An analysis of a TESOL learning activity - Essay Example

Reflection The purpose of the created activity was to provide who have English as a second language with the opportunity to explore the manyaspects of career development. This was such an important task for this type of students because finding and keeping gainful employment that does not yield to their understanding of or their proficiency with many of the cultural barriers that exists, particularly their command of the English language. As a means of providing this exposure, the Holland Career Codes were used as the focus of six classroom workstations to help the students to determine the differences in job environments and what works best for them.

During the activity, it was obvious that many of these students had not previously explored a variety of career choice, but were rather set on one career which was usually not a good choice for them due to cultural barriers. Many had not considered a career at all. This is most likely because they did not have any experience of guided career exploration before making these choices, or being unsure about doing so. After completing the activity, the students attitude towards choosing a career as well as the appropriateness of the career they chose to pursue were measured by student interviews.

Most students showed an increased awareness in choosing careers that were better culturally fitted to their own lifestyles and skill sets, including their English language acquisition. There was also a noticeable difference in the confidence level of each of the participants in regard to how they felt about entering the world of work. Many students came into the program somewhat reluctant to complete mock interviews and share resume writing skills. Most of these students, however, were eager to share their testimonies on how the program had changed their perception of themselves as well as their career goals by the end of this six week activity.

Some students entered the class without and idea of a career path and completed the activity with a set career goal in mind. Many of the students were interested in continuing to explore these careers, and similar careers, to prepare them for the schooling and skill acquisition they needed to perform their future jobs.This activity also defined for many students what it meant to have career pathways, and how it was going to affect their career choices after completing their education program.

Students demonstrated in their post-activity interviews that the activity gave them a more detailed look into different career choices and how they relate to the students' chosen career pathways. In further evaluation for the activities impact on students, their experience and career key results were compared to the career pathway that they were currently completing, and to assess whether this pathway was the one that best fit their skills and language acquisition. This proved the program to be successful in that, most of the students did identify their career goals, adjusted their vocational career path to match, and were satisfied with their knowledge and understanding of what those paths and goals meant for their future.