Ronna Timpa wins "Women to Watch in 2013" Award!

Award-winning Ronna Timpa with her beautiful daughter, Sarah, at the Vdara Hotel where Ronna received the prestigious "Women to Watch in 2013" Award in January!
Watch Ronna's speech at: http://youtu.be/eiLvzu6sLmI   

Workplace ESL Solutions featured in Vegas Inc magazine

Workplace ESL Solutions was recently featured in Vegas Inc magazine, as well as online .  Below are some excerpts from the interview with Ronna Timpa, owner and founder of Workplace ESL Solutions:

                   (Ronna Timpa teaching an English class at Circus Circus)
                                           Photo credits to Leila Navidi   


Workplace ESL Solutions improves the lives of thousands of people by offering effective language training.  When non-English speaking workers gain the confidence and ability to communicate in English, their whole world opens up. They can better communicate with customers and co-workers.

Workplace ESL Solutions focuses on presenting, practicing and using language for realistic communication tasks that meet the immediate everyday needs of the learner. The results are more employee confidence, a greater level of competency throughout the workplace, employees with great control over their day-to-day work situations, and employees with an increased level of commitment to their organizations.

We offer ESL (English as a Second Language), Spanish, Cantonese, business writing, train-the-trainer courses and translations and interpretations.
Workplace ESL Solutions operates in three states and sells its textbooks — “Hotel English,” “Workplace English” and “Workplace Spanish” — to bookstores, colleges, individuals and adult schools around the country and internationally. Our latest venture is “Online Hotel ESL Program,” developed in partnership with Vegas PBS.

Who are your customers?
Eighty percent of our customers are from the hospitality and gaming industry sector. Twenty percent are from the manufacturing, health care and construction industries.

What makes your business unique?
We customize language training to the unique needs of the company and the participants. The learner walks out of the classroom being able to say what he or she needs to be able to say in order to be more successful at their jobs.
For ESL, learners learn workplace language, confidence, speaking skills, etiquette, pronunciation and American culture. This also applies to participants learning workplace Spanish or Cantonese. The tailored instruction assures results that provide our clients a measurable return on investment.

What is your business philosophy?
We motivate our learners to be excited about learning. Learning is more effective when you are enjoying the process. We show them how being enthusiastic in the workplace will lead to success both at work and at home. We want them to know that learning English will help them better achieve their professional goals.

What’s the most important part of your job?
The most important part of my job is to impart enthusiasm and confidence onto our learners.  The second most important part is highlighting the skill set of entry-level workers. You will find doctors from Bulgaria, accountants from Bosnia, attorneys from Mexico and others working in the public areas and housekeeping. These hard working immigrants bring an amazing skill set that allows them to contribute greatly to the success of their employers.

What is the hardest part about doing business in Las Vegas?
Lately, the hardest part has been reduced budgets that do not allow companies to give their employees training to help them better serve their customers. These employees are the “sales force” of the organization.

What is the best part about doing business in Las Vegas?
The best part is the diversity in the workforce. In one ESL class, you might have 12 different countries represented by 25 participants.  Right now, I have a class at the Venetian with the following countries represented: Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, El Salvador, Thailand, Serbia, Cuba, Honduras and Nicaragua. How amazing for them to be learning together and with each other!

What obstacles has your business overcome?
We overcame the obstacle of lower training budgets by adding two new broader profit centers. We started business writing workshops and tutoring, which have been very successful.  In addition, we partnered with Vegas PBS to develop an online hotel ESL program. We wanted to reach more non-English speaking workers in hotels where there were limited training budgets or not enough employees to form a class.

In addition, with the economy, many entry-level workers are working two jobs, so the ability to take an online class on their own time has been exciting.

How can Nevada improve its business climate?
By continuing to recognize and honor the diversity among employees in organizations. Embracing the differences and building on what we have in common helps us grow with each other and foster success in the workplace.

What have you learned from the recession?
Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we offer services and products that help a company with its strategic and succession planning goals. Our training has to not only add value, but its results also have to be measurable.
It’s not enough that employees enjoy our classes. The success and value of the training has to demonstrate a return on investment.

Understanding American Halloween Vocabulary

 
Let's be honest...Halloween is a weird American holiday!  The rest of the world celebrates something somewhat similar called Carnival.   Costumes are adorned and parties are plentiful.  So what makes Halloween different than Carnival? Well, for starters, we add the creepy, spooky element to the festivities.  Carnival usually occurs in the spring, while here in America, we often need coats or umbrellas to protect our costumes in the crisp fall when we celebrate.

Anciently, the Celts celebrated their new year during this time, marking the end of the warmer weather harvest and the beginning of the cold, approaching winter months.  They believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and dead was blurred.  They also believed that as they surrounded a big bonfire, dressed in costumes, that they could predict the future, as well as protect themselves in the upcoming year against bad fortune.

In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1st as "All Saints Day", a day to honor all saints and martyrs, possibly as an attempt to veer Christians away from the Celtic pagan traditions.  The night before the holiday, October 31st, was known as "All Hallows' Eve" which eventually became more secular, including parades and sweet treats for the children.

Today, Halloween festivities involve community events, trick or treating, and an attempt to focus on the fun party atmosphere, rather than on the religious tones, although death and superstition are definitely still part of the mix.

Here are some Halloween words for our dear ESL students who are trying to make sense of it all:

* apparition - an unusual or unexpected sight, a ghost

* macabre - grim, horrific, repulsive

* cackle - to laugh, especially in a harsh or sharp

manner

* Jack-o'-lantern - a lantern made of the rind of a

pumpkin in which holes are cut to represent eyes,

nose, and mouth

* poltergeist - a noisy, mischievous ghost

* bloodcurdling - arousing fright or horror

* ghastly - terrifyingly horrible to the senses

Be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter, where you can learn more interesting fun facts, brush up on your own English skills, and find out about our latest steals and deals when you sign up for classes.

Have fun out there this year!  Wear a costume, share treats, create your own fun traditions, and be safe!   Workplace ESL Solutions teaches language skills, but we also teach international students what it is to be an American.  In fact, we offer Citizenship classes!  To find out more, check out all of our services at www.WorkplaceESL.com 

Happy Halloween!

Receive a FREE GIFT when you complete our short survey!

Here at Workplace ESL Solutions we strive for excellence. Every day we work hard at improving our business and service to you, our customers. We want to hear from YOU so that we can better know how to improve.

We have created an online survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=JTPqu5pNZ4DbUuXDfW%2bTKjc8raVKtCQGo%2fFqJKIjz%2fxx0klMPEMScpg5%2fmAtK%2bD2Xe3WrEcL6zm%2fCS%2f%2fOm1%2bBAGwah%2b3CfSMmwmd8cAVq9c%3d

You can also email us your answers or answer below in the comment box. Be sure to see below for the gift you'll receive when you complete the survey!

Please take a minute and answer these questions.

1. What industry are you in?

What industry are you in? Hospitality Manufacturing Construction Health Care non-profit

Other (please specify)

2. What % of your workforce has challenges communicating in English with co-workers, supervisors and customers?

0% 20% 50% 70% 90%

Other (please specify)

3. If you had an unlimited training budget, which services would you like to have? (Even our current customers, I'm sure with more money, you would do more of something...)

If you had an unlimited training budget, which services would you like to have? (Even our current customers, I'm sure with more money, you would do more of something...) Workplace ESL Classes Workplace Spanish Classes (8 weeks) Workplace Spanish Workshop (2 hours - once) Tacos with Trina (3 hour customized workshop with lunch) Business Writing: Punctuation, Grammar, Word Choice, Email Etiquette, Proofreading, Proposals... Hotel English Online ($99 each user) Translation Services New Hire Orientation done in Spanish 5 Star ESL for Housekeeping (etiquette, job skills, workplace ESL)

4. Who are you?

Who are you? A current customer A past customer (no more training funds) Someone who has known Ronna for years, but hasn't had the need for her services Someone who wishes he or she had the funding for her services Someone who has never met Ronna

5. What languages are spoken at your company?

What languages are spoken at your company? Tagalog (Phillipines) Spanish (many many countries) Amharic (Ethiopia) Chinese (China) Bosnian (Bosnia) Serbian (Serbia) Portuguese (Brazil and Portugal plus 6 others) Russian (Russia, Ukraine and Belarus - 144 million speakers) Korean (Korea) Vietnamese (Vietnam)

Other (please specify)

6. What else can we do for you? Other classes? Other services? Comments?

Email Ronna at ronna@workplaceESL.com by September 14 and ask for a discounted Spanish workshop, a discounted Tacos with Trina customized workshop or a discounted business writing workshop!

$100 off - What a deal!!

Ronna Gets Interviewed About ESL Teaching

Ronna Timpa, Founder of Workplace ESL Solutions, was recently invited to participate on a panel about ESL products.  Below are some excerpts from that interview.

Question: How does your organization incorporate

technology into the teaching of ESL?   

Answer: With ESL, we don't use technology in the

classroom. We use a flipchart as the only teaching

medium. Some of our customers have purchased our

new product: Hotel English Online and we are 

offering a blended learning approach. They do the 

online learning at home and we meet every two 

weeks for a "lab" of sorts. We practice role plays and
answer questions.

Question: Do your students have access to computers

(either their own or use of your organization's)? 

Answer: Some of the organizations have computer labs. Our largest customer adds a 

computer training at the end of our workplace ESL class. These students have very 

limited experience with computers. Probably half of them don't have an email
account. Most of them do not have internet at home. They use computers at the 

library. 

Question: Do your students use their cell phones for studying or
communicating in English? 

Answer: Most of our students (housekeepers, public area workers, kitchen workers) 

do not have a smart phone. Probably about 20% have an iphone and the rest have

older flip phones. I would say 5% of our students would use the dictionary app, 

but that's it.

Question: If you have used online programs for teaching ESL, what were the
main challenges? 

Answer: We just started using our Hotel English Online and
our biggest challenge was the LMS. Vegas PBS is working on our own
portal right now because the procedure in which students get into the
program is too difficult for them. Too many screens and not easy
enough to navigate. Once they are in, they are good, but getting in
and signing up is the challenge. 

Question: What were the benefits? 

Answer: Being able to listen and repeat a million times. 

Question: How have you addressed speaking (including pronunciation) and writing

online, given that such activities generally require feedback or interaction?  

Answer: They listen and repeat. We have pronunciation videos
with practice exercises. Our goal for Hotel English Online is oral
communication.

Question: What are some of your favorite resources (online and print) for
teaching ESL? 

Answer: Of course our products - that's why we wrote them in
the first place. Textbooks: Hotel English and Workplace English. Our
online program (partnership with Vegas PBS) Ronna Timpa's HotelEnglish Online. 

I also love Betty Azar's Basic English Grammar - her
entire series. Great interactive exercises for teaching contextualized
grammar. I also like all the picture dictionaries - I have used Word
by Word the most. Otherwise, I develop all our curriculum based on
needs assessments and job shadowing for each company we teach at. We
often use one of our books as the core, but other times we only use
customized material. It depends on the needs of the company.

Question: Do you use translations when teaching beginning-level students? 

Answer: No, we teach ESL only, not a bilingual program. 

Question: If not, how do you address direct instruction? 

Answer: The theories of second language acquisition answer that question. All 

of my teachers have studied these methodologies. I have a master's degree in

TESOL and this is a question I get a lot from company presidents and HR directors:

"How do you teach English if you don't speak all of those languages?" I love
that question! First of all, you rarely have all Spanish speaking
learners in a workplace ESL class. Perhaps in construction or some
kitchens, but in the hotels, it's rare to have all Spanish speakers.
In the last graduation we had last week, we had 9 different countries
and 5 languages spoken.

Question: Do you find that most students are adept at
using technology to find their own translations? 

Answer: In my experience, my adult students have their children translate for 

them when needed.

To learn more about Workplace ESL Solutions and the classes we teach, as well 

as the material we offer for sale, please visit our web site at  

www.workplaceesl.com  

Hotel English Online Joins Forces with PBS

Workplace ESL and PBS have combined to create a NEW online course for Hotel English! 

This course contains very specific vocabulary to help hotel employees better communicate in English as their second language.  It can fit into anyone's schedule because it can be done online at home at the student's convenience!

Students will be able to begin speaking English on their very first day and will find that the material easily fits into their everyday work experience.
                           

Here is what some of our customers had to say about the program:
 

"...an excellent job developing curriculum, training volunteers, reviewing electronic and Internet resources and providing professional development for the Nevada Literacy Coalition."

Literacy Coordinator
Nevada Literacy Coalition

After 10 weeks, there was a major change in housekeeping employees confidence and ability to speak English to customers and co-workers. 

Director of Housekeeping
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino

"instrumental in raising the level of customer service and teamwork .... Starting with an in-depth needs analysis and department interviews, through their custom-designed curriculum and follow-up, the services were innovative, intensive... and fun!

Training &
Development Specialist
Harveys Resort Hotel & Casino

"Hotel English Online is a phenomenal learning instrument for the hospitality industry by teaching the words and phrases workers will use most frequently in their jobs." 

                                                                              Doris "Connie" Garzon-Bernal      

                                                        C.B.A. Site Manager and UCF Business Incubator 

                                                                       Daytona Beach International Airport

 

 To learn more about this terrific new English tool, please visit our site at  http://www.hotelenglishonline.org/

Welcome to the Workplace ESL Solutions blog!

Welcome!  We're so glad you found Workplace ESL Solutions!

We're excited about our new blog and the opportunity we'll have to keep you posted on the latest scoop at Workplace ESL, as well as in the language learning industry!  What we're REALLY excited  about is for YOU to post comments and let us know what's on YOUR mind.

For those of you who don't know us, here's a little schpeel on who we are and what we do...and we do it with PASSION!

Workplace ESL Solutions is dedicated to helping companies achieve employee language education goals.  No matter what your industry, you can rely upon Workplace ESL Solutions to deliver:

• Rapid results:  Students emerge with greater language skills to enhance your business
• An expert staff of educators to lead your students towards language proficiency in the workplace
• Proven course content and delivery methods that have benefitted thousands of customers
• Custom-tailored solutions to meet your business’ needs, with both on-site classes and materials to support your own programs

Since 1992, we’ve worked with hundreds of clients from the civil service sector to the hospitality industry, transforming businesses one by one by breaking down communication barriers.

Whatever your industry, Workplace ESL Solutions will tailor a workplace language education solution specific to your needs, employees, and time constraints. 

About Our Founder

Ronna Timpa founded Workplace ESL Solutions in 1992, and is a noted author and educator.  As a nationally renowned expert in ESL and SSL training, Ronna has successfully led the company in improving the lives of thousands of people in hundreds of workplaces and communities.  Her methodology and customized programs are known throughout the country as well as internationally. 
Actively involved in each company’s program design, delivery, and implementation, she is dedicated to improving the communication in your workplace:  one employee at a time.