Photo by Lexi Coon.
Giuliana Russo-Skinner introduces one of the Spanish teachers for Alabama Language Services, Elias Barco, before he leads a company class at EPL Inc. on May 8. Barco spoke to the class in Spanish as part of the immersion process Russo-Skinner uses for Alabama Language Services.
Learning a new language is hard. It’s intimidating. It takes practice.
But it can also be a humbling experience, and for those local to Homewood and the surrounding area, Alabama Language Services is hoping to make it a little easier.
Resident Giuliana Russo-Skinner founded the company in February after seeing a need in the market to help people learn to speak and understand another language.
After growing up in Italy, Russo-Skinner majored in modern languages and cultures with a focus on English and Spanish from the University G. D’Annuzio in Italy. Fluent in Italian, Spanish and English, she holds a master’s degree in education, specifically teaching English to speakers of other languages, from UAB, and a master’s degree from the University of Venice specializing in online and distance learning. She teaches part-time at UAB and Samford, too.
“I’ve always thought that languages were so interesting and so powerful,” Russo-Skinner said.
The main languages her business teaches are Italian, English and Spanish, although French, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese are available on demand. All of the instructors are native or native-like speakers, too.
Classes offered are for individuals of all ages, in group or private settings as well as family classes. The sessions are about an hour long and are tailored to each student’s progress. They’re also based out of the student’s home.
“We want to give people the comfort of being in a space they know,” Russo-Skinner said, adding that the family classes can be good bonding experiences that motivate everyone to learn. Starting language classes at a young age can be beneficial later as well, especially since not many public schools offer those classes to young students.
To aid in language retention and application, all classes are activity- and immersion-based and focused on conversational skills that are relevant in today’s day and age. She offers “crash courses” online via Skype for tourism purposes as a more cost-effective option for adults with busy schedules, too.
“In a global world, we have people who have to move across the world or travel … and have an immediate need to use the language,” she said. “But if you really want to connect with people, you really need to speak with them in their native language.”
And that can pay off in professional settings, too, which is why Russo-Skinner also offers company cultural and diversity training. She said it’s helpful for those who work internationally or may have foreign employees, and the classes can apply to foreign employees who are working in Birmingham, too.
Cultural studies are a big part of the language classes as well, especially since “language and culture go hand in hand,” Russo-Skinner said.
“Basically, I would like to give people awareness and understanding of work behaviors, just basic cultural differences,” she said, which can help add value to employees and to businesses.
“In culture, everything is relative,” she said.
Russo-Skinner said the common excuse many people tell themselves — that they’re too old to learn a new language — is a myth.
“I’ve seen some 70-year-olds that can speak fluently, read fluently, they travel often and they are just a great example of how you can be a language learner at any age,” she said.
For those who may need help outside of the realm of language learning, Alabama Language Services also offers immigration assistance services and interpretation or translation services.
Eventually, Russo-Skinner said she would like to hold group classes in a public setting or schedule meet-up groups, as well as work with schools to create after-school programming.
“Learning a language should be enjoyable and should be done for personal and professional growth … for you and your children,” she said.
To learn more about Alabama Language Services, or to book an appointment, visitalabamalanguageservices.com.