* Author: Guadalupe Díaz Muñoz. *
It’s curious how a chance happening can change your life, triggering a chain of events that open up unexpected opportunities.
At the age of sixteen I was forced to ‘retire’ for several months following a traffic accident and, keen to make good use of this time, set about learning English, a novel choice at the start of the 70s when French was the language most commonly studied.
My studies awakened a strong interest in Anglo-Saxon culture, and I took advantage of the first opportunity that arose to spend several months in Edinburgh, where my brother was studying for his doctorate. I was immediately smitten with the city, the countryside, the folklore and the people, whose outlook in many respects resembled that of the peoples of the Mediterranean. So strong was my identification with the culture that I even joined a Scottish country dance group, with which I practiced weekly and performed every Sunday in the open air theatre in Princes Street Gardens.
Upon returning to Spain, I was determined to find out more about this culture and began studying English Linguistics at Madrid’s Complutense University. The time had come to explore what university had to offer and I joined the faculty’s regional dance group.
I combined my studies with work for an American foundation through which I applied for a grant to study in the US, and my next destination was Occidental College in Los Angeles, where I spent a year experiencing life in a state which borders with Mexico. It was the 1977-78 academic year and there were vast differences between the US and Spanish ways of life. I was still passionate about dance and joined the university’s Mexican folklore group, which gave me the opportunity to perform in various auditoriums in California and northern Mexico. Overall, my stay in the US was a wonderful experience that has shaped my entire life.
Upon returning from my American adventure, my father, who worked for the former Hidroeléctrica Española, persuaded me to take some tests with a view to getting a job at the Cofrentes Hydroelectric plant. It was here that I embarked on my career at Iberdrola: as a teacher of English with responsibility for the company’s boarding school in Salto de Cofrentes. I spent two years there with a handful of wonderful colleagues using creative approaches to provide a rounded education for the students in a lovely environment. The only downside was the absence of a folklore group in the vicinity but I filled this gap by organising dances with my students when I was on duty at the weekend.
Upon returning to Madrid, I commenced my eventful round trip through the company. Spending an average of five years in each department, I became familiar with the Hermosilla office and the workings of the Distribution, Sales, Marketing, Research and Development and International Institutional Relations businesses before returning to the Training department, where I am currently employed.
My knowledge of English has provided me with the opportunity to work for Iberdrola as a translator and interpreter at conferences and exhibitions throughout Spain and internationally, and to help out when foreign trade and institutional missions visit the company.
And it is also thanks to my command of English that I have been responsible since 1999 for the management of the Language Training Programme for Iberdrola professionals. This offers a range of tuition options so that all employees who need to learn languages can choose the one that best suits their circumstances.
With retirement appearing on the horizon, I have recently become involved with a UNESCO cultural project for which I will be providing translation support. I am absolutely delighted with this initiative because… it even has a section dedicated to the study of folklore!
Is there still anyone who wonders what the point is of learning English?
