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Why My Push For Spanish?

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  • Why My Push For Spanish?

    Look at the newspaper article below. Now, see why I’ve been consistent in my suggestions about the immense importance of introducing Spanish as a mandatory subject in all primary schools and throughout all high schools in Jamaica? This is clearly logical for the simple reason that we probably have MORE Spanish-speaking neighbors in our region than any other language (including English)!!

    North America: Mexico (official language Spanish)
    Central America: Six Spanish-speaking countries (Belize the only English-speaking exception)
    South America: Spanish is the official language of nine South American countries. The only exceptions are Brazil (Portuguese), Guyana (English), Suriname (Dutch), French Guiana (French) and the Falkland Islands (English).
    Of course, the huge country of Brazil has virtually 50-percent of the entire population of South America, but at the same time the other countries do not speak Portuguese.
    The Caribbean: Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.

    Hola, mi amigo!- Jamaica opens tourism door to South Americans

    Published: Saturday | July 18, 2009

    Scores of travel agents and journalists have flooded Jamaica's shores as the island's tourism ministry ramps up its drive to widen market streams in South America.

    Two groups totalling 180 persons from Ecuador have made the familiarisation trip which ends next Tuesday.

    The second group of visitors were set to arrive yesterday as the first set, who came on Monday, left for their homeland.

    Marketing representative with the Jamaica Tourism Board, Wayne Sterling, said the visit was critical to increasing arrivals to the island, as a global recession has somewhat dampened the travel appetite of North Americans, which represent the lion's share of Jamaica's market.

    "Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has been doing some good work in trying to get business out of Latin America, and we see the visit of the Ecuadorians as very important and very integral to growing this business," he said.

    upbeat about the thrust
    Communications manager and media liaison in the tourism ministry, Horace Phillips, was also upbeat about the new thrust, which he believes could cause a bounce in the Jamaican economy.

    "We are going to be having a lot of Spanish-speaking visitors in our country, and we are appealing to Jamaicans to give them the real Jamaican hospitality, as it is something that we are known for throughout the world," Phillips said.

    He described the event as a great opportunity for Jamaicans to learn to speak Spanish and to help them communicate much better with visitors from Spanish-speaking countries.
    The visitors are being accommodated at the Riu hotel in Mammee Bay, St Ann, on Jamaica's north coast.

  • #2
    No arguments from me.
    Hey .. look at the bright side .... at least you're not a Liverpool fan! - Lazie 2/24/10 Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015

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    • #3
      Difficult to argue otherwise. This will not be one of your prolific threads, Historian.


      BLACK LIVES MATTER

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      • #4
        "Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has been doing some good work in trying to get business out of Latin America, and we see the visit of the Ecuadorians as very important and very integral to growing this business," he said.

        Don't mek Don1 see that

        I still think we need some french speakers as well. The French Canadian business is booming and the french also like Ja as well.
        • Don't let negative things break you, instead let it be your strength, your reason for growth. Life is for living and I won't spend my life feeling cheated and downtrodden.

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        • #5
          Can we have success at teaching Spanish at the primary level without making any progress with the problem of the majority of students not being able to speak or write standard English?

          I am not trying to be sarcastic, its an honest question.
          Last edited by Islandman; July 18, 2009, 01:47 PM.
          "‎It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men" - Frederick Douglass

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          • #6
            Here's an honest answer... teaching (and learning) a foreign language, if done properly, will actually assist in improving your English.
            Peter R

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            • #7
              At the primary level I would teach only on a thematic basis... forget grammar and its jargon at the outset. Simply set situations and then teach the vocabulary, expressions and phrases that might be used in them.
              Peter R

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              • #8
                Tourism is our number one industry and we a tourism curiculum in these schools. Children must get a trips to hotel to see the various departments. The must see a future in Tourism and it will encourage them to learn and be polite to guests and know they can be that chef, that manager etc.
                • Don't let negative things break you, instead let it be your strength, your reason for growth. Life is for living and I won't spend my life feeling cheated and downtrodden.

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                • #9
                  I hear you, that makes sense. I guess for the average man in the street a vocabulary of 30-50 words would be enough most of the time.

                  Knowing how our people are , if enough Spanish tourists start coming they would start to learn it themselves anyway. You ever notice how fast them can do the exchange rate calculations?
                  "‎It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men" - Frederick Douglass

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                  • #10
                    I've always said that. I think it also applies to Patwa as well.


                    BLACK LIVES MATTER

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                    • #11
                      Excellent point!We could adapt an exisiting HS course for local relevance...make it a CXC subject.Here's what they offer in Ontario, Canada.http://www.curriculum.org/csc/librar...tml/TFH3EB.htm
                      Peter R

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                      • #12
                        Thanks for the insight.

                        People sometimes think tourism will only train chef and waiters but there is the need for mangers, entertainers, project managers, maintenance, electricians, Horticulture and other workers and entrepreneurs.
                        • Don't let negative things break you, instead let it be your strength, your reason for growth. Life is for living and I won't spend my life feeling cheated and downtrodden.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          [QUOTE=Historian;n27511][FONT=Verdana]Look at the newspaper article below. Now, see why I
                          Hey .. look at the bright side .... at least you're not a Liverpool fan! - Lazie 2/24/10 Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            French is better as a second language For Jamaicans. 40% of Africans world
                            Wide speak it . My fr , japanese and eng
                            mi considah 2nd languages while
                            Patwah and ebonics are apart too.
                            fr should be the second language
                            Of caricom, Haiti has more people
                            Than Cuba, and more than Dominican
                            Republic too a country we liberated ie haiti.
                            Fr is considered the language of
                            Diplomats and one of 5 official
                            UNations languages. More ppl of our
                            West African and other African ancestry
                            Speak the language. Spanish is a universal
                            Language but french is the second used
                            Language of the UN . YOU GUYS MIGHT
                            SEE ME IN MONTREAL CANADA FOR
                            REGGAEGIRLZ V CANADA GAME.
                            Jamaica you mite get a Petroleum well with
                            United Oil by 1.31.26;You also has a NNPC option with the Abuja accord from 2022.What
                            happens then I don't know.A Petrol Well is
                            Probably forthcoming...

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