Workforce Language Services

Although certain regions of the US have historically been destinations for immigrant populations, some areas of the country have just recently seen a surge in the immigrant population in their region.  The following article details an example of how Cincinnati organizations are collaborating to understand and respond to the rise in the immigrant population in Southwest Ohio.

“Abriendo puertas” means “opening doors” in Spanish, and the phrase was made popular by Gloria Estefan’s song title. In Cincinnati, the Abriendo Puertas Committee of ASAP Center-The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati has been opening doors of understanding with informational symposiums.The first symposium was held in 2003 at the Cintas Center and was designed for 100 “decision makers” of major societal systems (health care, education, public service, churches, criminal justice). The purpose was to help them understand the impact of Latino immigrants at their workplace. We helped them to find answers and respond to the need for interpreters, understanding barriers, and other overwhelming issues.

The following article expands upon the English-Only issue, particularly highlighting the ACLU position.

WASHINGTON, DC -The ACLU today voiced its strong opposition to an amendment passed late last night to the Senate immigration bill that would declare English the national language and severely restrict the government’s ability to communicate with citizens, residents and visitors. The ACLU praised the passage of a competing amendment that would recognize English as the “common and unifying” language of the United States without restricting access to crucial federal information or declaring it the official language.

A  suburban municipality of Chicago recently passed an “English-only” resolution.  Echoing the words of Carpentersville Village President, who is quoted in the following article, this resolution mainly serves a symbolic purpose and effectively communicates the message that Carpentersville is not a welcoming community.

Carpentersville OKs English-only resolution

Non-binding language resolution criticized by mayor

The Carpentersville Village Board voted 5-2 on Tuesday night to make English the official language in a suburb that is 40 percent Latino.

Cultural competency and language skills are increasingly important for professional and personal success in today’s world. As higher educational institutions plan curricula, they are prioritizing their students’ development of global competency skills.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 2, 2005) – “Global competency” – including becoming savvy about international cultures and learning foreign languages – is not an academic option, but a prerequisite for persons who want to participate in a 21st Century global economy, says University of Kentucky President Lee T. Todd Jr.

Safety in the workplace is inextricably linked with effective communication during training.  A language barrier can impede workers’ understanding of safety protocol and hazards of the work environment.  This article highlights the steps New York construction organizations are taking to ensure the safest possible work environment for employees.

OSHA forms safety alliance with Hispanics in Real Estate & Construction

Construction organizations form alliance with the goal of helping NY small businesses provide safe work environments for employees.

Under the alliance, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Hispanics in Real Estate (HREC) will develop and deliver training and education programs focusing on such workplace hazards as falls, electrocution, being struck by or caught in or between machinery, amputations, hazardous materials and chemicals. These programs will include presentations of OSHA’s 10-hour construction and general industry courses in English and Spanish. HREC members who speak both English and Spanish will be encouraged to complete OSHA’s train-the-trainer courses so they can teach these courses in both languages.

The best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it. Given the prevalence of Spanish in the US, it’s often difficult for Latino immigrants to get that immersion. Typical English-language newspapers can be daunting for the LEP (Limited English Proficient) population, so an English newspaper designed to help immigrants is one step toward helping them transition to English-language media.

Small newspaper helps immigrants learn English

In a speech in San Jose recently, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told an audience of Hispanic journalists that immigrants should avoid Spanish-language media. President Bush has also been quoted as saying immigrants need to learn English. While political leaders are making headlines on this issue, a small newspaper based in Northern California, which is published for immigrants learning English as a Second Language, quietly celebrated its 10th anniversary.

And a little bit more on the Chinese Government’s efforts to improve their standing in the world by reducing the poor English translations. Actually, the example below is an excellent example of how computer-based translations can lead to more problems than expected:

In April the media reported that an African-American woman living in Canada bought a sofa made in China that had “Nigger Brown” printed on its tag as a description of the sofa’s color.

The sofa manufacturer, based in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, accused an English-Chinese computer translation program made by a Beijing software company, Kingsoft Corp, of the mistake.

Kingsoft had used a very poor English-Chinese dictionary in its software and thus created the disturbing translation.

Working with businesses of all sizes, they understand the connection between communicating in a common language and the bottom line. Improved customer service, reduced accidents, increased employee retention are all benefits of occupational English and Spanish training. This article shows that not only are employers seeing the benefits, but cities, and business chambers are seeing the benefits too.

“Two jobs?” blares a poster at a bus shelter here. The words are in Spanish over a picture of a tired-looking Hispanic woman in a janitor’s uniform. “Work and Work but You Still Can’t Get Ahead?” reads another ad on a bus shelter down the street. At the bottom, the small print: “Free English classes . . . in 60 locations.

The ads are part of an unusual campaign by the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce to spur the city’s 150,000 immigrants to learn English. Here in the most Latino big city in the country — where fewer than one in five residents speak English at home — business leaders decided that simply offering free English classes was not enough. The chamber is spending $4.5 million to cajole residents to take the classes and get English workbooks into their hands.

It’s an economic development plan, not a political statement, said Michael Metzler, president of the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce. After surveying the city’s manufacturing, service and transportation businesses, among others, he said, the chamber realized that employers “could not find enough qualified employees, because when they found somebody who had enough qualifications, they didn’t speak English.”

And here’s a link to the program on the Santa Ana Chamber site.

There has been a lot of publicity lately about Beijing’s efforts to decrease the humor opportunities associated with their English translations. Errors abound, and while they often entertain tourists, in preparation for the Olympics, China wants to be taken more seriously.

ABC News: Chinese + English = Chinglish?
Chinese English = Chinglish?

In preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the Chinese are working to ensure that English-speaking tourists will be able to read their Chinese signs. The outcome, in many cases, is the fusion of both languages, which the Chinese call “Chinglish.”

You don’t have to leave the hemisphere to find tremendous emerging market opportunities, but it certainly does help to have the language skills and cultural awareness to be able to capitalize on them.

NPR : Opportunities Fuel Argentinas Economic Rebound
For four straight years, Argentina has posted growth exceeding 8.5 percent, a recovery that looks more like the emerging markets of Asia than of South America.