By Rafael Reyes
At this point, it’s no secret that there is a demand for English speakers living in Latin America. Although it’s not the only thing that’s considered when you are in the hiring process, having a great English level might be why a company chooses you over a different candidate with a similar profile. So, it’s in your best interest to brush up on your English speaking, listening, and writing skills.
MOBILE APPS
Learning a language means fully immersing yourself in that language, you consciously have to make that effort and have the perfect tool for it right in your pocket. Our phones have become an extension of ourselves, and working with a language barrier can prove to be difficult. Chances are your phone is near you if not on you, all day. So, why not use that to your advantage and download these two language learning apps that I recommend for free?
I highly suggest Duolingo, it’s a very popular app, and for good reason. It provides great tools for language learning and one of those tools is the community itself. Since the app allows you to communicate with other learners around the world, you are able to ask questions and get clarification from advanced learners. My favorite aspect is the lessons Duo provides, they are structured by sets of modules separated by theme, and within a module are the lessons you take. Lessons are quite short so you can practice at any point you find yourself with free time, whether it’s five, ten, or fifteen minutes. This is why I think it’s a good resource to use in order to exercise your reading, pronunciation, and even comprehension abilities on a consistent level.
Anki is another app I fully endorse, it allows you to create a set of flashcards to suit your difficulty level and desired length or download other people’s sets. A big part of learning a language is setting a repetitiveness and consistency goal. With Anki, you can create and meet that goal rather conveniently, which is why I believe it’s a great resource for learning new vocabulary and not forgetting what you already know.
I truly encourage the use of these kinds of apps. I feel they make a fun way to learn and improve your English level from the palm of your hand and at the end of the day, that benefits you. Picture a scenario where you and another candidate are considered for a position that doesn’t require you to be on the phone because you will be attending to each client via email or chat. If you have impeccable speaking ability but write with terrible grammar and misspelled words, they might choose your contender if their writing abilities exceed yours.
YOUTUBE VIDEOS
Youtube has a plethora of content uploaded to it daily, chances are you can find a channel suited for your studying needs. Whether you find a series that you can follow to study and take notes, a single video that explains a complex concept more in-depth, or English conversation dialogue to help you with your conversational skills, Youtube can be the perfect place to find it for free and right on your phone as well.
FOCUS ON YOUR ACCENT
Improving your accent might seem like a long road ahead but if you spend a few months practicing specifically on your pronunciation and enunciation you will see a vast difference in the way you articulate. I would recommend you learn about mouth positions, a slight adjustment in position can help you make that sound that is so difficult for you since it is not used in your native language. Once you master positions you can passively practice by just listening to words or phrases and repeating them. A clearer accent will allow you to express yourself better and people will understand you much easier. This is most important when you are in a bilingual work setting and English isn’t your first language.
CONCLUSION
These methods can be great for English speakers of all levels. I don’t believe these resources alone can get the job done but if you incorporate them into your learning process they can be very helpful. Don’t stop there though, you can always search different apps, do research online for other resources, and even create your own ways. It’s up to you to decide what methods work best for you, so if you are interested in more tips please read our first blog on this topic Calling All Mexican Professionals: Learn English! , where you can see the difference in wages between a bilingual worker and a Spanish-speaking worker in the same role. At the end of the day, improving your English fluency is beneficial to you. It can be the reason you land a better and higher-paying role over your fellow competitors, and if you feel you have excellent English skills why don’t you take a look at some of our available positions on the Ventes Mexico job’s page and apply?
This blog was written by the staff at Ventes Mexico LLC Ventes Mexico is a top-rated outsource recruitment firm located in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Founded by an American, with 16 years of living in Mexico, Ventes Mexico operates in the USA and Mexico. The company specialized in remote staffing and headhunting. Each of its employees is 100% bilingual (English/Spanish).