Winter 2007 January 5, 2008 Learning English; hidden cultural differences Reflections - What we’ve learned since 2001 Learning Spanish is easier than learning English! Spanish is a phonetic language with few exceptions to rules. English is complex and full of exceptions. Many Spanish speakers, though skilled in their jobs, have a poor educational background in their own language. In our ESL classes, we usually find one or two participants who are illiterate in Spanish which makes learning (and teaching) English more difficult. CLS works hard to use many visuals to capture their attention and give them something to work with. According to an issue of Private Club Advisor Plus, “Companies that have established successful ESL training programs say the benefits to the employer include happier customers, improved safety and higher retention. For employees, ESL training is simply the key to a whole new world.” Tip Make sure that your employee manual addresses hidden cultural differences and that it spells out company policy and procedure. If you make policies and procedures clear and you follow other tips from our newsletters, then you prevent loss of valuable employees and the high cost of replacing them. Please contact CLS if you have questions about these differences. We do cultural consulting! News We are going online with Communication Matters! Please send an email to spanish@communicatallc.com if you would like to receive a .pdf (electronic copy) rather than a paper one through the mail.

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