Waikato Institute of Education, Hamilton,New Zealand

Waikato Institute of Education

Since 2004, WIE have been running successful Adult Literacy programmes. These programmes are designed for those learners that have little or no English Literacy skills, so they are able to live day to day in an English speaking country.

Our Literacy programme has various skill levels available and runs for blocks of 12 weeks each with part-time options available. The course is very popular with domestic students who are either looking for work or already working and wish to improve their English language skills for the workplace.

Emphasis is on communication skills, improvement in fluency and confidence in speaking English.

Learners are assessed on enrolment to determine their Literacy level and interviewed to identify any particular learning needs and aims they may have. The result from the assessment and interview will be used to identify the level best suited to them.

At the Beginner level, learners are equipped with some basic language, literacy and numeracy skills which are taught using topics based on living and working in New Zealand.

The Elementary level focuses on slightly more advanced language and literacy elements – vocabulary and sentence structure, grammar and reading skills.

At the Intermediate level, learners extend their skills to incorporate speaking and listening while retaining focus on reading and writing to enable them to confidently use their acquired skills for further study or employment.

Finally, the Advanced level focuses on language and literacy skills with additional language that is commonly found within the workplace. Advanced aspects of grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, common idioms and oral communication are covered at this level.