Meet Justin: Building Bilingual & Multicultural Communication Skills

“It was a challenge and an opportunity for me to grow personally and in my profession too. A multicultural experience and opportunity to see the different cultures and communication styles – and to improve my English.”

Justin had built a successful career in Costa Rica’s marketing communications and media sector – he’d spent six years working in various agencies and companies – when his wife, Kris, was presented with an transformative invitation.

A teacher in Costa Rica, she had applied for – and received – a J-1 “exchange visitor” visa that would allow the couple to come to the U.S. for three years, part of educational and cultural exchange programs designated through the U.S. Department of State. 

Kris’ visa would be sponsored by a preschool that was eager to recruit educators with bilingual and bicultural skills. As part of the J-1 program, Justin would also qualify for a work permit, allowing him to continue to build his marketing and communications career in an international setting. 

The couple had their pick of destinations across the U.S. They selected Colorado “because it was so different from Costa Rica,” Justin recalls. 

Justin and Kris arrived in Denver, where snow-capped peaks dominate the horizon. The landscape wasn’t the only major difference: “I knew English was going to be a challenge,” Justin says. He had completed a technical degree in Costa Rica but had not previously studied English. 

“The first few months were hard. My wife was working, I was waiting for my work authorization. Six months after that, I decided I needed to start learning English because communication was so hard,” he recalls. 

Career-Aligned English Across Colorado 

Justin, an expert in digital marketing, was browsing social media when he found a post about EnGen’s work with the Colorado Office of New Americans, part of the state’s Department of Labor and Employment. Via this partnership, employers, organizations, and learners across the state are able to access free EnGen licenses, including access to EnGen’s career-aligned instruction, live online classes, and personalized coaching. 

EnGen is being offered as part of a state-wide program called Virtual Career-Aligned English as a Second Language (VCESL), aimed to open career pathways and access to job-related training for more of Colorado’s immigrants and refugees, who represent 1 in 8 workers in the state. 

Justin was attracted to the program’s career focus. Once enrolled, he took courses focused on customer service and business skills, part of EnGen’s catalog of more than 130 career-focused pathways. 

“A lot of organizations offer English classes, but they are usually basic classes. I like that EnGen is geared towards careers. I’m learning English, but at the same time I’m learning business skills,” Justin says. “I have the professional skills [already], but learning English will be a huge opportunity for me to apply to different kinds of jobs here.” 

Local employers will benefit from Justin’s experience and skills: Colorado companies are expected to add 42,000 jobs in 2024, a sign of a strong state economy that may continue to strain a tight local labor market: Throughout 2022 and 2023, there were two jobs for every one unemployed worker in Colorado.

“It cannot be overstated just how vital and crucial a program like the VCESL Program is to our workforce, and to our state. The VCESL Program's main goal is to provide an equitable and accessible way for English Learners to take career and sector-specific courses in much-needed industries across the state of Colorado, removing barriers and obstacles to their success,” says Candace Heckstall, VCESL Manager with Colorado’s Office of New Americans.

A Bridge Between Communities 

As he continues to study English, Justin has begun to volunteer at a local church, where he is supporting Spanish-language outreach and community programs. He describes his work as a “bridge,” and says that his progress on EnGen has helped him connect more confidently with both English- and Spanish-speaking communities.  

“Now I can say that one of my skills is multicultural communication,” he says. “It’s not just about language skills, it’s also about the culture of communication in the U.S., like expectations around email and greetings and how to communicate other things. You can speak English at a good level, but if you also understand the culture, that helps a lot.”

Justin and Kris are grateful for the community they’ve built in Colorado, including a close friendship with a Denver-area, English-speaking family that they met shortly after arrival. “We call them our American family; the first time we met, it was hard to sit down and try to communicate something. But now, it’s easier. We feel like we’ve learned the language and the culture.”

The couple has applied to extend their J-1 visas for another two years, and are committed to continuing to build community. 

“Because of my volunteer work at the church, I meet a lot of people who have just come here [to the U.S.] It’s hard. My advice is that they need to take English classes; it’s impossible to learn English without classes. Get to know American people; they can help you build connections.” 

Colorado-based employers, organizations, and learners can access EnGen free of charge, thanks to a partnership with the Colorado Office of New Americans’ Virtual Career Aligned English as a Second Language (VCESL) program. Learn how you can connect with free licenses: https://getengen.com/ona-partners