In Southern Arizona, a region where the Spanish-speaking community is large and growing, many businesses are responding to the need for Spanish proficiency in their workforce.
“Learning Spanish, especially here in Southern Arizona, could open doors for your business,” said Lilliana Rehder, teacher of the Introduction to Business Spanish at the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
The seven students who attended a recent three-week course varied in profession and level of Spanish proficiency. From day one, they were learning business-specific vocabulary and phrases. The students agreed that learning the basics of the language helps build trust with Spanish-speaking clients.
When people make an effort to speak another’s language, it helps connect people, Rehder said.
The Spanish-speaking community is going to be a majority in our region, said Alma Peralta, the chamber’s director of operations.
“As a business person, you need to be able to reach the Hispanic market and grow your business,” she said. “It’s the smart thing to do.”
Southern Arizona is also a tourist hub for Spanish-speakers. The main reasons tourists from Mexico come here are to visit family and friends, conduct business and shop, said J. Felipe Garcia, executive vice president at Visit Tucson.
“People from Mexico spend close to $1 billion every single year here in the Tucson metro area,” he said. “So if you speak Spanish, it will give you better ways to serve that customer coming from Mexico; and if you do it correctly you will hopefully be able to generate more sales.”
Even basic Spanish will break barriers, Garcia said.
The chamber just finished its second round of Spanish classes for business professionals on June 30. The classes, which cost $199 for members and $299 for nonmembers, may be offered again if there is enough interest.
The University of Arizona is also aware of the growing need for Spanish proficiency and partnered with Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, a prestigious university in Mexico City, to increase that effort.
UNAM’s work at the UA kicked off in September, with free, three-month courses in conversational Spanish. About 40 UA staff members attended.
The biweekly classes varied from beginning to intermediate Spanish, and many participants were novices, said Laura Galindo, a UNAM academic coordinator who taught the classes.
“They came out of the classes being able to greet people, order food and give their contact info,” Galindo said in Spanish.
UNAM is currently teaching summer classes at $250 for 20 hours of instruction. There are six people enrolled.
The UNAM office has also reached out to Pima Community College with the offer of discounted Spanish classes for employees to better meet the needs of Spanish-speaking students, Galindo said. The university plans to partner with YWCA of Southern Arizona, an organization that focuses on women creating economic and social change.
UNAM offers Spanish classes specializing in vocabulary for business, tourism and medical professionals. The YWCA hopes to launch the courses in the fall, said Marisol Flores-Aguirre, director of the Women’s Business Center at the YWCA.
“This presents a really awesome opportunity for entrepreneurs and folks that are in different professional fields,” she said. “Our clients would have an opportunity to take courses taught by UNAM professors, specifically with regard to certain industries.”
Galindo noted that sometimes people hesitate to speak Spanish because they are not fluent.
“Many people don’t want to speak Spanish because they know that when they talk, they’re lacking in vocabulary,” she said.
“When they know they can use a larger vocabulary and all the verb tenses, the richness of the language, then they feel really comfortable.”
