Vocational Literacy

Paper Summary:

The paper argues that once vocational technology students enter the real world of professional employment they find themselves handicapped if they cannot communicate fluently in English and write basic narratives without mistakes. The paper provides an interview with an employer to illustrate the point that illiteracy harms the first impression of employees in interview situations, complicates interactions with customers and retards their professional success by limiting their advancement potential. The paper includes an annotated bibliography.

Outline:
Introduction
The Cost of Illiteracy in the Professional Environment
Case in Point: Interview with an Employer
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Among vocational technology students, there exists a belief by many that college-level proficiency in English is not required for professional success. They consider English fluency comparatively unimportant in highly mechanical fields in relation to their technical skills and sometimes react to college writing requirements as wastes of their time, since their vocational training and experience will determine their value in the job market and not their English writing ability.
"While it is true that their primary course of study is the technical training, these students are mistaken as to the value of English literacy and the consequences of failing to achieve a working fluency in the spoken language. Likewise, they may never again be required to compose a researched essay assignment once they secure employment in their chosen field, but they will almost certainly encounter situations at work that require them to use some of the basic writing skills that mandatory college writing classes are designed to instill."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Carnegie, D. (1997) How to Win Friends and Influence People. New York: Pocket Books.
• Gerrig, R, Zimbardo, P. (2005) Psychology and Life. 17th Edition. New York: Allyn & Bacon.
• Jordan, A., Hyden, J., Steinauer, M.H. (1994) Communicating for Success. Cincinnati: South-Western Publishing.
• Lurie, Jonathan, B.Interview Subject: President/CEO JBL Computer Solutions and NYHomeNetworks,LLC.
• Russell-Walling, E. (2005) 50 Management Ideas You Really Need to Know. London: Quercus.

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