Modern Languages Professor Alister Ramírez Named Secretary of The North American Academy of the Spanish Language

Borough of Manhattan Community College Modern Languages (MLD) Professor Alister Ramírez Marquez has been named Secretary of the North American Academy of the Spanish Language  or (ANLE).

Founded in 1973, New York based ANLE’s mission is to study, develop and implement rules for the Spanish language used in the United States. The nonprofit organization collaborates closely with The Royal Spanish Academy and the Association of Spanish Language Academies in the Hispanic American world.

“Specifically, ANLE concerns itself with the evolution and changes of the Spanish language in the United States,” said Professor Ramírez. “There are more than 60 million Hispanic speakers in the United States. The future of the Spanish language is here in this country, not only because of its cultural impact, but also the vast economic power of the Hispanic population.”

Professor Ramírez, who teaches all levels of Spanish language as well as Hispanic and Latin American Literature, has been a member of ANLE for the past 10 years. Upon induction into ANLE, he delivered a speech focused on the influence of Andrés Bello’s romanticism on some of Rubén Darío’s poetry.

As General Secretary of ANLE, he assists Director don Carlos Paldao, board members, general membership and serves as a liaison between ANLE and the Royal Spanish Academy and the Association of Spanish Language Academies (RAE) headquartered in Madrid.

“I participate and organize with other members, attend national and international conferences, lectures, and panels on the Spanish language, culture and literature,” said Professor Ramírez. “We also cosponsor programs and lectures with the Instituto Cervantes of New York.”

Professor Ramirez said BMCC students enrolled in the MLD program can take advantage ANLE’s free access to materials such as academic journals, online dictionaries, literature and information on scholarships as well as information about opportunities to study outside the United States including Spain.

“The articles and publications are researched and written by specialists, linguists, experts, editors and Spanish professors from The U.S. and Hispanic American countries,” said Professor Ramírez.

Ramírez is currently researching new Hispanic voices that represent writers from Latin America, Spain and the United States who write in both Spanish and English.

“As a writer, I’m very interested in New York as a fictional narrative space,” said Ramírez. “Some of these writers, born in the 1980s, live in New York and write stories and novels that portray city life, and reflect the usage of Spanish language in daily lives.”

He says the acquisition of any second or third language opens new worlds and perspectives and provides access to job opportunities that require language skills.

“The tech industry, science, health, media, fashion, hospitality, banking, diplomacy, law enforcement, higher education, K-12 bilingual education all need employees with language skills,” said Professor Ramírez.

Students at BMCC can earn an Associate Degree in Modern Languages and have the option of earning a certificate in Spanish and English translation and interpretation.

“Everybody is welcome to learn the languages that we offer, which includes American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, Italian and Spanish,” said Professor Ramírez.