Thread: NC - Bilingual Workforce More in Demand Than Ever

Bilingual Workforce More in Demand Than Ever

by Morgan Wall

In a changing global climate, there is a growing need for a workforce that is bilingual at the least.

In Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte, there are more than 700 international business firms. In the Triad, there are more than 200. These companies represent more than 40 countries and employ more than 60,000 people.

Dr. Loida Peterson, director of the center for foreign languages and coordinator for the community Spanish interpreter program at Surry Community College, spoke to members of the Mount Airy Rotary Club at Cross Creek Country Club Tuesday about the growing need for a bilingual workforce and what smaller communities such as Surry County can do to be prepared for that need.

Peterson was born in Africa to missionary parents from Portugal. She can speak five languages including English, Spanish and Portuguese. Brought to the area for her husband’s work, she found a place at the community college as an English as a Second Language teacher. She quickly expanded her role by being part of a group which wrote a grant to expand the number of languages offered in the area.

Along with Davidson County Community College, Rockingham Community College, Montgomery Community College and Randolph Community College, SCC wrote a WIRED grant and received $250,000 from the first part of the grant to buy wireless carts and engage in distance learning.

With the first part of the grant, Davidson County Community College has begun offering an Asian language program. The school has hired a Japanese instructor, and students from the participating colleges can use distance learning classrooms to take the class. If the community college receives the second part of the grant, it will be able to expand the program to include Portuguese in Surry County, Middle Eastern languages in Montgomery County, Russian in Randolph County and Italian in Rockingham County.

“We’re trying to bring some globalization to the college. As a more rural community, we have a more difficult time with everything because we don’t have the people. It is much more difficult to find the resources, so we’re learning to share,â€

"Peterson was born in Africa to missionary parents from Portugal. She can speak five languages including English, Spanish and Portuguese. Brought to the area for her husband’s work, she found a place at the community college as an English as a Second Language teacher. She quickly expanded her role by being part of a group which wrote a grant to expand the number of languages offered in the area."

Unfortunately, nothing seems to "expand (one's) role" or the slze of an educational institution's slice of the federal financial pie faster than writing a grant!

Notice the reasons given for bilingual education is because need a workforce to be able to do business in a global economy. However, the focus is on learning Spanish, and how much of the world's business is done in Spanish? As for pushing people to be bilingual, how many of the Hispanic community is bilingual? It seems most only speak Spanish!

Exactly.

"Peterson was born in Africa to missionary parents from Portugal. She can speak five languages including English, Spanish and Portuguese. Brought to the area for her husband’s work, she found a place at the community college as an English as a Second Language teacher. She quickly expanded her role by being part of a group which wrote a grant to expand the number of languages offered in the area."

Why would you want to expand the seperation? What about American citizens who just don't have a gift for languages and simply want to live and work in their own country? What happens if you move and an entire other community has a totally different language than the one you left?

Bilingual Workforce More in Demand Than Ever

It sure is! In fact being bilingual is a requirement ( of course with the second language being spanish) to even submit an application for many positions in CA. I cannot tell you how many jobs I run across that read: Bilingual spanish required! Not we prefer, or recommended, or even desirable (plenty of those as well) but required! Mind you, these are domestic companies who do not engage in international business in which bilingual skills might be needed.

I was under the impression that one had to have a basic comprehension of the English language in order to be admitted legally into this country to work or reside!

Therefore, I cannot possible imagine why a company would require a warehouse supervisor or other transportation manager to understand spanish. Could it posible be because that company is hiring illegal invaders who only speak spanish, or perhaps caters to an illegal invader population who also refuses to speak English?