Spanish for Work: When Your Team, Clients or Suppliers Speak Spanish

Not everyone learns Spanish for a holiday. Some people need it on Monday morning: for the crew on a building site, for a client in Mexico City, for the night shift at the hospital, for the supplier in Bogotá who answers faster in Spanish than in English. If that sounds like your week, this article is for you.

I'm José Cardoza, a Spanish teacher in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, and I teach both online and in person. Here is what changes when you learn Spanish for work — and how to ask your company to pay for it.

Why "they speak English" is not the whole story

Your Spanish-speaking colleagues may well speak English. But when they switch to English for you, something stays behind: the joke in the corridor, the detail they did not know how to say, the worry they did not mention because explaining it in a second language was too much work. Speaking their language — even imperfectly — changes the conversation. People relax, explain more and trust you sooner.

It also saves time. Fewer misunderstandings mean fewer jobs done twice, fewer emails to clarify the last email, and fewer calls that end with everyone nodding and nobody sure.

What "Spanish for work" really means

It is not a list of business words. Most of what you need at work is everyday Spanish used with care: greeting people properly, asking for things politely, checking that you understood, talking about times, dates and numbers, and getting through a phone or video call without panic. The words of your trade come on top of that, and those we take from your real week.

All eight use usted, the polite form. In Costa Rica people use it even with friends, and at work it is the safe choice in any Spanish-speaking country.

How we build your classes

We start from your actual job, not from chapter one of a textbook. Bring me the emails you struggle with, the meeting you have on Thursday, the words your team uses every day. We practise those situations until they feel normal, and the grammar comes in where you need it.

Classes are private and online, 60 to 70 minutes, at a time that fits around your workday. Each week you get homework made from what we did in class, so the next lesson starts where the last one ended.

Can my company pay for my Spanish classes?

It is worth asking. Some companies have a budget for training or professional development, and Spanish that helps you work better with your team or your clients fits that budget well. The worst answer you can get is no.

To make it easy, here is a message you can copy, adapt and send to your manager:

Can two colleagues take a class together?

Yes. Two people can share a class for $40 — the same 60 to 70 minutes, online or in person. It works well for two colleagues who deal with the same clients or the same team, even if one of you already speaks a little more than the other: I build a plan for each of you.

Prices

A private class is $25, or $80 a month for 4 classes. A shared class for two is $40. Your first trial class (20–30 minutes) is $12, so you can see whether my way of teaching suits you before you ask anyone for money.

How the online Spanish classes work →
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