It’s surprising to many in the United States that Cinco de Mayo is hardly celebrated in Mexico. It has become an important holiday for US Mexicans, who celebrate their heritage through food, music and dance. As for the rest of us, we're only too happy to have an excuse to celebrate!

Last month, Workforce Language Services entered into its fourth year. What started as an idea mapped out on a place mat during a long dinner at a Cuban restaurant has turned into an ever-growing and changing company.

We've helped improve workplace communication for thousands of limited-English employees across the country and helped hundreds of English-dominant supervisors create a better work environment through Spanish language skills and cultural awareness. We have translated everything from legal contracts and software manuals to technical CAD drawings and Snoop Dogg movies, work in Spanish, French, Chinese, Albanian, Tagalog and many, many other languages, and continue to respond to our clients' changing needs. Here's to an exciting year ahead!

We're happy to be participating in a panel at the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Show, Recruiting in a Multicultural Environment, sponsored by the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance. This panel discussion presents strategies to help operators effectively reach diverse communities to source talent. Panelists, including Workforce Language Services Founder & President Jill Bishop, will share insights and perspectives on the ways in which the foodservice and hospitality industries can collaborate to strengthen their front line. Join us at McCormick Place on Saturday, May 17, from 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm. More information is available here.

Also look for us at the following workshops and conferences:

• Wal-Mart: Improving Communication with Spanish-Speaking Employees and Customers - May 6
• Valley Industrial Association: Spanish for Manufacturing - May 22
• Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association: Spanish for Hotel Staff - June (date TBD)

Interested in holding a workshop at your organization? Contact us to discuss the details.

We all have an idea what diversity training is – perhaps informed by the spoofs we’ve seen on TV – but what is diversity training really all about?  Diversity is more than the box you check on a form, as it goes far beyond race, ethnicity and gender. On the company’s side, it’s not about affirmative action or a sense of social responsibility. And it goes beyond just recognizing and respecting one another’s differences.

Diversity training in the full sense goes much deeper. It begins with self-examination, realizing that your own values and attitudes influence how you view and understand the world around you.  Businesses with a diverse workforce have the advantage of reflecting their customer base - both above and below the surface.  Because people bring their individual cultures and world views with them to work (not something that can be left at home or in the parking lot), they can use their unique perspectives and attitudes to better serve clients and customers with similar backgrounds. In an inclusive workplace, these differences can also yield unique and innovative solutions.
 
Research shows that diverse companies trained in cultural competency see improved productivity and customer service, higher morale and ultimately a healthier bottom line. A half-day workshop is a great introduction to diversity training.  Click here for more information.

Alligator. Avocado. Bonanza. Bucakroo. Canyon. Chocolate. Embargo. Guitar. Lasso. Macho. Mustang. Patio. Plaza. Ranch. Rodeo. Savvy. Tobacco.

What do all of these words have in common? Yes, they’re all of Spanish origin – and these are just a few of the words we use in English today that arrived to us via Spanish. Remember that the Southwest used to be a part of Mexico, and when the new Americans made their way to that area, they encountered an already established Mexican culture and the language used to describe their daily activities. So they took those words, changed the pronunciation a bit, and voilà (oops – that’s French!) – new English words!

The continuing debate over immigration and English-only laws challenges us to remember how our country was created, as well as our language. The United States has been changing since the day we declared our independence, and the same goes for language: it is influenced by the context in which it is spoken and at the same time adapts to the needs of its speakers.

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:

Opportunities in Multilingual Workplaces
While 80 percent of companies employ workers whose deficiencies in English limit their ability to perform their jobs, only about a third provide remedial language training, and then mostly if a worker asks for help, according to a 2007 Conference Board survey of 70 senior corporate directors of training. “For a lot of companies, it’s a reactive rather than a proactive approach,” says researcher Chris Woock...

Cultural Competency in the Medical Field
One physician that Thorne knows had a Latino patient who kept returning, complaining about an ear infection that wouldn’t go away. The patient remarked that it must be God’s will that she suffer with it, Thorne said. “And the physician responded, then it must be God’s will that keeps bringing you back to me to do something about it.” The important thing that all health-care providers have to keep in mind is avoid poo-pooing the attitudes and beliefs these patients come to them with.”...

Two Police Departments Start Spanish Classes for Force
After twenty years of “dealing with the [communication] problem,”  Sherman police have decided to implement a plan for their mostly white, male officers to learn Spanish.  Even more interestingly officers will have members of the Latino community do ride-alongs with patrol officers. In addition to the work on the computer and in the classroom, members of the Hispanic community, like Lupe’s Tamales owner John Arriazola, will be invited to ride along with the officers themselves to better understand one another...

Latinos’ Job Fatality Rate Highest of All Workers
National Public Radio reported on the disproportionately high rate of death on the job for Latinos in the U.S.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that Latino workers’ fatality rate was 21 percent higher than all workers in 2006...

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:

• Onsite business or industry-specific Spanish classes, workshops and one-on-one language coaching
• Onsite job-specific English classes, workshops and coaching
• Translation of internal and external written communications (to and from any language)
• Transcription of Spanish, English and other language audio files, whether academic, marketing, legal or otherwise.
  
• Interpretation for HR investigations, new hire orientations, conferences, etc.
  
• Diversity training (English and Spanish)
  
• Harassment prevention (English and Spanish)
  
• Leadership training (English and Spanish)

As always, contact us for more information about how we can help bridge the language and culture gap at your organization.

2630 N. Drake Ave. | Chicago, IL 60647