SOFT SKILLS

The CEEL administers courses in soft skills, in addition to the introductory training in Teacher Assisted Pair Learning for language instructors and administrators of language institutes. A detailed description of each course can be obtained directly from the CEEL.

COURSE ORGANISATION
Instruction is split into small modules of 15-30 minutes. Each module is presented, by the instructor assisted or not by videoed sequences. The participants then work in threes or fours on problem-solving cases and role-playing exercises. The facilitator moves around counselling individually. Finally, each learning module is closed by a short discussion during which participants share their impressions and ideas. This work in small groups makes it possible to answer each person’s individual worries and to solve specific difficulties. It also guarantees active, hands-on training.

DOCUMENTATION
All courses are extensively documented.

VENUE
Courses can be run anywhere in the world. Recently CEEL has run courses in Hamilton (New Zealand), Almati (Kazakhstan), Tabasco (Mexico), Moscow, Athens, Geneva, Heraklion, Vancouver, Prague, St Petersburg, Nis (Serbia), Kharkov (Ukraine), Lyon and Berlin.

COURSES
1. Dynamic business presentations
2. Writing e-mails reports and handouts
3. E-mail, technical report writing and minutes of meetings
4. Building and maintaining positive relationships
5. Problem solving and decision taking
6. Administering equitable performance reviews
7. Developing your reading ability
8. An introduction to Teacher-Assisted Pair Learning (for instructors and administrators of language institutes)

1. DYNAMIC BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS
Duration: 3 full days
Participants: 3-8
Objective: To give participants a technique for preparing and delivering a professional presentation as an integral part of professional and social life.

Content

  • Preparing a talk in function of a well defined aim. It is essential for the speaker to know what questions the audience wish answering, and how to adapt the presentation in function of a particular audience.
  • Coming across. A successful presentation should be enjoyable, understandable and easy to remember.
  • Speaking with confidence. Confidence is the result of an attitude and attitudes can be acquired.
  • Knowing your own strengths and weaknesses. Everyone is different. The successful speaker is the person who can make the best of his or her strong points and play down the weak ones.
  • Using visuals to their best advantage. Visuals are frequently over-employed. The best speakers restrict the use of visuals to present ideas and facts that cannot be presented effectively in words alone.
  • Creating efficient handouts. Handouts and visuals each respond to a different need. It is not sufficient to distribute hard copies of visuals which would, almost inevitably, be thrown away.

Part 1
Analysis - Each participant demonstrates his or her existing ability to deliver a presentation. Each prepares and delivers a short talk. Individualized feedback with the help of video is given according to each participant's experience, abilities and personality. Participants learn, systematically, what to look for in a talk and to evaluate the talks given by the others.

Part 2
Training - Concrete techniques for controlling nerves and avoiding mannerisms are given, discussed and practiced. Practical exercises include planning an objective, planning the start, taking notes, body language, reading from notes, preparing and integrating visuals, answering questions and planning the ending. Using feedback from the first short presentation, each participant prepares and delivers a second talk, and in some cases a third, which are filmed and played back on video. Strong and weak points are finally picked out for further practice. The course is extensively documented with materials for use during the training and a reference guide for use after.

B. WRITING E-MAILS, REPORTS AND HANDOUTS
Duration: 2 full days
Participants: Up to 10
Objective: To help participants develop a technique for simple, direct and courteous writing, saving considerable time for both reader and writer.

Content
The course systematically trains writing through theory, examples, editing poor writing, organizing ideas, writing from notes and evaluating one's own writing. Much of the work is carried out in groups of two to three. If participants bring examples of their recent writing, the course leader will edit a selected number of these and provide individualized guidelines for improvement. The course is extensively documented with materials for use during the training and reference guides for use after.

  • Writing for the reader. Good writing is concise and clear.
  • Presenting the writing pleasingly. If all writing is, to a certain extent a sales message, it is possible to benefit from the experience of the advertising trade and those who use layout to enhance a message.
  • Ensuring the reader reacts positively. Not only is a good e-mail polite, it is also written in direct function of the reader.
  • Reports must be clear.  A technique for writing paragraphs ensures that the reader understands the main idea immediately.
  • Writing a report systematically. A systematic, 9-step approach.
  • Designing a report. Different types of short report fulfil different functions.