Soccer, football, fútbol, calcio. Regardless of language, the game's the same. But the instructions on the field, the banter in the locker room, and life off the field can often occur in a language unfamiliar to several foreign born players.

The Houston Dynamo and Houston Community College leveraged their partnership to put native Spanish speakers on the team through the Workplace English course from the The Corporate College at HCC to help ease the transition into a primarily English-speaking environment.

Dynamo defender Agus, originally from Spain, and forward Mauro Manotas, from Colombia, were two such students who finished a 62-hour customized course from HCC. The small sessions gave them the tools to confidently work English into their daily lives, from speaking with teammates and coaches to ordering from a restaurant.

“I can now speak with my teammates and coaches. I need language not only to play soccer but for my life after soccer,” said Agus.

Learn more about Agus and Manotas' experience in the program and the Corporate College at HCC here.