With more than 250 languages officially spoken in the United States today, it’s no surprise that at least three different dialects can be heard on the shop floor at C&J Jewelry Company in Providence.
And while English may be the most common language at the custom jeweler’s manufacturing plant, company officials have begun to realize that it’s just as important to understand the language of workers, as it is for foreign workers to understand English.
"About one-quarter of our employees don’t speak English as a first language," said Camille Vellucci, the company’s payroll administrator. "As a result four years ago we started to realize that our work force was changing and we needed to do the same."
Beyond Cash Donations: How New Forms of Giving Are Transforming Not-for-Profit Accounting
Evolving Funding Landscape for Not-for-Profits Not-for-profit organizations are being asked to do more with less,…
Learn More
The company then began offering English as a second language courses to all interested employees.
"The enrollment in these classes is far beyond what we expected," she said. "We have at least two training sessions a year, and we also have a list ready of those who want to take it. It’s been really helpful for us."
According to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, more than 7.3 million people immigrated to the United States between 1980 and 1990 – the second largest wave since the early 1900s. It’s estimated that immigration has accounted for half of the increase in the work force during the 1990s nationwide, with the Hispanic population’s share of employment alone expected to increase from 10 percent in 1990 to 14 percent in 2020.
"In recent years more and more of the state’s work force, especially in the entry level positions are coming in with less skills and less basic education," said Nazneen Rahman, education director for the International Institute of Rhode Island. "A big part of that is an understanding of the English language."
Rahman said while companies are often aware of the problem, they can sometimes be reluctant to deal with it effectively.
"I think more companies know what needs to be done today, but I don’t think a lot are willing to make the investment in terms of length of time and money," she said.
In fact, an effective English as a second language course can cost thousands of dollars and extend over many months. In most cases Rahman said, companies today like to limit courses offered to only 20 weeks.
"When you ask people to finish in 20 weeks, it doesn’t really help them," she said. "You need to look at where many of these people started and realize that it could take a long time for them to get there."
But according to Vellucci many of C&J’s employees who have completed a similar course have found it to be very beneficial.
"It takes sacrifices on both sides," she said. "We ask the employee to give us hours of their time, and we pay them. There of course are some people that won’t finish, but the majority of them do. Attendance is pretty consistent."
Vellucci said in addition to the course, the company has found other effective ways to communicate including bilingual instructions.
"A lot of directions come in Spanish," she said. "We have a safety rule list that our workers need to be familiar with and that comes in Spanish and English. These are effective tools for us."
What’s more she said, many of the company’s employees are bilingual.
"I think it’s especially helpful that we do use other employees as interpreters," she said. "It keeps the lines of communication open. I don’t think having a diverse work force like the one we have, affects our business negatively, I think it makes us better. "
