Preface: Provided below is an interview conducted between the clinician, Erin Burns, and her boss, Adalyn Maze. Prior to the initial interview with Mr. Mai, Erin asked Mrs. Maze if she would meet with her throughout the needs assessment process in order to make sure Erin's assessment is on the right track. Mrs. Maze agreed and requested that Erin update her at various points throughout the needs assessment process, since this is Erin's first experience working with an ESL client.

ERIN: Good morning, Mrs. Maze.

ADALYN: Hello, Erin. Thanks for stopping in this morning. I just wanted to ask you a few questions concerning the progress you’ve made in assessing the needs of your new ESL client, Mr. Mai.

ERIN: Yesterday, I conducted an informal one-on-one interview with my new client, Mr. Thani Mai.

ADALYN: All right, so I’m assuming that some type of formal testing measure has already been conducted prior to this informal interview?

ERIN: Actually, yes. Last week, Thani participated in formal testing through measures such as the English as a Second Language Oral Assessment (ESLOA), which assessed his ability to speak and understand English, and the Basic English Skills Test (BEST), which examined his English reading, writing, and listening skills (Wrigley, 1992). (Erin hands Mrs. Maze a copy of Thani’s test results)

ADALYN: I see. You said that your interview was informal. I’m curious what criteria you based this interview upon?

ERIN: I primarily focused upon four areas. First, I asked Thani about the functions and use of the English language in his everyday life. Next, I questioned Thani about his goals and plans for becoming more proficient in the English language. Then, since Thani had already participated in the two formalized testing measures, I questioned him about the different strategies he used while answering the various types of test items. Finally, I talked with Thani about his feelings toward reading, writing, and literacy (Fingeret, 1989).

ADALYN: Well, it sounds like you had a strong basis underlying your interview. Just to remind you, assessment of ESL client’s needs can be conducted at various times throughout the client’s therapy and can be presented in a variety of different formats. So, don’t hesitate to check your client’s progress with different needs assessment measures once you actually begin therapy (Weddel, 1997).

ERIN: Yes, I was planning on developing a variety of different small test measures that I can use throughout therapy and also, at its conclusion in order to keep informed about any changes in Thani’s needs (Wrigley, 1992). That way I can adapt his therapy plan accordingly to make sure his needs are always being taken into careful consideration. I’ll keep you updated on the results of those measures.

ADALYN: Sounds great, Erin. As long as your interview adequately determined what skills your client wants to learn in English, as well as, the skills he must learn in order to lead a successful career at OxyChem, then you’re definitely on the right track (Weddel, 1997). You might want to consider giving Thani’s employer at OxyChem a call, just to clarify the reasons he referred Thani. I know he sent our clinic a referral letter, but I’d suggest you call him just to make sure there aren’t any additional workplace communication skills that may be pertinent for Thani to address in therapy.

ERIN: Thanks. I actually have already spoken with Thani’s employer, Mr. Walters, this week. He clarified for me exactly what skills would be necessary for Thani to function appropriately at work. Mr. Walters reported that Thani would definitely need to work on expressing his ideas more clearly during presentations and staff meetings. Also, he thought that Thani should increase his workplace-specific vocabulary. For instance, Thani should learn to correctly pronounce all laboratory equipment, as well as, all of the various new chemical compounds he works with on a daily basis. I appreciate you guiding me through this initial needs assessment process. I really value your input since you’ve provided therapy to so many ESL clients.

ADALYN: No problem, I’ve been in your position before. Assessing the needs of an ESL client is a whole different ball game than assessing the needs of a native English speaker. Another piece of advice I can offer you is to make sure that your client is actively involved in choosing the direction and content of his learning (Kavanaugh, 1999). I understand that Mr. Walters has certain objectives he wants Thani to target during his therapy sessions, but try to allow your client some say in how he goes about completing these objectives.

ERIN: OK, I’ll try to come up with some ways to let Thani individually determine how he'd like to go about meeting the various goals we're going to target in therapy.

ADALYN: Erin, I feel confident in your ability to accurately assess the needs of this client and to provide therapy services to him.Thanks for keeping me updated. I'd like to see you again in about two weeks so you can provide me with further details about how your therapy plan is coming along. Remember that if your planning for therapy reflects accurate knowledge of your ESL client's diverse language abilities, culture, educational background, therapy expectations, and preferred learning styles, this will greatly aid your client in becoming a partner in his own education (Fingeret, 1989).

ERIN: Yes, that is definitely very important. Luckily, Thani was straightforward about his expectations for therapy and his goals were not unrealistic. I feel that Thani is going to greatly benefit from receiving therapy here.

ADALYN: Let's hope so. If you have any other questions or need more advice on this subject, don't hesitate to ask me. I've had a lot of experience with these ESL matters. Hope you have a great day, Erin.

ERIN: Thanks! You have a great day, as well. I will make sure to keep you informed about my progress with Thani. Talk to you soon!

Return to genre four: Email exchange

Proceed to genre six: Power point presentation