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TuesdayFebruary 6, 2024

(Bilingual episode) How to connect across the English-Spanish language barrier

Students and an instructor at a local Voces de Nashville class.
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While you can easily hear many languages in Middle Tennessee, Spanish is the second-most spoken language here after English. For anyone who is not fully bilingual, communicating across a language barrier can be at times humorous, but more often than not frustrating, discouraging, if not high stakes when it comes to situations involving medical care, education or basic services. So how can we better connect?

Today, we’re talking with the people behind companies and organizations that offer local Spanish and English language classes as well as resources available for English Learning students and families in the Metro Nashville Public Schools.

Aunque puede que escuche muchos idiomas en el área central de Tennessee, el español es el 2° idioma más hablado después del inglés. Para todos aquellos que no son completamente bilingües, la comunicación que se da cuando existe una barrera en el lenguaje a veces puede ser graciosa, pero con más frecuencia es frustrante, desalentadora, y hasta puede llegar a representar un alto riesgo cuando se presentan situaciones que involucran el cuidado médico, educación o servicios básicos. Entonces, ¿como podemos conectarnos de mejor manera? Hoy estaremos hablando con algunos representantes de compañías y organizaciones que ofrecen clases de inglés y español, además de compartir recursos disponibles para estudiantes y familias que están aprendiendo inglés en las Escuelas Públicas de Metro.

Guests:

  • Beatriz Ordaz Ramírez,  Voces de Nashville
  • Becca Blank, Voces de Nashville 
  • Joleen Radnoti, Read to Succeed (Rutherford County, 615-738-7323)
  • Maria Paula Zapata, Conexión Americás (615-270-9252)
  • Vanessa Lazón,  Metro Nashville Public Schools English Learners (615-259-4636)
  • Manny Díaz de León,  Metro Nashville Public Schools English Learners

Today’s episode was produced by Katherine Ceicys. El episodio de hoy fue producido por Katherine Ceicys.

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