Summer
2007

Key Languages News

Rosetta Stone. We are now using the popular language learning program. Some of our students are using the three-level Spanish program and told us that it has been a great help for their listening skills and vocabulary.

Proficiency exams. People who already know a language and would like to determine their level of proficiency can contact us for orientation. We provide guidelines for self-assessment (free) or a written evaluation (lesson rate). We can also give information on proficiency exams such as DELF (Diplôme d’études en langue française), DELE (Diploma de español como lengua extranjera) and CELPE (Certificado de Proficiência em Língua Portuguesa). These exams are tools for professional advancement. They might be required for a promotion or relocation. They might also be required for undergraduate or graduate studies abroad.

Summer. Yes, we are open during summer. As a language services company we are open year round. You can use your summer vacation to learn a new language or to improve your language skills. You can use this time of the year to have marketing materials and website translated to reach new markets. Our translations are culturally competent. Take the time to meet us for detailed information.

Language in the News

Bilingualism strengthens America. It is possible that the six million U.S. Hispanics who communicate basically in Spanish will decide the next presidential election. In many countries candidates learn to say something in other languages to court voters. Many people in American society fear other languages. Speaking another language not only breaks barriers to the integration of immigrants, but also stimulates the development of intelligence by multiplying the neuronal connections in the brain. By Carlos Alberto Montaner. The Miami Herald. June 2007. Other articles by C.A. Montaner @ www.firmaspress.com

Help teenagers move on to college. In Florida, students cannot graduate from high school unless they pass the FCAT. Performance evidence collected over a year should not be discarded. A combination of both is the best predictor for academic success. As a result of not having students continuing on to college, Florida will not have an educated and skilled workforce. Among other challenges, in this community there is a high volume of low-income and English-as-a-second-language students who require patience and time. By Robert McCabe. The Miami Herald. June 2007.

Measure would cut ESOL training. A bill proposing the reduction of training for reading teachers would let them less prepared to teach the 230,000 Florida children who are learning to speak, read and write English. Reading teachers who instruct English language learners would have 60 hours of training instead of the 300 hours now required by the Florida Department of Education. By Tania deLuzuriaga. The Miami Herald. June 2007.

Demand for English Lessons Outstrips Supply. Immigrants wait months or even years for government-financed English classes, which are often overcrowded and lack textbooks. The United States Department of Education counted 1.2 million adults enrolled in public English programs in 2005. With immigrants accounting for a huge portion of the nation’s labor force, the issue of English proficiency has become an issue of economic development. By Fernanda Santos. The New York Times. February 2007.