Language Access Team Visits Kewaunee County Farms

Language Access Team Visits Kewaunee County Farms  

By Ariana Thao, Summer Intern, Language Access Team

 

On Tuesday, June 19, members of Extension’s Language Access team along with Dairy and Livestock Agent in Kewaunee and Door Counties, Aerica Bjurstrom, visited multiple sites in Kewaunee County. The purpose of the trip was to explore how workplaces in the state’s dairy sector approach language differences between English-dominant and Spanish-dominant personnel. Our day included meetings with representatives from Literacy Partners of Kewaunee County and two of Kewaunee County’s dairy farms. Aerica helped us develop an itinerary by reaching out to her county constituents. All three sites were very welcoming in our arrival and were open to all our ideas and platform. Upon the exploration of the sites, representatives were excited and transparent in showing the way they ran things and were proud of their businesses. Prior to the visit, the Language Access team met to identify and discuss a set of objective for the day, which were also developed in consultation with Aerica. The objectives included an interest in meeting with leadership and personnel to discuss how multilingual communication in the workplace was managed and what resources were beneficial in bridging communication gaps.

Our conversations with each of the representatives were very different, yet insightful. Each site had their own way of approaching language barriers in the workplace. The farms shared their perspectives on how language barriers sometimes influence issues of workplace safety, employee development and training, and other evolving trends within the dairy sector. From my observations, it was interesting to see how language differences between personnel created a communication gap. Sometimes the gap was evident so much that there needed to be changes made, such as injury-causing language differences, and sometimes the gap was an underlying issue that most were not aware of. Safety concerns and conveying them to workers were at the top of the list for employers. Most Spanish-dominant personnel could “get by” on little to no English ability due to the help of their peers. Likewise, many English-dominant personnel were able to use their Spanish language skills that were learned in school or informally from the workplace. Even though people still communicated despite limited proficiency in either language, they acknowledged how the inability to fully communicate in the other language had specific consequences. At times, reinforcing the importance of protocol suffered from not being able to express more complex thoughts. Both English- and Spanish-speaking personnel talked about the importance of communication in promoting teamwork, proper training, employee skills development, workplace safety, and animal health. Communication was important for all of these factors and played a significant role in workplaces standards overall.

As well, it was interesting to see the diversity of the workplace and how language usage sometimes, but not always, hindered communication and connections among personnel. Among the Spanish-speaking employees we met, many were from different Spanish-speaking countries in the Americas, including Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, and others. Thus, words and phrases from different countries created gaps among Spanish-speaking groups of employees. In our conversations, we observed that educational tools were used, interpretation/translation services were utilized when needed, and the involvement of bilingual members was key to help promote a positive work environment. Walking around the dairy farms, it was great to see the employers in full support of their employees. The bonds between certain members were evident in their interactions. As well, it was interesting to see the delegation of roles at all levels, regardless of a person’s level of proficiency in either Spanish or English. Specific employees were described as “vital” or “key to our organization”. As well, all organizations were very aware that they needed to do more to ensure that employees’ needs were met and to ensure that their own needs were met. Representatives expressed interest in hands-on learning tools for Spanish dominant speakers such as translated videos and conferences, English classes for Spanish speakers and vice versa, and other resources that UW Extension could provide.

Overall, the experience was very interesting. Coming from a more northern part of the state, I figured I knew most of what occurred on farms, but the dairy farm sites granted me a whole different perspective on what really occurs on these sites. There are many steps taken into account on how to ensure that the farm succeeds in our changing economy. As well, I was intrigued by how many Spanish dominant workers were really a part of these farms. I noticed that when bonds were formed between employers and employees, language barriers were easier to overcome. Those who were bilingual served very important roles, as liaisons of sorts. Through these site visits, our team was able to look on from an outsider’s perspective and dive in to all the logistical workings it takes to run not only a business but a multilingual one. Each person is vital to the success of the business.