SPRUNQ
"Up the career ladder with language coaching": that is the motto of the SPRUNQ project - language coaching for support and qualification at work. The project is sponsored by the Bielefeld district association of Workers' Welfare [Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO)]. AWO Bielefeld's language school has been involved in German as a second language for more than 25 years and has extensive experience in work-related language support. In the North Rhine-Westphalia IQ Regional Network AWO Bielefeld is an expert partner for the subject of work-related German. In 2013 and 2014 the SPRUNQ model project tested the conditions under which work-related language coaching could be offered in the whole of North Rhine-Westphalia. Therefore, 31 language coaches provided language support to more than 160 clients at more than 20 locations. In the new IQ funding phase which started in 2015, the SPRUNQ project has been responding to the strong demand for individual support in expanding work-related German skills, with the goal to faciliate recognition of foreign professional qualifications. Language coaching is made up of three components, which may have varying weighting depending on the issue:
- Taking stock in a spirit of cooperation: identifying the starting position and laying down individual goals to build on it
- Language learning advice: developing opportunities to optimize the (language) learning process
- Language work: work on the specific language concerns
Main idea: Professional development requires linguistic training
Immigrants who want to have the qualifications they gained in their home countries recognised are at the heart of the Network "Integration through Qualification (IQ)". But the German language is often a major obstacle for them. For example, inadequate language skills can be be a barrier to entry intobridge training schemes to achieve full recognition of the qualification or even when participating is possible, it may not bring the desired success due to the language barrier.
There is a further challenge: participants are often no longer used to learning. Individual support on language development that strengthens independent learning for work is what is needed. Language coaching as part of the SPRUNQ project offers such individual support.
Target group: Immigrants on their career path
SPRUNQ is aimed at immigrants in NRW who
have gained a qualification abroad that has not yet been recognised in Germany,
hope to integrate in the labour market ot to improve their work situation by having their foreign qualification officially recognised,
have already applied for recognition or intend to do so,
are taking part in a bridge training scheme to obtain full recognition (for regulated professions, in the field of the dual courses or bridge schemes for academics) or want to prepare for an external examination.
Language coaching: Achieving learning success through self-responsibility
For a limited period, in an important career development phase, our language coaches support immigrants during the recognition process. Together with their clients, they investigate the relevant language requirements and support them in improving their communication abilities.
The language coaches and their clients train typical linguistic scenarios, support them in dealing with technical texts or in preparing for exams. They provide advice for independent learning and the better use of existing resources and thus support them in taking their language-learning progress into their own hands.
Language coaches: From teachers to coaches
The language coaches are experienced teachers of work-related German. They are given high-quality training as language coaches in the SPRUNQ project. They learn to address the learning requirements and interests of immigrants and to use the on-to-one situation of coaching for personal, individualized and needs-based support. The language coaches put the independent learning of their clients at the heart of their work. For a short time they set up a "learning or orientation scaffolding", a temporary aid for developing self-learning skills – in this way they support the clients in discovering their own learning abilities and in learning more under their own direction.
Contact:
Rosa Ferber-Brull
Arbeiterwohlfahrt KV Bielefeld
Integration durch Qualifizierung
SPRUNQ – Projektleitung August-Bebel-Str. 68a
33602 Bielefeld
Tel.: +49 (0)521 32928814
ferber-brull@awo-bielefeld.de
