Language should not be a barrier to int’l trade

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I agree with your columnist that languages should not be a barrier to international trade. If the Chinese and Spanish can survive in Jamaica – a culturally diverse environment with English and many variants of Patois – language trade barrier should be something of the past. I am a Jamaican who acquired oral and written competence in Arabic, French and Spanish and indeed, these can pose a problem for communication if emphasis is not correctly placed. Suffice it to say, if we want to earn a piece of the global market then tackling language is a must.

We are surrounded by Spanish countries – why not bolster the teaching of English as a foreign language and make Spanish at least a recognisable language in the Constitution? Students and organisations will then take it seriously.

I am currently working in Africa in a country where the citizens, on the whole, are multilingual – speaking French, Arabic, Somalian, Amharic and Afar. Many of the citizens are fluent in these languages. A small percentage of the population speaks English. I wish I could be a language ambassador for one of those companies in Jamaica, but such an opportunity doesn’t normally come to the qualified persons.

RENNIE MILLER