts) Conv., Ch. 13)
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Unit 3: Daily Topics and Materials
Handling
Emergencies Monday Wednesday Friday
Week 1 Responding to USF USF accidents and How to solve
accidents and emergencies part II emergencies
emergencies • Learning about • General emergencies:
• Developing an warning danger, report a
emergency symbols and problem/broken
action plan precautions. equipment/safety
*(In-class handouts) • Understanding hazards
location and problem • Using the simple past
from a short *(In-class handouts)
voicemail
*(In-class handouts)
Week 2 Going to the doctor First aid and CPR Search & Share:
• Giving advice awareness Reducing stress and
using “should” *(In-class handouts increasing happiness
• Asking for help and/or guest speaker) *(Compelling Amer.
*(In-class handouts) Conv., Ch. 11)
Participant written
feedback (in Spanish, if
necessary)
Unit 4: Daily Topics and Materials
Finances
Monday Wednesday Friday
Week 1 Income and Going to the bank Accessing GEMS:
payments • Opening and closing • Signing in
• Verbal a bank account • Checking your pay
descriptions: “I *(In-class handouts) stub
earn, I spend, it • Entering sick leave
costs” *(In-class handouts)
*(In-class handouts)
Week 2 Paying and ordering Discussing money and Financial planning
by phone shopping in the USA; • Paying bills online
• Understanding comparing to their home • Completing online
prices from a country. financial forms
short dialogue *(Compelling Amer. *(In-class handouts)
*(In-class handouts) Conv., Ch. 13: Sharing
Experiences)
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Unit 5: Daily Topics and Materials
Assessment
Monday Wednesday Friday
Week 1 Oral Assessment - Oral Assessment - Giving Computational Skills
Interviews with directions in and around Assessment - Accessing
English speakers USF and using GEMS
Week 2 Oral Assessment - Written Assessment - Certificates/Feedback
Workplace Custodial items and
emergencies duties
Vocabulary/Vocabulary
journals
