ABSTRACT
This chapter examines both qualitative and quantitative data. The qualitative data come from over 40 interviews and observations with tutors and students in the four main trades, as well as interviews with bricklaying and electro-technology tutors, to investigate listening and speaking in the WelTec context and in future workplaces. The chapter introduces key concepts and focuses on to provide a discussion of speaking and listening in trades teaching, drawing on qualitative data and methods. It draws on speaking and listening drawing on quantitative data and methods. Speaking was also reported as being an important skill in interviews and questionnaires in the Language in Trades Education project. Students reported that the kinds of speaking largely fell into three main areas: asking questions of the tutors, explaining how systems worked in class and informal trades-based chats as part of trades talk. The electro-technology tutors mentioned that students’ speaking skills were better than their other skills.
