Angela Blanco

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome back, listeners, to the Tron podcast, the Randomness of Nothing today. We have a very special guest today who brings a unique set of skills that I think everybody has, should try to have in learning another language, self included, which I've tried and failed at. I have. Angel Blanco, CEO and creator of Fluency Lab. Thank you very much. I appreciate your time. [00:00:19] Speaker B: Thank you. Thank you for having me. Rashad. I'm very excited about this conversation. [00:00:23] Speaker A: Yes, yes. You know, first of all, I never want to over talk my guests, but I want to say, like, the work that you do when it comes to, you know, teaching people Spanish, obviously is the very prominent language spoken in, you know, multiple countries worldwide. Tell me a little bit about your background, please, and how you created Fluency Lab. [00:00:39] Speaker B: Sure. Well, I've been an educator my whole life. I don't talk about being a teacher or a professor. I like education, something that I started doing since I was very young. I learned something and I was finding a way to teach it to someone else. You know, I really like sharing the information. I started with music. That was my first, my very first thing. That was my way of, you know, getting some extra money for myself when I was in the university. So that was cool. Nice. And yeah. And I had this opportunity when I traveled to Jamaica and the. The deal was you do the volunteership, you help them learn in Spanish, and in exchange, the university that is hosting you is going to teach you English. So that was brilliant. And since then, I just realized I really like languages and, you know, these connections that you can make with people once you are capable of speaking a second language. So since then I've been working with it. I wanted to make my own business and that's how Fluency Lab existed. [00:01:46] Speaker A: It's funny, you know, you get introduced sometimes to another language just through high school or junior high, where you take like that semester and then people ultimately take off. And obviously I was introduced in my junior high. You kind of take it just as a class, not understanding later on in life just how important that class really can be. And you start to learn that when you get to college and you're like, man, I have such a gap in my skill set in my conversation. And then even when you make a decent attempt, and I say this on a personal level, when you go to a restaurant or you have somebody, there's a barber that sometimes cuts my hair who's Venezuelan, and you can actually somewhat try to like speak their language, their guard comes down a little bit. Right. Like, it's automatically like a more Human connection to them. And like this guy's making a real concerted effort to understand me, to be in my kind of realm. It's like, hey man, I'm willing to, you know, try to dabble a little bit and then to look on people's faces, they get like a little state of shock. Now I'm far from the floor. Yeah, it's. It's a beautiful thing. And so how did you. And I don't. Like I said I want to over talk you, but this, I'm so passionate about this even though I don't speak another language because it crosses so many boundaries and it makes people feel so much more human when you can interact another language. [00:02:58] Speaker B: Absolutely. And even, even more where it's a place where probably you are not expecting to hear your mother tongue. So I can say similarly in Latin America, if anyone asked, we are taking English lessons since school. But the reality is that during that time you, as you mentioned, you don't understand really why you're doing it, what's the point of it and. And is given in such a way that is so grammar, you know, it's based on all the boring stuff. Unfortunately. Yeah, I don't know what happens with schools. That's why I call myself an educator, not a teacher. Because I wish, I wish that the approach was different. I understand that it's difficult really to. With big groups, but. But yeah. So we're supposed to learn English at school. The reality is that at the end we really don't understand what is it for and what is the, you know, how to really approach it or how to use it in real life. So, so this is very similar in both cases. I would say if I compare Latin America, I'm from Colombia, if I compare Latin America with the USA in that matter. But something that definitely I can say and people can prove me wrong, but definitely a Spanish speaker gets extremely excited and happy and joyful. And if you go to a restaurant and you speak to them in Spanish, you can guarantee that they're going to give you some extra food you don't like. We really, we really like to prize the fact that someone is speaking our language. So that's a great motivation for people who are thinking about it or want to try it and feel too shy. We're really open to listen to people who are willing to use our language, which is something I'm very proud of. [00:04:40] Speaker A: Well, you know, exactly when I was doing lessons in full Disclosure, I didn't do fluency lab. I was doing Pimsleur because At the time, until I talked to you, I didn't know about Fluency lab. So I'll have to dive into fluency lab for my Spanish going forward. Forward. But I was finding out some Twitter to my ignorance. There's a difference between, you know, Mexico Spanish, South America Spanish. Different regions have different dialects. They say places, locations all differently. And so it was like, it was a little overwhelming because you're like, dude, man, you don't even think about that when you're trying to just learn the basics. Counting, numbers, food, where are you from? You know, and so you're trying to figure out all these small things. And then you're like, oh, my gosh, now I gotta figure out the difference between Colombia versus Ecuador versus Mexico versus Puerto Rico. Right. So. [00:05:29] Speaker B: Right. [00:05:29] Speaker A: How do you distinguish that for a learner so they don't feel overwhelmed? [00:05:32] Speaker B: I love, I love that question because it is something that. Well, normally part of my job is teaching Spanish and the other percentage of the time is debunking myths about Spanish. That's normally how it works. So I can say there is a. There is a clear difference in terms of accents that you can take from all the 20 countries that speak Spanish, but it's not different to the, you know, American, Canadian, Australian and British English. Right. So it's like, yeah, definitely, there's some differentiations. You can say, I don't know, rubbish, or you can say trash for talking about. Or garbage. Sorry about examples. [00:06:10] Speaker A: That's how I speak Spanish. So you, you just described all the ways I speak Spanish. Right. [00:06:14] Speaker B: So that's, you know, I'm sure it's not the case, but definitely, like, different words, different words for the same thing that could happen. But it doesn't mean that. For example, if you decide to take a plane and you go to Sydney, you cannot communicate like you're going to starve to death, you know, so that's, that's all what I say to my students is like, don't worry, because Spanish is Spanish. It might have some slang or some different speed regional. It is not different to New York and Texan. You know, English. Right. So it's different rhythm. Maybe they're going to say pub, the other one's going to say soda, things like that. [00:06:51] Speaker A: Okay. [00:06:52] Speaker B: In the same country. So something like that happens with a Spanish. So don't worry too much about it is is the numbers are the same. The, the places, the food is the same. It's just about getting those little nuances. But that's something you worry about only when you are In a very advanced level that you say, well, I want to talk to an Argentinian. I need to get these words right so I don't get any misunderstanding. But apart from that, you can build a conversation with anyone. [00:07:19] Speaker A: Yeah, because when I was, I was doing pimsleur, I did duolingo and this isn't a slam on duolingo, but it felt more gamey kind of a little bit. Right. Like it didn't feel like, yeah, you collect words. Right, right, right. Like and it's not a slam on it. I'm sure lots of people have successful at it, but I was geared more towards when I was repeating things. And first of all I found out that I had to do it every single day because you lose it after like a week if you're not consistent with it and you're not actually speaking it and you don't, you know. But to your point, like they were saying, even you would even say like Mrs. Ma', am, sir, different in per country depending on who you're talking to and where they are. You know, I don't want to say in society, but you know how you address. People can differ per country. They may correct you, but at least you've got somewhat of a basic language, so to speak. [00:08:05] Speaker B: Yeah, well the, the idea is to go for the one that works in most countries, I would always say. Or it depends a lot on what you want to do. If you say, well, I really wish to go to Puerto Rico and being able to communicate with people there, probably I rarely will miss a visit. Peru, right. You start making your choices based on that. [00:08:26] Speaker A: So, so you. I love the way Fluency lab, you know, they say that we work on more not, you know, collecting coins, but actually specifying it per the person that's being introduced. How many people are on your staff. And you also do individuals as well as businesses because obviously companies work internationally and their staff may be, do you know, maybe bilingual or they may have clients or markets they want to enter into and that could be a barrier to entry for them. [00:08:51] Speaker B: Yeah, it's a business that started being a freelancer thing that then became too serious, let's say. Oh, we're growing. We have four teachers so far, which is because of staff. But it give us the opportunity to, you know, cover different time zones, which is very important for me in that matter because being one to one sessions or for corporate, you need to adapt to people's, you know, working hours or free time. Sometimes Saturday, sometimes Sundays. [00:09:23] Speaker A: Right. [00:09:23] Speaker B: So. So that's, that's our team, our Main goal is to really think about that person objective. Because, for example, I'm just giving you a nurse that wants to learn Spanish. It's going to have completely different set of priorities and needs also depending on the state they're working. For example, if they're working in Michigan or they're working in California, they're going to encounter different cultural backgrounds in the Latino population. Something that people sometimes, when they start digging on, start finding out it is that the cultural background of the Latino population depending on the state and also the conversation. So I would. Talking about the way to address in health care, I would always go for senor, senora Usted, you know, because there is a formal. A bigger distance and is naturally. But if you want to work on. Oh, we were talking a little bit before about it, the construction. [00:10:20] Speaker A: Yes. [00:10:21] Speaker B: It is just more relaxed and people want really to have a connection because this is already such a hard work and so precise and everything that maybe the way to dress people is going to be just like, ah, you know, do you want to learn those? Exactly. So how do you. How do you dress your work? You know, the other people, your colleagues, your colleagues at work is going to be more like us, just more relaxed. Right. [00:10:45] Speaker A: For sure. [00:10:46] Speaker B: So we need to adapt, right. Our. Our curriculum to all these different objectives and also the vocabulary they need. Yeah. [00:10:55] Speaker A: I thought what was fascinating, even when I was learning Spanish, the one thing that I had problems with was people talked fast, right? Because like, if, I mean, it was like, because you. It would, I know, disrespect, but it was like I just mentally wasn't picking up how fast they were talking and you just said, oh, my gosh. Like, I could hear certain words and certain verbs, and when you write Spanish down, you can kind of make out sometimes what word it is in the English translation, you know, so. But it's like when people speak it, the speed is where it really struggles a little bit at. Because it's just them having their natural flowing conversation amongst themselves. And you're just like, yeah, this is. I'm at kindergarten level right now, preschool level right now, and I just can't keep up with the speed of what you're talking at. [00:11:35] Speaker B: But it's about trying. It's about working on it. Yeah, well, it's funny. It's funny you say that because, for example, I participate in this podcast or I create content in English, making some explanations. I know quite well that English is going to be the bridge that helps people to approach Fluency Lab and our lessons and our content. So I use it and I've been, you know, using it for a while. And my friends from Colombia say, my God, everyone speaks so fast in English. I never can, can catch a word, you know, and you're, you're catching them, you know, you're speaking very fast too. So it's like, why did you say it? So that's my answer to that. [00:12:15] Speaker A: Okay, so we all have to deal with. You all got a little bit of learning to do and everything like that, you know, But I think also too, and I say this very respectfully, like, movies help, right? Because a lot of movies are, are overseas and I don't know what you were exposed to, so I'm certainly not going to assume. But, you know, even movies can help. Like when I watch, I can't watch dubbed movies to save my life, right? It's one thing if it's like the, the old martial arts movies from Asia, that's a little bit different because they're like, hey, you know, it's an action. But like, when I watch like a Spanish movie, like one of my favorite movies is the Secret in Their Eyes from Argentina. I love it. It's a beautiful movie. [00:12:48] Speaker B: So, yeah, the actors. Oh, famous. [00:12:53] Speaker A: I mean, it's one of the greatest. I just caught it like on like 10, 12 years ago or something like that. It was just random. I was like, holy smokes, it's a phenomenal movie. I couldn't imagine watching that movie dubbed because it would have took away the emotional connection of how they were talking to one another. I don't want to hear some guy speaking English in this very serious crime drama movie. And I'm not spoiling it for people who haven't seen it, but it would have took away from the. What was taking place hearing that in Eng English. And even though I'm reading subtitles, it meant more to me watching that movie like that. There's an emotional connection, there's a cultural learning that you're learning about somebody's history. You know, every, you know, from Spain, from how things were colonized, slash conquered. You know, that's a different topic itself. But how the language began to spread, you have more appreciation of it when you actually listen to it in its native language. [00:13:40] Speaker B: It's interesting to mention that because normally I get excited about these things and this is kind of my geek side, my, my nerdy side, but, but I'm very happy that you too understand that, that, that obsession. Definitely. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And, and there's so much what you say, the nuance and the way that you people are choosing between one word or the other. [00:14:00] Speaker A: Yes. [00:14:00] Speaker B: When you are looking at this dubbing or more than the dubbing, when you use the subtitles, you realize after learning Spanish for a while that the choices are different. Right. So something that the best expression in English is not going to be translated literally into Spanish. [00:14:16] Speaker A: Correct. [00:14:16] Speaker B: And that gives you some clues about the cult people decide to use one way or one visual expression, let's say over other one or an idiom over the other one. So, so that's, that's, that's great. Something that only subtitles give you or like. [00:14:34] Speaker A: And not to get down that wormhole too much a scene could be very serious in the person saying it in Spanish, but if you hear it dubbed in English, it almost turns in kind of a parody, so to speak, where it's not serious. Yeah, you know, like this person got an emotionally breakdown moment. Next thing you know, you hear this guy from Texas talking. You're like, so smart. [00:14:52] Speaker B: Yeah. Very standard and without emotion. Yeah, that depends on the, on the capacity of the voice actor to do the job. And sometimes. Yeah, I know what you say. [00:15:02] Speaker A: It does. It does. But you know, I hate to derail the topic. So real quick. So I was curious, like, how is a structured lesson going on when you're onboarding somebody, you know, like company individual. [00:15:14] Speaker B: Well, let's talk about. Well, company normally go based on what the is pretty much a straightforward. We have to talk with the, the managers who are the ones who are saying, well, this is the normal interactions that we have, you know, at work. And this is pretty much the moments where all the misunderstandings happen. Because, for example, in construction, definitely there is a money situation when misunderstanding happen. Like big misunderstandings can mean, well, accidents pretty much, but also wasting money or resources. [00:15:45] Speaker A: Right. [00:15:46] Speaker B: So it's like, okay, this is definitely the core of the situations we have to deal with. And based on that, we build our, our program. I know quite well that everyone is starting in a different point because some people have play with duolingo or they did good at school or things like that. So what we do is to assess the level of English, of Spanish that people have. And based on that, it's like, okay, we try to find a middle spot. Like, okay, this is not going to be too boring for the people who are already been working for a while using Spanish, let's say, on that journey. But it's not going to be overwhelming for people who, you know, feels like it's the very first time they're approaching the language and small groups I certainly believe that more than, you know, eight, 10 people in a lesson is already giving us the chance to leave. Someone left and maybe just scared or not participating enough. [00:16:41] Speaker A: Oh, for sure. [00:16:42] Speaker B: I think that. Exactly. And it's a language, so it needs to be focused on conversation. You know, at the end that's what you want. You want to communicate. So you need to talk, you need to. And you need to lose that fear of using the language. And at this, the first time everything sounds, you know, alien. It's like what was that word? And why is the same. But idea. An idea what? Things like that. And so I think you get the sense of how we work. Yeah, but the idea is that everyone has a chance to communicate and to say some things in Spanish. Exactly. Absolutely. There is a mission that is behind all of this. And I think that before addressing languages that, you know, like offering a bigger catalog, let's say of languages for the usa, which is normally where our business is having most clients, I. What I want is to do the opposite as well. So have helping Latino population or people in Latin America who want to improve their English skills. Because after all, what I think is I see that, you know, I don't want to use words that now have a political meaning, but there is a gap between these two cultures that I think needs to be solved anyway. You know, whether it's more people speaking English or more people speaking Spanish, it needs to happen. So what I want is to help also my people to improve their skills so they don't have any other, you know, things on the way. The priority is not helping them to improve and to get what they want. So that would be probably the next step. And it has been mentioned to, to use some English for construction, English for healthcare. [00:18:22] Speaker A: But well, it could, it could honestly be a life or death situation. Right. Like when you talk about healthcare workers. Right. So like, you know, there's a lot of people who speak different languages that are in different, that gravitate towards different industries. And that's not, you know, a charge statement by saying that you see a lot more different people in different cultures who may be in nursing, who could be in doctors, who could be in construction sites, you know, than you would maybe another field of work in your life if you do have, you know, that, that second language. As a nurse, as a doctor diagnosis, they could be more comfortable to reveal medical things or, or their health history or they could not seek care because they don't necessarily have somebody who speaks their language and they could have a very bad health condition because they don't have somebody that's. That's able to communicate with them. And so it really could turn into a life or death situation. [00:19:11] Speaker B: It is, it is in the emergency rooms, there are some cases where even someone who can, let's say, you know, is capable of putting some words in English together. But in this moment of distress, you know, you know how complicated it is to speak a second language. You know, that fear that you feel when you're speaking a second language, just imagine that add up to a situation where you are. [00:19:32] Speaker A: Heart attack, stroke. [00:19:33] Speaker B: Yes, exactly. So in those moments is where the. Our students say, you know, in those moments, I want to walk that path, you know, like, let's meet halfway, you know, even if it's a Spanglish or whatever. But at least there is a way that I can know that you are right, that everything is okay and that you are being care of. So in those cases, definitely what you say, or sometimes people who are in a hospital and they're thirsty, they're hungry, and they don't know how to say it exactly, you know, so that little, those little cases, you know, imagine. But yeah, that can. [00:20:07] Speaker A: Small things, right? They don't have to wait for their nephew, they don't have to wait for their grandson, their son. And you're just like, no, I can help you right here and there, right? And I mean, like, you're talking like it's a stress relief for a family member who, okay, that, you know, that nurse or that doctor or that patient aide can. Can communicate with my mother, grandmother, aunt, et cetera. And it does make a difference. One thing I was fascinated about, you know, when it comes to this, is the proliferation of AI And I was watching your podcast where people were like, oh, I could just AI and learn another language. Right. And we all know, you know, I'll keep it clean. Where do you. I'm sure you've had people who have tried it and came to you afterwards. What's the proliferation of AI when it comes to learning a second language? [00:20:46] Speaker B: I think I really don't have a problem with other tools that are going to enhance the process. People, whether want or not, to learn to speak a language, you know. So, for example, if you really say, I'm going to Cancun, right. I want to have some holidays there. I really don't. I'm not going to spend a long time there. Do I really want to go through that commitment? [00:21:13] Speaker A: Yeah. And then it's not overnight satisfaction. You don't get overnight satisfaction. [00:21:17] Speaker B: You don't exactly. Well, the best things in the world take time. So that's, that's for languages. There's no, no an exception. And so in those cases, for example, holidays or little interactions where person doesn't really have that motivation that moves them to communicate, it's like, well, AI is going to be a brilliant tool. It's going to be, is going to help so many people. So that aside, if, if you really want to take the time and say, yeah, you know, I feel that joy when you say, when I go to my barber and he's from Venezuela and he's just wanting to make a conversation and tell me how are his mom and his daughter and everyone want to talk about everyone in his family and want to connect with them, then that motivation exists. Then you start with the journey and then is when AI can become a good friend for you to access information, I would say. But it's not going to imitate, I think it's not going to be a human. We know quite well that everyone who has to spend some time talking with ChatGPT or with Anthropic or cloud or whatever is going to tell you, yeah, well, it's very helpful. But I still want to talk with my family, I still want to talk with my friends. Not going to substitute human. Exactly. So you said, I think this is brilliant. It's going to speed up the process because now you have someone who can give you the right answer right away. Wow. This is how we see it in Mexico and this is how we say it in Argentina. But, but it's not going to ever replace the, that, that sensation of, okay, this is real and now I have to speak Spanish with a Spanish speaker in real life and there is no one else helping me. I think that that's, that's unique. [00:23:03] Speaker A: And not only that, though, let's just put it honestly. Like, if you're going to hold the phone up to the person like this in their face and speak into this, and then you translate it, you speak in, you go back and then they're like, dude, like, it gets to the point where like, okay, one or two sentences maybe, but at some point there's not that actual dialogue taking place with somebody. You know, where it flows, it becomes more of like, speak this so I can say this. Speak this so I can say this. And it's not the same, right? [00:23:27] Speaker B: No, never. It's not going to be the same. Is, is that. Now that you mentioned that conversation, we made a distinction between transaction conversations, you know, where it's like about, you know, food or I'm lost. I need to go to the terminal. Blah, blah. And connection. It depends on what you want to do. If it's for transactions, go for it. Use. Use AI because it's going to be three, four words and you have it done. And thank you very much, Nihau, whatever, depending on the language you're speaking, and that's it. But if you really want to connect and feel part of a group, AI is, you know, people are not going to be in the salsa bar looking at the screen. It's not going to happen. [00:24:06] Speaker A: No, it definitely. And I, you know, even, you know, like I said, when I try to. Even when I try to order food, I'll try to say it, you know, because I love, you know, Spanish food really well. I really, you know, you know, Mexican in particular, because that's what's near me. But, you know, I'll try to order in Spanish. And even if I butcher it, I'm like, like, you know what? That's a little feather in my cat for at least attempting it. And they do, you know, the staff is very receptive to it. They may chuckle, and rightfully so. Right. Because I butchered it. But it's. At least I'm trying to, I don't want to say it's like a respect thing that I'm going to come in here and at least attempt to try to bridge some sort of conversation here that I'm willing to put myself out there. Look corny. But at least try to order in your language, so to speak. Right. [00:24:45] Speaker B: That's the only way you learn. [00:24:46] Speaker A: Yes, it really is. I guess my curiosity for this show is I always ask all my guests is this, and how do people find Fluency Lab? Where do they find Angela Blanco, your services you offer and everything that you do? [00:24:58] Speaker B: Well, we, we have our website, which is Fluency Lab dot co. That's the place where you can find the services. When you say that we have some B2B definitely. So we talk with, we work with businesses. But there is another side that is very strong and is the one I'm very grateful of and is helping individuals and spending some time talking with them before creating their program. So there they can find is the first step. What we do is a conversation where we assess like the level they are at was what they want to achieve and what they have already tried. Because sometimes it's like some people are more keen to listening to podcasts and some other are more keen to watching TV or trying these apps, something that is interactive flashcards. You know, there's all sorts. So I spend some time talking with them. Then I create a PDF which is a report. So it's like this is what is going to take you. If you want to reach this level, we can help you this way. So that's normally the, the entrance to, to the, to the process. Yeah. And on Instagram, also @fluencylab, co, that's our profile name. And you're going to find some, some content that is going to like little, little tricks and little recommendations for improving your Spanish as well. [00:26:15] Speaker A: I do want to make sure, because I almost failed to ask this earlier. What differentiates you from. Because people have so many different options out there, Right. And we've all somewhat tried it, dabbled in it, watched it between a commercial and then felt good like we knew one sentence and like gave ourselves that little, you know, thumbs up. So what's your differentation model from all those competitors that are out? [00:26:33] Speaker B: Well, there's so many different ways of approaching learning languages. I think that our main goal, and that's why Fluency Lab is called that way, is that we spend some time helping you to understand the process of learning. So it's not that you are going to sit in front of me on a camera, you know, on a video call and expect me to, you know, provide you with the language and lead the lesson all the time. It's like there is a percentage of responsibility on your side. So we normally give some tasks, some things based on what has been proven to help acquisition of any language. It's like, well, you have to prepare this, you have to work on this. If you are an engineer, you probably are going to be a bit more logical. So we give you some tasks related to, you know, grammar, logic, because it's something that, you know, keeps the motivation for that person. But if it's someone more social, it's like, have a look at this video and we're going to have a chat about it during the lesson. So you have to prepare some things. It is, it is about encouraging you taking responsibility in the process. So at the end you are autonomous. We don't want you to be depending on us for, you know, years to an end. But then you say, okay, I'm getting, I know how I'm learning, I know how I can acquire the language. And this is a great practice for me. Like, the conversations that we have during the live sessions are my to, you know, put that into practice. Not giving you rules and notebooks and things like that. That's, that's pretty much how I can say it. [00:28:00] Speaker A: Yeah. Because I think people, when they start thinking about teaching another language, they've got to get, like, a homework assignment, and then if they pass. Right. It can be in that nature. Angelo Blanco fluency Lab. I really appreciate your time. I definitely need to pick up from where I left off at, and hopefully I can do it through your company, because I, you know, at the end of the day, the world is global. We're bigger than the zip code we're in, and the world is a very large place, and it always helps to learn another culture. [00:28:24] Speaker B: Yeah. And you will love it. Spanish is a great language to learn. [00:28:27] Speaker A: It sure is. Appreciate your time. Thank you. [00:28:29] Speaker B: Well, thank you, Rochelle. Gracias. [00:28:31] Speaker A: Bye. Gracias.