A Decade of Specialized Language Training for High Level Engineers

Ferrovial: A Decade of Specialized Language Training
for High Level Engineers

At Fluency Corp we have a lot in common with a company like Ferrovial: just as their tagline states, we’re both building for a world on the move.

Ferrovial is making it possible by designing and building sustainable infrastructures and we are equipping them with the language skills to bring together the brilliant engineering minds making it happen.

Ferrovial is a global infrastructure operator based in Madrid, Spain, with over 24,000 employees worldwide. As a multinational corporation with a growing presence in North America, Ferrovial prioritizes clear communication across borders — especially in English — to maintain safety, productivity, and collaboration.

The Challenge: Complex Infrastructure Development Require Direct, Accurate Communication Skills

As Ferrovial expanded its operations in the United States and especially into the Dallas/Fort Worth area in 2012, language became a barrier to both daily operations and long-term integration.

Within weeks of opening their doors, Ferrovial first reached out for Business English classes customized for five Spanish-speaking employees at one of their Texas subsidiaries.

Ferrovial was looking to Fluency Corp to help them:

1. Boost English communication skills
2. Improve safety on-site at construction sites (highways, airports, etc.)
3. Equip employees with language skills to participate in safety meetings and collaborate with U.S.-based colleagues and leadership

The company needed a flexible, customized training solution that could reach teams spread across various job sites — without disrupting critical project timelines.

Language Fluency Means Growth

Ferrovial was unsure of our capability to grow with them when we began our partnership. They started with only three employees, and after 10 years with Fluency Corp over 200 employees have worked with a Fluency Corp Coach. Any concerns about limitations for growth were quickly eliminated!

One of Ferrovial’s goals was to allow not just Spanish employees to better improve in English, but to grow the relationship between the American employees and the Spanish employees. Essentially, Ferrovial wanted both populations to grow towards each other, and also remove any cap for American employees on their future with Spain-based Ferrovial.

Ferrovial provided not only English classes for Spaniards working in the USA or Canada, but also Spanish classes for the Americans. This has allowed many Americans to continue growing in their positions at Ferrovial, even traveling to Spain for work. Also, the collaboration between the two populations was much more beneficial, since both populations were growing in understanding of each other, and it was not just one-sided.

Fluency Corp’s Solution + Why it was So Effective

We teamed up to work with the Ferrovial team to interview each employee separately and put together a customized, curated English course for each of them, tailored to their individual job tasks.

This was not some standardized, textbook “Business English” class. Each employee was empowered to work on what they needed most to be successful in their job. This included: working on accent and pronunciation, role playing for upcoming meetings, practicing presentations, working on small talk and building relationships, being able to talk in more detail about their jobs, being able to explain challenges in the job, improving professional email writing (brevity, tone, format, do’s and don’ts), giving instructions for various jobs, talking about financials, understanding accents in the region they live in, being able to describe the specifics of civil engineering, and so much more.

Some did take a traditional approach and requested a Business English book for their CEFR level. However, Fluency Corp always supplements with more specifics for their needs, goals and their job as well. One unique part of the curriculum for Fluency Corp is the category of reading, watching TV, podcasts, and making friends, which all contribute to faster progress in overall fluency and understanding.

Every Employee Received Curriculum
& Specialized, Tailored Tutoring

• Individual Interests
• Career Goals within Ferrovial
• What Specific Job-Related Communication They Needed
  (regarding a specific tool, piece of equipment, safety standards, etc.)

For example, some employees were in accounting. With their Fluency Partners (expert language instructors), they practiced what they would say in future meetings or upcoming presentations. They worked on how to speak up on conference calls, how to enunciate to ensure understanding when speaking to native speakers, how to explain the finance reports, and role play what other employees would ask and how to answer clearly.

Not Just English, Anymore

Once you experience the power of truly understanding someone in their own language, it catches fire. At least, in Ferrovial’s case it did. They truly believed in the power of teams being able to communicate, no matter the circumstances, 100% of the time.

In addition to English language training for Spanish employees, the company asked us to provide Spanish lessons to American employees who wanted to expand their horizons and connect with their Spanish-speaking colleagues on a deeper level.

Ferrovial Results: Continued Growth and Global Expansion

Go visit Ferrovial’s website for just a peek at their global reach. Right here in Texas (we’re partial to the south since Fluency Corp is based in Dallas) they’ve completed a $1.6 billion North Tarrant Express 35W project, LBJ Highway, and others across the U.S. in North Carolina and Virginia.

They’re expanding throughout North America at warp speed. Their investment in high-quality, customized language lessons has catapulted them to success in the U.S.

Real Life Results: Maximizing Investment in Global Talent

1. Zero Failed Relocations

Every employee who participated in Fluency Corp’s language training completed their relocation successfully. Not a single participant returned home early — a critical win for Ferrovial. Failed international relocations can cost companies upwards of $100,000 per employee when factoring in visa costs, moving expenses, housing, lost productivity, and rehiring. By investing in language training upfront, Ferrovial protected its talent investment and avoided costly turnover abroad.

2. Leadership Pipeline and Global Mobility

Employees who learned Spanish through Fluency Corp’s training have positioned themselves for significant career growth. Many are now eligible for travel to Ferrovial’s global headquarters in Madrid, advanced courses at the company’s corporate university, and even potential leadership opportunities. For a global firm like Ferrovial, developing multilingual, globally mobile leaders isn’t just a cultural advantage — it’s a competitive edge.

3. Stronger Cross Cultural Collaboration

With improved language skills came stronger relationships across diverse teams. Spanish-speaking employees were better able to engage with English-speaking colleagues, managers, and clients — fostering mutual respect, fewer misunderstandings, and more productive work environments. For a multinational company like Ferrovial, breaking down language barriers helped unlock smoother operations and tighter-knit project teams across borders.

While Fluency Corp does not sell or give culture training, in the process of working with a language coach, cultural topics and questions arise. Each coach can give their opinion or experience regarding a specific situation, how to respond to a situation, how to better understand a situation, answer why someone might have done or said something, etc. This is all happening in real time, giving the employee an answer to a burning cultural question that came up in real life.

This immediacy in understanding a cultural situation lowers the chances of a cultural incident or issue.

As always, Ferrovial never needs to question the value of their language learning…we help communicate the change. Today after more than a decade of partnership, Ferrovial offers both Spanish and English lessons to employees at ALL locations in the U.S., and we have created customized courses for more than 200 employees.

Now, isn’t it time your company harnesses the power of communication for growth?

Get in touch with us by emailing info@fluencycorp.com to tell us about what your company needs.

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