The language barrier in St. Joseph between English- and Spanish-speaking communities is being broken down in small steps.

St. Joseph Police Department training officer Marla Wilson said in an effort to bridge the cultural gap, 15 officers, as well as other officials and members of the community, recently participated in a three-day Spanish language training course at the Buchanan County Law Enforcement Center.

Ms. Wilson said she brought the class to the LEC after seeing an increasing need for police officers to become more familiar with the language. It worked out so well, she said, that she’s looking into booking a second, advanced-language course.

“It was a very, very good class. I’m sure all of the (police officers) got a lot out of it,” she said.

Ron Strader, a warrant officer, said not being familiar with the language in his job is quite a challenge.

“If I run into a home where no one can speak English, I can’t do my job effectively,” he said.

Even though the department has one officer fluent in Spanish, as well as a list of translators on call, it’s more effective to cut out the middle man.

“We do have the resources,” he said. “Sometimes it’s not practical in the heat of it to say, ‘Hold on, I’m going to need to call my translator while you’re holding that gun.’”

Rachel McCoy, director of communications for Community Action Partnership, which works with Spanish-speaking individuals and families in St. Joseph, said the class is a positive action in bridging the cultural gap.

“We’re very encouraged they would be so progressive to put law enforcement in classes that teach Spanish,” she said.

Classes such as the one at the LEC are vital to St. Joseph’s community growth, Ms. McCoy said. Beyond just practicing a language course such as Rosetta Stone, she also reminds people that nothing is more useful than human interaction.

“There has to be a passion for the language. Without direct communication, so much is lost in the meaning of what people are saying,” she said.

Currently, Mr. Strader said police officers have been practicing courtesy phrases, as well as commands such as “let me see your license and insurance” and “I need you to stop.” Beyond the class, learning Spanish isn’t mandated by the department, but Mr. Strader said it’s something he realizes he needs to stay sharp on.

“It’s not something where we have to sit down every day and do. But I do practice the words because it’s one of those … perishable languages. If you don’t use it, you lose it,” he said.

Ms. McCoy said Community Action Partnership is looking into future programs to help English- and Spanish-speaking people meet and have a better understanding of each other’s cultures. She said she hopes the Police Department will be involved as well.

“So many other communities have come out and welcomed this culture,” she said. “St. Joseph is capable of giving, like so many other cities have.”

Source: http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2009/aug/23/hablas-espaol/?local

ANDERSON — Nora Punales was happy to get a job at the Anderson Police Department as a receptionist.

Turns out, the police department got a bargain; Punales speaks fluent English and Spanish. Those skills have helped the department and Hispanic visitors or prisoners cross the language barrier nearly every day.

It’s not that she’s not needed as a receptionist – she does “a little bit of everything” in that job. But beyond some police officers with limited Spanish skills, she’s the only person staff members can call on to help translate.

Anderson, like most Southern towns, has seen the growth of its Hispanic population.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s three-year estimates for 2005-2007, about 2 percent, or 3,200, of Anderson County residents are Hispanic. But officials have long said the Census underestimates the number of Hispanics because they are reluctant to be counted.

The Pew Hispanic Center put the Anderson County number at 3,531 in 2007. The center reported that 2,500 Hispanics were living in Oconee County in 2007, about 4 percent of the population. In Greenville County, the number was more than 29,000 in 2007.

Punales, 53, was hired in November on a temporary basis, but officials have been able to find enough money to continue her job for another year. She moved here after her husband began a job as a welder.

Her daily duties involve answering the phones, filing, helping people with questions and other duties. But her translation skills now are put to use in “a good 40 to 45 percent” of the job, she said.

It may be helping someone who speaks little English who needs to know about visitation for an inmate, or translating an officer’s explanation of the charges against someone brought to the station. Or it could be simply giving someone directions to another government agency, such as Department of Motor Vehicles or to Social Security offices.

Punales, who moved to Anderson about a year ago, was not expecting to need her language skills much when she took the job. But that quickly changed.

“I was very surprised when I moved here there were so many Spanish-speaking people,” she said.

The three dialects she’s heard are from Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, she said.

She discovered there were a number of people coming to the police department front desk unable to explain what they needed.

“Some come in, and I notice they have a problem speaking,” she said. “When I talk to them, they say, ‘Oh God, thank you for having someone who speaks Spanish.’”

Some people bring their children to translate, but children may not know how to explain some words appropriately, Punales said.

Angela White, a medical assistant at the department, said Punales is able to put Spanish-speaking visitors or inmates at ease.

“Once she opens her mouth, and they realize someone understands what they are saying, they calm down,” White said. “That fear is gone.”

When a Spanish-speaking inmate needs medical help, Punales is called to translate for the inmate and the nurse.

Punales’ supervisor, Amy Sexton, said the staff members have done the best they could in the past, trying to write down information or find some common connection.

“We tried to talk ourselves, but usually they don’t understand,” Sexton said. “It’s made a great difference in being able to communicate.”

Now, people who know Punales can help them will seek her out at the station.

“We have Spanish-speaking people call and ask for her,” said Sue Miller, a detention officer.

Punales, who is originally from Cuba, said her family spoke Spanish at home, and she spoke English at school. She believes people who come to the United States should adapt to the culture.

“You are coming to a place that’s not your place, so you have to learn … the culture,” she said.

The police department is a good place to work, she said.

“Ever since I started working here, I have really enjoyed it,” she said. “It is a very nice atmosphere.”

Source: http://www.independentmail.com/news/2009/aug/01/police-receptionst-anderson-helps-break-spanish-la/

The popularity of dual-language classes in Ventura County schools continues to grow, with three schools starting programs this fall.

Ventura Unified School District started a two-way immersion kindergarten class at Montalvo School about a decade ago. Five more dual-language programs have since come online at elementary and middle schools in Camarillo, Rio, Hueneme and Ventura.

In the fall, three more campuses are expected to be added to the list. Classes are set to start at Tierra Vista in the Ocean View School District; Juan Soria, a new campus in the Oxnard School District, and at Will Rogers in Ventura, which will start the district’s first schoolwide program.

“I think parents throughout the state recognize the value of having their kids be bilingual and biliterate. It’s a huge advantage,” said Associate Superintendent Roger Rice of the Ventura County Office of Education.

The county office plans to start regular meetings in the fall, bringing educators in the dual-language programs together to share best practices, Rice said.

All the local programs are offered in Spanish and English, and in most cases, classes are split evenly between native English and native Spanish speakers. The schools differ, however, in some aspects, including the amount of time students in the programs spend learning in each language.

“We’re really excited,” said Ocean View Assistant Superintendent Marcia Turner. Tierra Vista will have two dual-immersion kindergarten classes this fall, Turner said. Classes will have about one-third Spanish-speakers, one-third English-speakers and one-third bilingual students.
May attract students, funding

District and school officials had planned to reach out to the community with an information campaign to fill the available spots. But after announcing the move at the spring open house, families signed up, filling every seat.

In Ventura, the first class of two-way immersion students at Montalvo will move to high school this fall, having finished immersion classes at Anacapa Middle School. Many already have met college entrance requirements for foreign language studies.

“We knew there was plenty of interest to have a second program,” said Jennifer Robles, a bilingual education director for Ventura schools. This year, about 20 families were on a waiting list at Montalvo School.

Those students were offered a spot at Will Rogers, which will have dual-immersion in all four of its kindergarten classes this August.

Each year, as students move up a class, a grade level will be added to the program.

With the state’s fiscal crisis prompting layoffs and other cuts at local districts, officials said some might question why schools would start new programs. Dual-immersion doesn’t cost the district more money to run than current programs, Robles said, and it benefits students.

Turner said Ocean View officials think it might eventually bring more funding to the district by attracting more students.

Teaching students in Spanish began to disappear in California public schools after voters approved Proposition 227 in 1998, which banned bilingual education unless parents of English learners sign a yearly waiver consenting to the class.
Families see benefit

In two-way or dual-immersion programs, English learners and speakers learn two languages, unlike some bilingual programs in which native Spanish speakers learn in Spanish only until they master English.

Families want their kids to learn a second language while keeping their first language, Robles said, and the dual-immersion programs allow that to happen.

Carlos Avila’s daughter Penelope, 5, will start kindergarten at Will Rogers in August.

“I want her to know that it’s OK to speak a different language,” Avila said. His parents were fluent in English and Spanish, but he learned Spanish only by taking classes in school.

He took part in a student exchange program in Spain. There, he said, children are encouraged to learn multiple languages, unlike the culture he has experienced in the United States.

Because of his family’s Spanish-speaking history, Avila loves that his daughter will learn Spanish and English. But, he added, “I would love to see (programs) not just in Spanish but other languages, too.”

Source: http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/jul/15/3-more-schools-add-bilingual-immersion-programs/

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)–The White House is preparing to launch a Spanish-language version of its Web site, Whitehouse.gov, by the end of the year, according to the company doing its recruiting.

Earlier this week, Rock Creek Strategic Marketing sent out four job postings that, when filled, will expand the first White House Office of New Media by almost 50%. In addition to a video editor, Web writer and designer, the White House is looking for a Spanish-language writer and producer, according to the ads.

“They’re hoping that by the end of the year – if not sooner – they can have a Spanish-language version of Whitehouse.gov launched,” said Scott Johnson, co-owner of Rock Creek Strategic Marketing, a Washington-area communications firm.

The White House authorized his company to begin gathering candidates to help expand the new-media office from its current size of roughly 10 employees, he said.

“These people for the most part have been on the campaign trail with Obama for up to two years,” Johnson said. “They eat poorly and sleep intermittently. These guys are not just in there punching the clock – they are passionate about what they’re doing.”

Would-be hires should be prepared, the ad warns: “Long work hours and short deadlines will be the norm.”

The White House hasn’t made an official announcement about a Spanish-language edition of the White House Web site. Currently, the site has only biographies of the president, vice-president and their wives translated into Spanish.

“The president and the administration use new Web-based tools to keep the public updated on important issues, promote transparency, and provide opportunities for meaningful engagement,” an administration official said. “We are constantly looking at ways we can strengthen and expand the White House’s online program.”

In late February, Obama appointed Macon Phillips as his director of new media. Previously Phillips supervised online communications during the transition and developed Change.gov, according to a White House statement.

Appointed at the same time, Deputy New Media Director Cammie Croft also worked in both the transition and campaign, where she managed the Web sites FighttheSmears.com and UndertheRadar.com. And the White House recently borrowed Bev Godwin, now director of online resources, from the U.S. General Services Administration, where she runs the Web site USA.gov.

“Did you know your government may be cooler and more approachable than you think?” Godwin wrote May 21 on the White House’s blog, The Briefing Room. “It really is. I know. I work here.”

-By Kristina Peterson, Dow Jones Newswires

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090611-715461.html

In the basement below United Educational Credit Union’s lobby on Riverside Drive, nine employees commit to memory the phrases, “This is a deposit slip,” and, “How can I help you?” in Spanish.

Some of its credit union tellers, asset managers and maintenance staff were learning a few banking-related phrases to help bridge language and cultural barriers for potential clients who do not speak English fluently.

“It won’t be perfect, but we are definitely making an effort,” said Joan Miller, an executive assistant who presented the 2009 marketing plan to her employers. “We think it will be a mutual benefit to both.”

Most Spanish-speaking residents in Battle Creek are from Mexico, where personal banking is not as common or accessible as it is in the United States, said Yolanda Campos, who is leading the eight-week language course.

Instead of opening a savings account where their money can earn interest, many people chose to carry their money with them or keep it at home. They tend to turn to predatory lenders offering high-interest-rate loans and check service centers that charge exorbitant fees, said Kate Kennedy, Latino/Hispanic Community Project director.

“They are very unbanked for the most part and use a cash economy,” Kennedy said. “They’ll pay $30,000 down for a house — in cash.”

About five or six years ago, local banks started to realize the potential for new business in the Mexican-American community and began hiring bilingual staff who could help people apply for tax identification numbers. The nine-digit number acts like a social security number for non-citizens who want to open a savings account, Kennedy explained.

“Still a lot of people are tending to use cash,” she said.

Kennedy said United Educational has done more than any other credit union in Battle Creek to reach out to the Spanish-speaking community. It is promoting a bilingual staff member, Elizabeth Hurtado, from part-time to full-time and it is planning to hire another part-time, bilingual staff member as well, Miller said.

“Quite honestly that’s what’s going to attract people,” said Kennedy, who has worked with Hurtado on the Latino/Hispanic Community Project. “They’ll seek Elizabeth out.”

But often the first contact potential clients have is with a teller, so it is prudent that the member services representative at least know how to say in Spanish, “Wait, I’ll get a translator.”

The students joke that after six classes the only phrases they know by heart are “nada” and “no comprendo,” but they say learning about Mexican culture has proven to be an enlightening experience. They won’t make the mistake of forming an “OK” symbol with their thumb and forefinger touching with fingers extended, they said, because they learned that the gesture can be offensive.

They also have learned that the husband typically handles finances for the family. They have become familiar with geographic names of states in Mexico and their proper pronunciation.

“You’re eventually going to see people from all of these states,” Campos told the class.

They certainly hope so.

Source: http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20090604/NEWS01/906040320/1002/NEWS01/Credit+union+staff+learning+to+speak+Spanish