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Workforce
Language Services Newsletter - January 2008
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Safety on the jobsite is crucial, but it’s not easy – in particular when you’re dealing with a language barrier. In 2005, 917 Latino workers were fatally injured while at work, and according to OSHA, the language barrier was responsible for at least a quarter of all accidents on the jobsite. What can you do to help increase safety at work?
Contact us to learn about more ways to increase employee safety.
According to the 2005 National Health Disparities Report, Latinos have poorer quality care and worse access to care compared with non-Latino whites for 88 percent of measured outcomes. Recognizing this problem, Adovcate Illinois Masonic Medical Center has brought Workforce Language Services onsite to help hospital staff improve interactions with Latino patients and their families, as well as with their Latino employees, through a hospital-focused Spanish class. In addition to learning Spanish basics, the class uses the book The Latino Patient to explore the influence of Latino culture on the clinical encounter. With over 50 people interested in joining the class, the first class was a great success and we’re anticipating a similar reaction as the second class begins. Given the success of the general Spanish for Hospitals class, Adovcate sees Spanish for Nursing on the horizon to coincide with their nursing residency program.
In this article from the December issue of BoardRoom Magazine, the official publication for the Association of Private Clubs & Directors, Jill Bishop builds on the following questions. Do we train our non-English speaking staff to learn English? Do we train our English-speaking managers to learn Spanish? Do we translate our employee handbooks and other materials into Spanish? These are common questions, not just in clubs but also across industries, as employers struggle with a multilingual workforce – and with largely English-only management. Read more »
Some second-language speakers do not realize how difficult it is for others to understand them – they're just left feeling frustrated when communication doesn't happen the way they intend it to. Many do realize but don't know how to go about unlearning years of speaking habits. Their accent becomes a source of insecurity that prevents them from speaking up in meetings and conference calls and holds them back in their careers. Regular language courses may cover some general pronunciation rules, but they almost never address individual accents. That is the kind of focus that many second-language speakers need to overcome years of self-taught mispronunciation. If you or one or more of your employees could use some accent reduction or modification training (in English or Spanish), let us come onsite with a curriculum tailored specifically to the speaker's needs. The speakers and the listeners will benefit...as will your company.
Our blog continues to expand its coverage of a wide variety of issues, including language in the workplace, language policy, translation, immigrant workers and Latino culture. Please feel free to contact us if you encounter any articles that would be relevant. Some recent blog highlights include:
Look for us at the following workshops and conferences:
Recent workshops include:
Interested in holding a workshop at your organization? Contact us to discuss the details.
If you're new to Workforce Language Services, here's a quick overview of our services. More information can be found at our website. We offer:
As always, contact us for more information about how we can help bridge the language and culture gap at your organization. |
Workforce Language Services has been selected as one of the Top Businesses by DiversityBusiness.com. We recently donated the Spanish translation of an oral history exhibit for Changing Worlds, which presents the stories of eleven international Chicago families as told by children and their families. New clients include MetLife, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Utah State University, Nonni's Food Company and Wallis State Bank.
We're proud to announce the launch of the newly revised QuickVue Spanish for Hotel Management English to Spanish Pocket Guide - a great reference for English-speaking hotel staff. Click here for more information.
Fabulous class and fabulous instructor. Thank you so much for offering this opportunity! I’ve been attending AGCWI Safety workshops for years and of all of them this is one workshop I wouldn’t miss! It was truly a valuable experience.
I think that this workshop is awesome. The materials that are taught in the class are vital to the workplace.
We have recently started Spanish classes at Illinois Masonic Medical Center, and due to their overwhelming popularity, are starting up another. Red Roof Inn managers from four states will be learning Spanish starting in February, and Level III English classes resume with Rapid Displays next week.
Congratulations go out to the recent graduates of the Omni Chicago Intermediate Hotel English course and Palmer House Hilton's Advanced Restaurant English course.
President & Founder Jill Bishop, together with her husband Mark and 1½-year old son Henry, decided to escape a cold Chicago December and spent a month in the beautiful town of Antigua, Guatemala.
While onsite language training is tremendously valuable, nothing can compare to spending an extended period of time in a country when it comes to learning a language. The language and cultural lessons learned over that month will help Jill continue to refine Workforce Language Services' offerings - and little Henry now asks for agua and waves adiós.
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