By Myara Gomez
Staff Writer
Certifications in any field are extremely beneficial to students when looking for a job in the future. Dr. Ann Warner-Ault, assistant professor of Spanish in the Department of World Languages and Cultures, saw the importance of a certification and translated it to her Spanish classes.
There are four Spanish certificates students can receive at the College: Business, Counseling and Human Services, Healthcare Professionals, and Law and Justice Practitioners.
At the College, Warner-Ault has been teaching Spanish since 2006 and has taught a total of 19 different classes, including basic language classes, Latin American literature classes, honors and more.
She is passionate about what she does, and this is why she wants her students to succeed in the language because it can help them with future endeavors.
“Fewer than 5% of lawyers and psychologists, and fewer than 6% of doctors can speak Spanish,” Warner-Ault said. “In fact, as my colleague, Dr. Isabel Kentengian, likes to point out, language is considered a social determinant of health because patients who do not speak English are less likely to get quality medical care.”
Many people around the United States and abroad have issues communicating due to a language barrier. If more professionals put an importance in learning several languages to help others, it would be much easier for them to communicate their concerns.
These certificates are beneficial to students because it can help with their future admissions and acceptances. This certificate will place students' foot in the door, and they will have a plethora of opportunities at their feet. Several students that received this certificate are already receiving a massive influx of job offers and great opportunities.
“I think that learning Spanish and any other language is definitely a benefit because it is a skill that anyone can learn given the right passion and effort into mastering it. It is an advantage in any profession because you are able to communicate with others who may not be proficient in English,” said sophomore political science major Adam Rodriguez-Hernandez. “For example, I want to be a lawyer, and I would be representing my clients. I think it’s important to connect with them and make them feel comfortable in the courtroom and aware of the procedures of the law.”
To obtain a certificate a student must take Spanish 103 or have placed out of Spanish 103, a student can do this by either taking a placement test or by completing an oral interview with the chair of the World Languages Department, Dr. Marimar Jerez Huguet. According to Warner-Ault, students can add their certificate by completing the add or remove a minor, course of study or the undergraduate certificate form from Records and Registration.
“This certificate will help me be able to reach people who can only speak Spanish and serve more types of families that wouldn’t normally be served,” said sophomore psychology major Emily Riotto Alejandro.
A student can complete more than one certificate, but they can only “double-count” one class with either their minor, major or certificates. Warner-Ault claims that some of the certificates share more than one class, but for some of them, like Law and Justice and Human Services and Counseling, it’s not possible to complete two of them.
“I am so excited for these new programs,” said Warner-Ault. “There is a great need across all sectors for professionals with intercultural knowledge who can communicate with monolingual Spanish speakers. I am happy that [students at the college] and professors can help to bridge this gap and provide much-needed services in Spanish.”
If students are interested in getting involved in the process to obtain a certificate, students should contact Jerez Huguet at: huguet@tcnj.edu.
