I’m putting together a simple, trauma‑informed job search kit for our Tuesday evening refugee ESL class at the West Ridge library. Do you have offline, picture‑supported tools for resumes and interview practice (multilingual audio via WhatsApp voice notes, printable visuals, predictable scripts that avoid surprise questions) that don’t require logins and work for preliterate beginners?
Last spring I built a one‑page ‘picture resume’ with free ARASAAC icons (https://arasaac.org); learners point to two or three skill icons while repeating a fixed script: ‘My name is __. I can __ and __. I worked at __.’ In class we record 5‑second WhatsApp voice notes for each icon in L1 + English and label them VN1–VN12 to match the printout so it’s predictable and usable offline once downloaded.
I’ve had good results with a simple 3‑panel “interview card”: hello, skills, availability — each box has a photo/icon and a fixed line (“My name is…, I can…, I’m free…”) so learners point then read like a menu. I print icons from OpenMoji (https://openmoji.org) and number them to match WhatsApp voice notes in two languages; no logins, just send the numbered notes to a broadcast list. Small caveat: add a red “pause” card so role‑plays can stop anytime without explanation, which keeps it trauma‑aware.
I bring a ring‑bound flipbook of photo verbs (OpenMoji + real workplace pics) and a wallet card that reads “Please speak slowly; I will answer with my card,” which keeps interviews predictable for preliterate beginners. Paired with @cgreen2021’s three‑box flow, the learner flips to two skills and states a simple availability line, and we sideload matching L1/L2 MP3s to their phones so it works offline with no login. Small caveat: icons alone can confuse, so I swap in actual photos from the West Ridge library café or maintenance roles when possible (https://openmoji.org).
For your Tuesday evening group at West Ridge, I use a small red/green ‘repeat/next’ paddle with picture icons and a one-line cue card; learners hold up green to continue or red to ask for the question again, which keeps interviews predictable, offline, and ‘no logins.’ Tiny caveat: a few employers find the paddle unusual, so we clip a one-sentence explainer to it (“I use color cards to help me answer clearly”).
I use a “no‑surprise” interview menu: three picture cards (name, schedule, transport) the learner picks, and I only ask those; each card has a one‑line script like “I can start next week” and a WhatsApp voice note in English plus L1. It keeps preliterate learners in control during the evening class and prints big for library tables. If WhatsApp isn’t practical for someone, a cheap recordable sound button per card works offline just as well.
But quick tip from last semester: I made 6 picture topic cards (jobs, hours, transport, tools, safety, pay) with ARASAAC icons (https://arasaac.org) and paired each card with a numbered WhatsApp voice note in L1 + slow English, so students just point to a number and practice the matching line — works offline and prints fine in grayscale. , laminating adds up, so I stick them in page protectors with dry-erase; if the icons feel busy, OpenMoji is a cleaner swap. Would that fit your Tuesday evening kit at West Ridge?
For your Tuesday evening group, I’ve had success with a one-page “resume mat”: four boxes (learner photo, job photo, tools photo, hours clock) they fill with cut-outs, then we snap a picture and pair it with a 20-second WhatsApp audio like “My name is ___. I can work mornings.” It’s fully offline and gives control because they choose the photos; I just reuse the same predictable prompts. Small caveat: laminate the mat and keep personal details off it, then store the cut-outs in a zip bag so nothing feels permanent.
I’ve had good luck with a numbered picture ring that acts as a mini résumé/interview script: cards show photos (job, hours, getting there, tools) and the number matches a WhatsApp audio we recorded (“I can work nights,” “I take bus 49”), plus a small green/yellow/red card so learners can slow/stop anytime — it’s interview karaoke. If photos are hard to gather, Sclera pictos work fine: Sclera symbols.
I’ve been using a single-sheet mini‑zine that folds into 8 tiny pages as a predictable script — photos only in a fixed order (me, job, skills, hours, transport, safety), and I send short L1/L2 clips over WhatsApp the night before your Tuesday class so it still feels “no logins” and low‑surprise. If photos are sensitive, swap them for OpenMoji icons (https://openmoji.org); the only caveat is to keep the zine unchanged week‑to‑week so no one’s bracing for new questions.