Industrial training issues in the Middle East

The paper presented addresses present-day concerns with training a local workforce in the Middle East using a language other than the trainees’ native tongue. Describes industrial training issues within an electronics company requiring a high degree of English with complex technical terminology. The training issues addressed in this contribution refer to the training of operating personnel whose mother tongue is Arabic. In the following, some basic concepts that maintain a high degree of specific skills to a workforce that is highly intelligent, but hampered by language is outlined. The evaluation of a pilot study shows that the application of English second language (ESL) courses via computer-based training (CBT) is an adequate means to improve the English language skills of a workforce efficiently. The listen-see-do approach is recommended as a universal technique that can be used to train most people in a skill regardless of their mother tongue.