ProLingua: Frequently Asked Questions

ProLingua FAQs

The following are the questions we are asked the most. If your question is not addressed by our list just submit your own question. Please keep in mind that the answers to the questions below provide general information about the topic of immigration, employment and marketing and may not apply to your particular circumstances.

About immigration and language learning

How are demographics changing in the United States?
Over the past 15 years, the United States has undergone the greatest wave since turn of the 20th century. In this wave, the immigrants are in large part Hispanic, followed by those from the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Currently, Hispanics are the largest minority and will comprise almost half of the US population in the next 50 fifty years. Back to top

Why are so many people coming to the United States?
Though there are many reasons that immigrants come to the United States, perhaps the strongest attraction for immigrants is economic opportunity. In the 90s, the US enjoyed record low unemployment rates. In addition, wages in the US are comparatively much higher for almost any occupation or position.

Other immigrants have come as refugees seeking protection from religious, political or economical persecution. Some have come here to be with family or friends who are already established here. Many professionals have accepted overseas assignments with corporations and universities.

Whatever the reason, immigrants want are attracted by the prospect for a better future for their families and themselves. Who in your family was a first generation immigrant? Why did they behind their home, friends and family? Did they find the United States to be the land of opportunity they had hoped for? Back to top

Why aren't people learning English?
Actually, many immigrants ARE making an effort to learn English. Learning a new language requires approximately 720 hours. Some barriers are time, transportation, child care and access to learning materials. Many immigrants keep to themselves or stay in familiar groups because establishing a new life is a difficult process. Adults, regardless of native language or nationality, find it difficult to learn a new language. Back to top

Should I learn Spanish?
The motivation for learning new skills comes from knowing how that skill will improve your personal or professional life. For example, learning a new sport will keep you exercising and will improve your health. Learning a new computer program will help you be more productive at your current job or an attractive candidate for your future job. People who are successful at learning Spanish do so for a specific reason. Spanish can help you be more productive and efficient at work; it can make you an attractive job candidate; it can also enhance your personal life. Decide for yourself. Back to top

So what does it take to learn a language anyway?
Our formula for learning a language includes a combination of things: several hundred hours of practice, a strong motivation for learning, a specific goal or objective, lack of inhibition, and real-life opportunity to practice. Back to top

About employing immigrant workers

What are the challenges to recruiting and retaining immigrant workers?
One challenge is preparing your company internally to employ immigrant workers. The human resource department must be prepared for hiring, checking for legal documentation, training, benefits administration, and disciplinary tasks. Supervisors must be able to communicate instructions, policies and safety procedures to employees. Each company needs a strategy for effective training to prevent accidents and injuries.

Another challenge is recruiting. Methods of recruiting Americans, such as newspaper classifieds or job fairs, are not always the most effective ways of reaching immigrant populations. Find appropriate media and consider using the native languages of your prospective employees. An important point to consider when hiring is that the company must have an overall strategy for avoiding discrimination based on race, origin, and religious practices. Back to top

Is it ok to use bilingual employees to translate?
For document translation/written translation
Any document used in the workplace, from a company memo to a handbook, is carefully written and edited in English, and is usually proofread by multiple people. Use the same care when distributing documents to employees who speak other languages. A translator is a professional that requires training and experience; some states have a certification for translators. A professional checks that the grammar, accent marks, spelling and vocabulary are correct and that the original meaning is accurately reflected in the translated document. A certified and/or experienced translator should be used for all written workplace communication.

For interpretation/spoken translation
In a situation where there is a language barrier, companies often turn to a bilingual employee to provide interpretation. There are several problems with this strategy: The employee who is used to interpret is taken away from his/her job. A person who is bilingual is not necessarily a good interpreter. Interpretation is a professional job that requires training and experience. Even certified interpreters must continually practice their skills and review vocabulary before providing interpretation. It is rarely appropriate to use employees or children to interpret in a workplace situation. Consider the potential liability if the information is incorrectly or inappropriately translated. Back to top

We've tried language training in the past and it didn't work. Should we try again?

The following are the most common reasons training programs are unsuccessful:

Lack of clear and specific goals
Not providing training to the right people
Choosing an inappropriate curriculum
Not measuring the effectiveness of the training

Before implementing your next program, consider these questions:

What will be achieved as a result of language training? What are our specific goals?
Is this the most effective training program to meet our goals? How is effectiveness measured?
Is the delivery schedule and curricula appropriate for our needs?
Who should participate in training for the company to achieve maximum ROI?
How will we know that our goals have been met?

Keep in mind that language training is one way to address language barriers in the workplace. Even though it is usually a critical part of a company's strategy, training alone is not enough to overcome the negative effects of language barriers. Make training part of your strategic plan. Back to top

What is the best strategy to overcome the language barrier in the workplace?
There is not one best strategy for every company or organization. Factors to consider when addressing language barriers include: nation of origin of employees, length of time in the U.S., type of language necessary to complete job tasks, religious or cultural barriers, literacy in the employee's native language, management commitment to overcoming the barriers. It is best to approach this complex issue strategically, starting with the goals of the organization and an analysis of the costs of the language barrier. The results of any training, document translation, or other tactical approaches must be measured in dollars. Back to top

About marketing to the Hispanic community

Why should I market to the Hispanic community?
$1 trillion dollars. That is the buying power of the fastest growing market segment in the United States. In fact, it is growing 3 times as fast as any other market. Introducing products and services to a new market is a great way to grow your business. It all adds up! Back to top

Are marketing campaigns designed for Americans effective for Hispanics?
Yes and no. There are commonalities between Hispanic and non-Hispanic buyers in the United States. On the other hand, there are some real differences. Anyone who has traveled abroad understands the relief and comfort of getting information in a language you understand. Back to top

I travel extensively in Latin America to visit clients. How can I better serve my clients?
Understanding the importance of building trust and relationships can take you very far in catering to Latin American clients. Getting down to business is something that happens after your client trusts you. Make the effort to get to know your clients in a language they can understand. Click here to see if ProLingua has a program that is right for you. Back to top

What is the best strategy to communicate with Hispanic clients?
Realistic solutions usually have several components: an atmosphere of customer focus, skills needed to perform tasks that require Spanish, tools to aid communication and optimize the customers experience. Back to top

About The 7 Elements

What are The 7 Elements?

The 7 Elements is our innovative process developed from our experience working with clients over the past five years. Our experience and research shows that isolated efforts to manage language barriers are not effective. To help you achieve meaningful results, we evaluate short and long term goals and advise you on the best strategies.

How The 7 Elements Works for Employers
Language and cultural barriers raise costs, from increased training time to safety infractions to wasted materials. We increase our clients' profits by reducing costs through better management of language barriers among their workforce. Our clients achieve results in the areas of productivity, safety, and quality.

For more examples of this, see our Case Studies or our Workplace Solutions.

How The 7 Elements Works for Companies Marketing to Hispanics
The buying power of Hispanics rose to $700 billion in 2004! Any company not serving this market is missing a great opportunity. We increase our clients' profits by improving their capacity to attract and serve Hispanic clients.

See our Marketplace Solutions for more information.

What kind of return on investment should we expect from The 7 Elements?
The 7 Elements process yields a higher return on investment than other strategies, such as language training alone. Because we gather and analyze data before implementing any programs and measure the results of all work that we do, our clients expect to increase profits when partnering with us. Back to top

How long does The 7 Elements process take?
The 7 Elements process is different for each of our clients, depending on their goals, the number of employees, and the specific effects of language barriers on their company. On average, we work with a client intensively for 6-12 months. Back to top

Why should we choose ProLingua?
We are true innovators who have developed our services by listening to our clienteeds and goals. Our 7 Elements process saves you money. Back to top