GlobalEnglish.com provides English language teaching services to individuals and companies around the globe. Need: Academic expertise to guide developers in designing curriculum and features for optimum learner outcomes. Analysis of market potential for spin-off products. Solution: Three year consultancy as part of an Academic Advisory Board, with regular reviews and updates of product development. Analysis of market, English language training needs, and opportunities in the telephone calling center industry.
Laureate Education, Inc.
Laureate owns and operates more than twenty-five universities in ten countries around the world. Need: develop a comprehensive program to help universities around the world benefit from a coherent approach to teaching English as a foreign language for their 100,000+ students. Solution: assistance in recruiting a director of English Learning programs, development of a Request for Proposals for solutions in the areas of teacher recruitment, teacher training, placement testing, online and on-site instruction, study abroad programs, teacher and student certification.
Universidad Andres Bello is the largest university in Chile with campuses at four sites including Santiago and Vina del Mar. Need: Feedback on a Ministry of Education grant project to develop a new standards-based English language teacher-training curriculum. Prepare teachers and students for impending change, and inspire in the use of technology. Solution: One week consultancy including curriculum design sessions with teacher-training team, curriculum review, focus groups with students, class observations. Plenary talk on change and using technology in teaching, incorporating ideas and mini-presentations from teacher-training staff.
General Electric Corporate Audit Staff
GE’s Corporate Audit Staff is a crack team of 300 young leaders from forty countries who spend two years traveling all around the world and solving problems in teams. Need: improve intercultural communication in global teams. Solution: Development and facilitation of intercultural communication workshops as part of staff conferences. Development and implementation of intercultural communication component as part of staff orientation. Individual coaching on English language needs.
Showa Boston Institute for Language and Culture is the study abroad program of Showa Women’s University in Tokyo. Showa provides short-term, semester-long, and year-long programs in language and culture for Japanese undergraduates. Need: respond to reporting standards from the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation, particularly relating to description of student learning outcomes. Solution: resident consultancy to meet and interview key participants, review curriculum and documentation, offer workshops to faculty on writing of student learning outcomes, and review of committee work towards meeting accreditation requirements, followed by off-site follow up, writing, and review.
The International Center for English at Arkansas State University is a new and rapidly growing intensive English language program. Need: Outside expertise to assist in program development, curricular refinement, and planning in preparation for seeking CEA accreditation. Solution: On-site consultancy to work closely with program director, academic coordinator, director of international student programs, and university president to align program structure and curriculum with enrollment targets and goals and accreditation standards.
General Electric Capital Information Services (now known as Genpact) is the GE service center, based in India. Need: improve the English training of GECIS call center agents. Solution: extensive needs analysis, curriculum development project and pilot, new assessment instrument, and a train-the-trainer module. Download a PPT photo slideshow at the very bottom of this page. The handouts and slide shows on the Resources pages about Needs Assessment and English for Telephone Calling Centers are largely based on this engagement.
The Intensive English Program at Eastern Michigan University was in the process of applying for accreditation from CEA. Need: Independent analysis of program needs and roadmap for program improvement. Solution: Remote review of program self-study documents and initial findings of site review team. Written report analyzing needs with proposals for improvement to meet accreditation standards.
Center for English Language Learning, University of North Alabama
A relatively new intensive English program at UNA was seeking accreditation by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA). Need: meet ten reporting standards required by CEA to receive full accreditation. Solution: substantial resident consultancy to provide in-service training workshops for teachers, formative teacher observations, development of formative and summative evaluation instruments, assistance in recruiting a new director, refinement of mission statement.
EnglishUSA (formerly AAIEP)
EnglishUSA (formerly the American Association of Intensive English Programs) is an organization that represents the needs of Intensive English Programs in the United States. Need: to set goals and direction for the future. Solution: Facilitation of strategic planning process for the Board, with development of strategic areas, long-term outcomes and SMART goals to meet targeted objectives.
Pittsburg State University in Kansas and the University of Denver both have long-standing intensive English programs with solid curricula and good enrollment. Need: An external set of eyes to review the programs and offer an evaluation and suggestions for improvement. Solution: Program reviews involving advance review of documents followed by three days on site of class observations, meetings, and interviews with members of the IEP faculty as well as with other university faculty and administrators. Full written report with observations and recommendations.
