Der sichere Umgang mit fremden Sprachen und Kulturen stellt heute ...

HEIDEMARIE HAIDER ibw-Forschungsbericht 143 | Fremdsprachen für die Wirtschaft
1.3 The Learners
Retail jobs are most common among young Austrians. In 2006, 24.5% of all female and 5.2%
of all male apprentices worked in retail, according to the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
(2007). Sales assistants who attend the part-time vocational school in St. Poelten work at
bookshops, chemists, perfumeries, pharmacies, paint shops, photographic shops, and computer
shops, and are taught separately according to their field of expertise.
The levels of learners can differ considerably. In the worst case scenario, students do not receive
any language tuition until they enter the part-time vocational school system. If students attended
so-called special needs schools before, they do not have any previous knowledge of
English at all. The quota of students coming from this school type is very low in the field of retail,
but varies in the different apprenticeships. A few students, especially booksellers and pharmacy
assistants, have even had a few years of education at secondary academic schools or VET
colleges. These students are over the age of 15 and their general knowledge and English skills
is above average. This means mixed-ability groups and mixed age groups are quite common.
1.4 The Syllabus and Materials in Use
The syllabus for ‘Vocationally Oriented Foreign Language – English’, as the subject of English is
called at part-time vocational schools, comprises educational and teaching aims, content and
guidelines for methodology. It comprises both job-specific and general topics.
The textbook in use, approved for the retail and wholesale trades, is Shopping Light, published
in three volumes. A CD and a teacher’s book are available for each of the volumes. The student’s
book is divided into two parts:
■ 15 A-units: these are units dealing with General English, as the syllabus contains elements
of General English as well; and
■ 18 B-units: dealing with situations at work, taken from British or Austrian shops.
Every unit covers two pages, one of them presenting authentic materials: a catalogue page,
parts of a leaflet, or advertisements. On the second page, activities and tasks are provided. The
books are written according to the latest curricular requirements of the Austrian Federal Ministry
for Education, the Arts and Culture. In addition to the textbook, self-designed materials are used
extensively by most teachers.
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