Four tips to accelerate your English language learning process
In today's world, most people think everything done faster is better - fast food, fast communication, fast transportation, fast learning is how...
Each year many Americans decide it’s time for a change of pace and pick up and move their lives to one of the world's largest countries – Brazil. Moving to...
Cinthya Trueba and CCLS Houston’s journey from classes at an apartment kitchen table to offices overlooking the city
To celebrate CCLS Houston's 14th anniversary, we sat down with CEO &...
Don’t use outdated, inefficient methods
Grammar-translation methods and tedious memorization of words and rules have been standard practice for centuries all over the world.
Do accents make a difference when it comes to employers deciding whom to pick?
Accent reduction has many benefits, including:
Better communication in the workplace between individuals such as employers, staff, clients...
A senior drilling engineer is ready to give a presentation to a large group of fellow employees, and a few higher-ups. The engineer is from another country, and although he...
On Tuesday, February 26th, 2019, CCLS Houston, in conjunction with the University of Houston’s Alpha Epsilon Delta, provided a Crash Course in Medical Spanish to more than 20 students! The...
Now that the U.S., Mexico and Canada have signed the new USMCA, designed to replace NAFTA, traders in North America can breathe a sigh of collective relief. Canada and Mexico...
CCLS Houston has designed a new program to help medical professionals improve their communication with patients from Spanish-speaking communities. Prior Spanish-language education is not required for this program. Medical Spanish...
In the Nightingale pledge, nurses promise to dedicate themselves “to devoted service for human welfare.” This creed is followed by workers throughout the medical field, but it can be a...
You are in Houston. Everywhere you go people speak English. You may feel isolated. Learning English is a good way to get connected and become more comfortable in your new...
With the recent news that Brazil leads the world in planned and announced drilling projects, the Oil & Gas industry’s eyes are turned increasingly towards that nation. Additionally, Oil &...
By 2024 it is estimated that the Hispanics/Latinos will make up 32.5% of the total U.S. workforce. The hospitality industry is at the forefront of that trend. In fact, according...
Esta expresión es empleada para afirmar que ciertas características de un individuo lo acompañarán siempre, independientemente del tiempo, lugar o circunstancias en que se encuentre. Cabe destacar que la expresión...
El verbo quedar tiene al menos 7 significados y cada uno tiene una estructura gramatical distinta, si no conoces sus usos vas a QUEDAR LOCO.
Cuando estaba en la secundaria yo ya sabía que estudiaría la Licenciatura en Lengua y Literatura Hispánica en la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Sin embargo, esta futura elección que...
Do you know the origin of the idiom “de tal palo tal astilla”?
Is similar to “like father like son” or “the apple doesn´t fall far from the tree”. This expression...
¿Conoces el origen de la expresión “de tal palo tal astilla” o “the apple doesn´t fall far from the three”?
Esta expresión se suele utilizar para referirse a los defectos...
From ancient times, there has been great diversity of languages. These, from the beginning, have been different from each other. There has never been a single common language, but great...
Desde tiempos ancestrales es que existe una gran diversidad de lenguas y estas desde un principio se diferenciaron, nunca existió una lengua común pero sí grandes agrupaciones lingüísticas por zona...
Red Nose Day was born in 1985 in UK, leaded by the non-profit organization Comic Relief and it started in the US in 2015. Red Nose Day is more than...
¿Conoces el origen de la expresión “it´s raining cats and dogs” o “llueve a cántaros”?. Vamos a conocer el curioso origen de estas expresiones. Con este tipo de frases...
Do you know the origin of the idiom "it´s raining cats and dogs" or in Spanish "llueve a cántaros"? Let´s find out the curious origin of these idioms. With this...
Have you ever been in a situation where you're trying to tell something to a friend or colleague, but you don't want to be direct about it? Maybe you don't...
Carnaval is a large celebration in Brazil before Lent. It is an unique opportunity to experience the many artistic sides of the country and its culture. From its dancers and...
Los aportes de los inmigrantes a Estados Unidos ha sido uno de los recursos más transcendentales para el éxito del país. A través de sus grandes contribuciones han dejado una...
The contributions made to the U.S. by American immigrants have enriched the country in no small part due to their tenacious drive to succeed and their ability to approach problems...
It's been many times that I have heard an incorrect use of the word dialect, especially because the average speaker does not know how to properly differentiate between a language...
Son muchas las ocasiones que he escuchado un uso incorrecto de la palabra dialecto, sobre todo porque el hablante promedio no sabe distinguir de manera adecuada entre lo que es...
In one of my conversations with a Mexican friend who lived in Spain, he was telling me that for a Spaniard the best way to make a Mexican look bad...
En una de mis conversaciones con un amigo mexicano que vivía en España me comentaba que para un español la mejor forma de dejar mal parado a un mexicano consiste...
Aún recuerdo que hace casi seis meses aconteció esta curiosa experiencia en la coordinación del Colegio de Letras Hispánicas de la UNAM. Mientras trabajaba en una revisión del plantel de...
Es un hecho innegable que el inglés es la lengua mundial, ya que no solamente la respaldan sus 942 millones de hablantes (nativos y no nativos); además, es el vehículo...
Amid public outcry, the Enrique Pena-Nieto’s government announced a hike in consumer gasoline prices. The price hike, also known as the, “Gasolinazo,” has lead people to pay up to 20%...
Entre manifestaciones y protestas el gobierno de Enrique Peña-Nieto ha subido el precio de la gasolina. El incremento, conocido como el “Gasolinazo,” ha ocasionado que el consumidor mexicano tenga que...
“A Mexican in Star Wars? Come on! And not just for five minutes!” so Diego Luna exclaimed, who is playing the lead male role in the most recent Star War’s...
Portuguese is a powerful language that holds a great deal of importance in the modern business world. Due to its rich heritage, the linguistic sphere of influence extends far beyond...
Spanish is an important language in the workplace for many professions. Not only can it help you have an international career where you get to travel abroad for business, but...
The first language you learn, your mother tongue, usually comes with little conscious effort. If you're lucky, you might even acquire more than one language in the so-called 'critical period...
In her latest book, The Latino Patient, Nilda Chong says that "When a non-Latino provider meets a Latino patient in the clinical setting, both face the challenges of a cross-cultural...
The ancient Greek civilization had a saying that was so important to them it was written at the entrance of the great temple of Apollo. It said "γνωθι σεαυτόν", which...
It is no news that being bilingual is a powerful tool in today’s job market. In Houston alone, the Latino population has dramatically increased, reaching over 40% of the city...
What is Transcultural Competence?
The ability to work and live across cultures is key to for today’s globalized and interconnected world. It is also known by the term Cultural Intelligence. A...
English is the most spoken language in the United States. However, it is not the only means of communicating in this country. A close second to English is Spanish, which...
El año 2016 presenta un panorama laboral mucho más complejo que al menos los últimos 3 años. Este incluirá los cambios estructurales al plan de salud (healthcare) de Obama (Obamacare)...
Ok, when you think about Christmas they may come to your mind images of beautiful and tall trees, plenty of gifts and delicious dinner with family and friends, but it...
Como lo hemos comentado en repetidas ocasiones, el hablar un segundo idioma siempre abrirá muchas puertas que toquemos. Hablar y escribir inglés es algo que se ha convertido en un...
Saber inglés ya no es un lujo, ni tampoco un gusto: es una necesidad. Para desarrollarnos profesionalmente y alcanzar un perfecto desempeño en cualquier lugar de trabajo, debemos de hablar...
Estás aprendiendo un idioma y conforme pasa el tiempo, te vas preguntando: ¿qué será mejor, gramática o conversación?., aquí te diremos por qué la conversación es mucho más importante que...
Aprender el idioma inglés se ha vuelto tan necesario en estos tiempos, casi como tener una computadora en casa. La mayoría de nosotros aspiramos a conseguir importantes puestos de trabajo...
Noviembre es un mes importante para todos los mexicanos, debido a que a principios de éste se celebra una de las fechas más representativas para la cultura de este país:...
The month of november is important for all the mexicans, this is because in the beginning of the month one of the most representative customs’ is celebrated: día de muertos...
CCLS Houston, along with Friends of Chuck (FOC) was very pleased to sponsor an evening “Meet and Greet” for Houston mayoral candidate Adrian Garcia at the Post Oak Grill Restaurant...
The Sister Cities of Houston hosted its 10th annual Fall Concert at St. Thomas University on Sunday evening, and CCLS Houston was proud to be a sponsor and attendee at...
La eterna duda: profesor nativo o no nativo. Como siempre la respuesta no es blanco o negro. ¿qué puede aportar un no nativo?. Existe un mito del que solo se...
Surely you have been encouraged to learn another language, but the arguments does not seem too convincing or don’t make you believe that it is really necessary. Next we’ll share...
Brazil is known as one of the funniest places in the world, and yes it is, indeed. If we stop to think about the customs and traditions of Brazil, immediately...
Brasil es uno de los países señalados como uno de los más divertidos del mundo, es que efectivamente, lo es. Si nos detenemos a pensar sobre cuáles son las costumbres...
As a direct result of the Internet being everywhere you look, the world we live in is more connected than ever. From the countless individuals looking at their smartphones during...
Being mindful of cultural differences in the business world goes beyond following simple rules of thumb such as punctuality standards, dress code, and greeting gestures. It comprises understanding the underlying...
Ser más productivo no significa simplemente lograr más, también significa disfrutar más. De nada sirve que alcances la meta del año, del mes o del período propuesto en tu trabajo...
Have you ever wondered why it seems so easy to understand a Portuguese phrase even when you don't have any previous knowledge of it?
Despite the fact that a Spanish speaking...
Una mujer joven entra a mi oficina. En ese tiempo yo era consejera académica en una universidad privada en Brasil. Sus grandes ojos marrón brillan con emoción, mientras que un...
En los últimos 2 años, un paquete de reformas energéticas se convirtieron en ley en México, estas incluían 9 nuevas leyes así como modificaciones a las ya existentes, con lo...
In the globalized, interconnected information era that we live in, communication is key to development. It is easy to see why being able to speak more than one language could...
En los últimos años, empresarios de todo el mundo han visto a América Latina como el lugar donde invertir y un nuevo mercado donde promocionar sus servicios y productos. De...
Una de las frases más famosas en el mundo de los negocios es "El tiempo es dinero" y aun cuando en algunas ocasiones pueda sonar algo exagerado la realidad es...
Les compartimos esta infografía que muestra personalidades destacadas del mundo de los negocios en diferentes generaciones. ¿Ustedes qué opinan, qué generación ha sido más destacada en el mundo de los...
Sabemos que en el mundo corporativo y de negocios el email es el medio de comunicación más utilizado; ya sean cotizaciones, solicitudes, órdenes de trabajo, o en el proceso de...
Aprender a trabajar en equipo siempre ha significado una tarea ardua para cualquier grupo de trabajo ya que intervienen diferentes factores como la cultura, el nivel de estudios, la efectividad...
Definitivamente hay un antes y un después de las redes sociales. Las redes sociales han cambiado significativamente muchas áreas de nuestra vida, y tal vez el área que ha sido...
Hoy, por primera vez en la historia; se puede encontrar en las oficinas y lugares de trabajo a 4 generaciones trabajando juntas: los tradicionalistas (nacidos entre 1922 y 1945), los...
Stop having to repeat yourself
Open up career improvement opportunities
Perform better in school
Stop being too embarrassed to speak publicly
It is an all too common scenario: Roberto studied...
It is that time of the year. No matter what religion (if any) we practice, most of us will gather with friends and family to celebrate the Holidays. For thousands...
Implications for Business Strategy
There is a saying in Spanish, that “Un hombre prevenido, vale por dos,” which translates as “a man forewarned, is worth two.” If you are a business...
The Cultural Center for Language Studies (CCLS) Houston is a program designed specifically for working professionals who need to become effective in Spanish, Portuguese or English in a dynamic corporate...