77 Public Servants learning Spanish

The Guyana Government is looking to boost the local Public Sector with language training for 77 Public Servants.
This is currently being done through the fourth edition of Spanish language courses being held under a cultural agreement signed by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Government of the Republic of Colombia since 1970.
The classes are scheduled to end in August. Participants will receive a certificate from the Universidad Del Norte of Colombia at the conclusion of the course.
According to National Ozone Officer at the Agriculture Ministry, Behonka Dey, “It’s a bit challenging, especially the vocabulary although I like that the class is continuous.”
She noted that she often encountered Spanish speakers while at work and “even though I might not be fluent, I still need to understand what is being said”.
Another participant, Robin Motayne, a Foreign Service Officer with the Foreign Affairs Ministry, explained that the course was interactive with a very engaging lecturer.
“Very little English is spoken in the class, which is good, because a foreign officer should be versed in a language; at least one or two,” Motayne continued.
Other participants come from the Guyana Revenue Authority, Ministry of the Presidency, Carnegie School of Home Economics, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Business Ministry, Guyana Police Force, Public Health Ministry, Teaching Service Commission and Education Ministry, among others.
The four-month course is being conducted by Professor Nelson Hernan Giraldo who has taught at several universities and academic institutions.