Madison Reporter

Wisconsin attorney Nicole Marklein recently earned a Spanish Proficiency Certificate at Madison College to enhance her career and communicate better while traveling.

Nicole had taken several Spanish courses during her undergraduate studies at UW-Madison and even spent a month studying abroad in Oaxaca, Mexico. Despite feeling fluent in Spanish upon graduating in 2005, Marklein found that her language proficiency was eroding.

"After visiting a remote area of Mexico in 2020, I realized my disappointment in not pursuing my language skills further and found myself frustrated with how many of my skills I had lost due to nonuse over the years," Marklein says.

Newly motivated by that experience and a goal to become proficient in Spanish to help her legal career, Marklein enrolled in Madison College's Intercultural Experience Practicums and Spanish 5, with real-life language skills for her legal profession. She earned her Spanish Proficiency Certificate with just four courses over four semesters.

“I have found that formal learning at this age is so much more fun and enjoyable than when I was younger,” Marklein says. “I enjoyed doing my Spanish homework and considered this personal enrichment and an interest to pursue outside of work.”

Marklein uses her new language skills in her career to communicate with Spanish-speaking individuals, translate documents, and make her husband’s business and their community more welcoming to Spanish speakers. Her law partners were also impressed with her motivation to upskill.

She hopes to take more non-credit Spanish conversation courses and uses daily Spanish practice activities such as DuoLingo, podcasts, audiobooks, reading, and listening to Spanish music and books.

Madison College language instructor Carolina Bailey sees students in her classes who are specifically motivated to enhance their language skills in the workplace, including medical professionals, community leaders, entrepreneurs, and government workers. She observed Nicole benefiting from her studies.

“The Spanish practicum provided her with legal vocabulary experience, which was great because she is a lawyer and she needed that. That’s something Madison College offers that others don’t,” Bailey says.

Employers are also seeking employees with strong language skills, says Jeff Close, Madison College Career and Employment Center Student Support Advisor.

“Workplace demographics and customer bases are evolving as our overall population evolves. Employers need workers who can communicate effectively with co-workers and customers of all backgrounds to remain relevant in the marketplace,” Close adds. “It is not unusual to see employers express a preference for language skills in their job postings.”

Obtaining a proficiency language certificate can lead to employment in different fields as companies increasingly pay more for this skill. Currently, there is increased demand for translators or interpreters in the medical field, businesses, community service sectors, and government roles. Employers may also sponsor their employees' efforts to upskill through language classes.

“While it would depend on the resources and policies of the individual employer if an employee is in a position where language skills would help them develop a market or serve their customers; there is the possibility that the company would provide financial support for upgrading those skills,” Close says.

Madison College is at the forefront of using virtual reality technology (VR) for immersive language learning experiences. With VR headsets providing 360-degree views, students can virtually travel to Spanish-speaking countries engaging in everyday situations like ordering food or discussing various topics without anxiety associated with traditional learning methods. The college currently collaborates with Immerseme platform for these virtual experiences.

“Students tell me that having the VR goggles on while being alone creates less anxiety," Bailey says. “They feel like they are having an actual conversation without stress.”

“VR technology is also an effective way to prepare students for the workplace,” Close said. “And Madison College is the place to come for that preparation.”

Learn more about Madison College's offerings including its Language Proficiency Certificates.