As part of a class lesson, San Jacinto College Spanish professor Jeff Mollhagen, left, explains the symbolism of “Day of the Dead” figurines to student Jesus Villegas. “Day of the Dead” (Spanish: Día de los Muertos) is a holiday celebrated in Mexicao and by Mexican Americans living in the United States. Photo by Rob Vanya, San Jacinto College Marketing department

North campus offers flexible, affordable courses in French, Spanish

Rob Vanya, August 9, 2010

In today’s global economy, the ability to communicate in a foreign language can open many doors of opportunity, and San Jacinto College (SJC) offers practical, flexible training in Spanish and French, two of the most commonly used languages in the world.

With such a large Latino influence, the importance of the Spanish language in the Houston area is obvious. But a working knowledge of French can also be very advantageous.

French is spoken on every continent, and is an official language of many international organizations. For medical and scientific studies, French is an important language for publications and research. “In 2009, the Department of State had more jobs where the ability to speak French was needed than any other language,” commented John Thomas, who teaches French at the SJC North campus. “The ability to communicate in French will give students a lot of options as they go through life.”

The job market for French speakers is smaller in Houston and Texas than for Spanish speakers, but Thomas says that actually works to the advantage of French speakers, because the pool of people who can speak French is also small. “For example, I got my first job as a computer programmer in Austin because a software company needed a French-speaking person for a project with IBM France,” Thomas noted. “For those who want to work in travel or tourism, the ability to speak French, as well as English and Spanish is a tremendous asset. One of my students from last semester works for a travel agency, and receives phone calls from French speakers fairly frequently. Many people are not aware that a large number of Vietnamese and Cambodians, who are well represented in Houston, also speak French, especially those who were born and educated overseas.”

The North campus offers beginning French courses. Students who complete the courses can generally express themselves in French in most situations, according to Thomas. “They will have enough basic vocabulary to be able to travel, or to further their study of French,” he said.

Thomas says French is a good first choice for a native English speaker who wants to learn a foreign language. “According to the Defense Language Institute, French is one of the easiest languages for native English speakers to learn,” he remarked. Thomas added that more than half of the English vocabulary was derived from French or Latin. “This makes French vocabulary easy to learn, and especially easy to learn to read,” he said.

For those wanting to communicate in Spanish, the North campus offers both beginning and intermediate courses. Jeff Mollhagen, who teaches Spanish at the North campus, says learning Spanish is beneficial, not only because of the global economy, but also because of the local economy. “The Houston area has a huge Spanish speaking population, and they purchase products and services just like the English speaking population does,” Mollhagen commented. “In my classes I have had doctors, nurses, real estate agents, teachers, school administrators, business owners, and the list goes on of people who are taking Spanish for their current jobs. They find that even if they don’t need Spanish as a requirement for their jobs, learning even a little bit makes their jobs easier, or makes them more competitive.”

To illustrate, Mollhagen tells a story about a student who was working part-time as a file clerk in a local doctor’s office. “One day the receptionist was short-handed and asked Nicole (the student) to start answering the phone, book appointments, and take messages,” he said. “In our Spanish class, we had covered dates, and days of the week, time and letters of the alphabet. That, combined with what she had the heard the receptionist say over the phone previously, was enough for Nicole to book a few appointments in Spanish. She was given a raise and better hours on the spot.”

Mollhagen says it makes sense financially for a SJC student who plans to transfer to a four-year college or university to take foreign language courses at SJC, rather than waiting until later. “Foreign language courses are significantly less expensive at San Jac than at most four-year colleges and universities,” he noted.

The North campus French and Spanish classes offer a flexible blending of conventional lecture-style learning with lab activities and group projects. “The lab part of foreign language courses has changed, and it’s giving away these days to interactive Internet-based applications,” Mollhagen commented. Lab activities now include online grammar exercises that give immediate feedback on student performance. The Internet also provides students with instant access to foreign language news portals, and many other valuable foreign language learning resources. Students also work in small groups, speaking to one another in Spanish or French to develop listening and reading comprehension, and to improve pronunciation.

North campus student Quiana Brown, who is studying to be a social worker, says learning to communicate in Spanish will be beneficial to her in her career. “Social work is a very people-oriented field, and being able to speak a foreign language helps to break down communication barriers that can hinder people from seeking help,” she said.

Registration for classes continues online and on campus at San Jacinto College through Aug. 22. The first day of classes for the Fall term is Aug. 23.

San Jacinto College serves a diverse population of more than 27,000 students in over 140 degrees and certificates in university transfer and technical programs. The College also serves the community through workforce training. Students come with various goals and aspirations and we are committed to their success. San Jacinto College. Your Goals. Your College.

For more information about San Jacinto College, please visit www.sanjac.edu, or call 281-998-6150.

Contact: Rob Vanya