SEE Program class: building workplace English through active listening

Adult learners engage best when learning feels relevant, dynamic and enjoyable. In our Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) Program classes, that principle shapes how sessions are designed and delivered. 

Here is what a recent lesson looked like. 

Listening practice, set to music 

Active listening sits underneath almost every workplace interaction. Following a supervisor's instructions, taking a phone message, understanding a safety briefing — each one depends on processing spoken English as it happens. It is also one of the hardest skills to build in a second language, because there is no chance to pause and translate. 

SEE Program trainer Sonia built a lesson around exactly that pressure. Songs played, and the moment the music stopped, learners identified the last word sung. The activity trained auditory processing and vocabulary recall in real time, under the same conditions learners encounter at work, but in a fun setting. 

Speaking practice without the spotlight 

The session then moved to an interactive spin-the-wheel game, giving every learner a turn to speak aloud. Randomising the prompt takes the decision out of the trainer's hands and the pressure off the learner, so participation feels like part of the game rather than a test. 

Small wins were celebrated with a chocolate for round winners, giving encouragement to learners building confidence in a new language. 

Why this approach works 

Neither activity was a break from the curriculum. Both targeted specific competencies: auditory comprehension, vocabulary recall, spoken fluency and the confidence to attempt an answer without certainty.  

Our trainers design sessions this way consistently, finding creative ways to build capability through participation. Our learners remain engaged and practise skills that they can transfer directly to work, study and daily life. 

The SEE Program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and delivered by Max Solutions RTO 0667.