Learning a new language can always be tricky; some of the most embarrassing scenarios include these common Spanish-English translation mistakes: Whether or not you travel abroad this summer, chances are
Doing business with Latinos in another country or first-generation Latino businesses here in the States? Let’s talk about business and Latino culture: See if this scenario rings a bell: You
Having trouble motivating students? Getting ready to send your graduating Spanish students off to college and into the world – hoping that they’ll continue their language studies? For a lot
Medical Spanish Commands: Getting the Imperative Right in a Medical Setting Ever found yourself fumbling for the right way to tell your Spanish-speaking patients to do something, and end up
I’m going to study abroad in Latin America! What now? Once you’ve made the decision to study abroad, what you do in the months leading up to your departure can
What the 2010 US census numbers might (not) mean… The 2010 US Census received a huge amount of publicity, and along with it, projections about the Hispanic population – the
Over the past six weeks, fifteen healthcare professionals from Colorado traveled to Costa Rica with Common Ground’s Spring 2010 Medical Mission. They lived with Costa Rican families, studied Medical Spanish,
Use one of the easiest tunes to remember the tricky irregular preterite tense Irregular preterite tense can be difficult for many students. We all know that remembering the lyrics to
Formal Spanish Greetings- Getting Started Whether you’re traveling to Costa Rica with us this summer or working with Latinos in your own community, properly greeting and conversing with the people
As the Latino population in the United States grows, no business, sector, or industry remains unaffected by this huge demographic. While many businesses are adapting to and marketing to Latinos
Basics of medical Spanish: Why the names of medical professions can be tricky… One of the first topics we cover in our Medical Spanish courses is las profesiones –
Spanish Immersion in Costa Rica and the 5 C’s of Foreign Language Education The 5 C’s of Foreign Language Education have been developed by ACTFL as the national standard for
Informal Spanish greetings If you’re traveling to Costa Rica with Common Ground this spring or summer, you’ll be greeted a lot of different ways by Ticos (Costa Ricans). Greeting people
Simplify your medical Spanish with these verbs! Medical parlance is laden with very specific, nuanced verbs, which often trip up our Medical Spanish students – even at the higher levels.
Overarching ideas in Latino culture Whether or not you do business internationally, chances are you work with Latinos in some capacity, be they clients, employees, or colleagues, and therefore deal
The internet is full of Spanish teacher resources. Interactive quizzes and printable worksheets abound, but here are some of our favorites that serve 5 distinctly different purposes: 1. Word Reference.com:
What’s in store for High School Spanish students who stick with the language…stay on that path bilingual students! Start studying Spanish in high school – and stick with it –
In our Top 10 Beginner Medical Spanish Errors, we looked at some of the most common errors our students make at the Beginning I level. Here´s another round of common
If you’ve ever had trouble saying “for” in Spanish, you’re not alone! Let’s talk about por vs. para: The key to understanding por vs. para is to think of the
Let’s talk medical Spanish. What is the best word to use? There are many medical Spanish words and phrases that can stump a medical professional. Some words that have similar
Can you help us help the under-served in Costa Rica for our medical missions? Each year Common Ground International leads a medical mission in Costa Rica for student and professional
Spanish Resources Online: Supplement your Spanish Learning! Whether you want to follow international news, work on your pronunciation, or just find the right Spanish word, here are a few online
Day of the Dead- A celebration of loved ones who have passed on The Day of the Dead, El día de los muertos, is one of Mexico’s most important holidays.
Abbreviations for texting in Spanish Ever wonder how to spice up your text messages with some Spanish abbreviations? Here are a few to help you stay on the cutting edge
Medical Spanish Mistakes: Avoid these common Errors! Everyone makes mistakes, especially when learning a new language!Hopefully your Spanish mistakes have given you and your pacientes a few laughs.Here are the
Cultural Values: Working with Latinos When we talked about agreeableness in the medical setting, we saw how the “cultural taboo against expressing negative feelings directly” translated into misunderstandings and ultimately,
Making a connection with Latino clients and consumers Since we started our blog, we’ve addressed cultural issues that arise with both Latino patients and employees across many industries. We have
Working with Latinos and how to be a successful manager: Over the years, we’ve spoken with a number of non-Latinos who manage Latino employees, but one of the most striking
Have you lost touch with your Medical Spanish classmates? Find Common Ground on Facebook for information about upcoming classes, trips, social events, as well as cultural information, news from Latin
Working with Latinos: Understanding Culture and High-Risk Industries Although workplace safety requirements are generally far more comprehensive in the U.S. than in Latin America, accidents still happen in high-risk industries
Potential drawbacks of using bilingual employees as interpreters So far we’ve discussed the intricacies of working with Latino patients in the medical setting, but many of the same language obstacles
Latino Culture- Personalismo Last week we explored the cultural basis of latino agreeableness and its effects in the medical setting. We mentioned that the rate of patient compliance can be
Understanding Latino Culture: Agreeableness As with the cleaning staff manager we wrote about a few weeks ago, the topic of agreeableness comes up a lot with our Medical Spanish students
Latino Patients: Understanding the Family and Latino Culture “Why are there so many people in the room?” is a question often asked by our medical Spanish students when talking about
U.S. Latino, Chicano, Hispanic? Latinos are the second largest ethnic group in the United States, and about 61% of U.S. Latinos were foreign-born. This means that as of last year,
Cross-Cultural Communication with Latinos Having interacted with people of many other cultures, we’ve seen that often the true stumbling block in relating to people of another culture isn’t just lack
Who is Common Ground International and what do we do? Common Ground International, LLC is a Colorado-based company that strives to provide high quality Spanish and English Language services to
