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Some language trainers doing in-company work make the mistake that they just need to tweak a general purpose language programme – or perhaps not even modify it at all. But clearly adult clients working for an organisation (whether public or private, service- or product-oriented) have needs which are very different from those of a typical teenager learning a foreign language at school. One difference is that the client will have ‘instrumental motivation’ (i.e. he/she will need the foreign language to be able to carry out his/her job more effectively). Another difference is that such people will have very high expectations of the language trainer and the course he/she’s providing.

So what can a visiting trainer do to teach in the most effective way? Here are some suggestions:

1. Carry out a rigorous needs analysis

You will need to find out (both through a questionnaire and an interview) a lot of information about what the clients need the foreign language for. Will they need it for face-to-face interaction, on the phone, or perhaps video conferencing? What skills will they use? Will any of these skills be integrated? What situations will they need the language in? At a hotel reception, for example? And what speech functions will they need? Partial agreement, for example?

2. Produce a syllabus

This will combine all the information above, arranged so that the level of difficulty of the lessons gradually increases. You will need to show the syllabus to your contact person at the organisation. And you also need to make it clear that the syllabus is not cast in stone – there should be built-in flexibility. This is particularly important if you are offering one-to-one courses for clients with very special requirements. Note that the contact person may wish to negotiate the content of the syllabus with you.

3. Plan each lesson according to communicative objectives

Examples of communicative objectives are:

• ‘complaining to a waiter in a restaurant’
• ‘understanding the main points of the text on…’
• ‘understanding and saying (with acceptable pronunciation) the following words/phrases…’

It’s also a good idea to make a mark on your lesson plans of the key points where these competencies are tested. Then, if the lesson objectives are not met, you’ll need to re-teach either all or part of the lesson.

4. Be prepared to work in the ‘real world’

You will find that many clients are absent from your classes for genuine reasons. They may have to attend business meetings or go on business trips. You may feel affronted by this, but try not to – this is just part and parcel of working for a busy organisation.

5. Treat all your clients with respect

You may have particular authority in the classroom as a trainer, but try to remember that you are not more important than your clients. As a rule of thumb, try to aim for an adult-adult relationship with each of your clients.

6. Dress carefully

In a ‘power dressing or business’ environment, wear a jacket (or even a suit) and tie. But if you are working in an environment where smart dressing isn’t the norm, adjust your clothing accordingly. You should get an idea of what to wear when you’re in the company doing your pre-course research.

7. Get a formal evaluation of the course

Once the course is completed, give your clients a formal evaluation form to complete. There should be a numerical and non-numerical part in this evaluation form. The numerical data will help to build up a general picture of how satisfied the clients are; the non-numerical data will provide you with some more subjective views and perhaps suggestions for future training.

So the choice is yours. Which training scenario appeals to you most? The worst case scenario in which the trainer teaches a general language programme in a rigid, authoritarian, and old-fashioned way? Or the best case scenario in which the highly prepared trainer meets the clients’ needs head-on in a very human, facilitative way, and who continues to evolve as a result of this professional approach?

Paul Bress can be contacted at paulbress@tinyonline.co.uk
His website is at www.bemycoach.co.uk