Business leaders get eye-opening lesson in Spanish language

The Herald By Jason Cato (Published March 28‚ 2003)

Brown bags and juicy burgers took the back-burner this week for sliced turkey sandwiches with a side of Spanish.

As part of York Technical College's ongoing Spanish in the Workplace series, a half-dozen representatives from local businesses attended a lunch-and-learn session on Spanish for retail sales. Along with the turkey, lettuce and tomato on white bread, the group was grilled on a number of Spanish phrases that should help when it comes to dealing with Latino customers.

Beginning with the simple -- buenos días (good morning) and buenas tardes (good afternoon) -- the lesson reached a crescendo with more complex phrases, shaking the Spanish-challenged from their comfort zones.

Usted debe pagar con efectivo, cheque or tarjeta de crédito. You must pay with cash, check or credit card.

"Lord have mercy," said Ray Waldrop, manager of the Cherry Road Bi-Lo. "That's a hard one."

But after a few tongue-twisted efforts, Waldrop and the others finally tackled the difficult phrases and moved on to simpler challenges -- discúlpeme, excuse me; lo siento, I'm sorry; and adiòs, goodbye.

"I got that one," Waldrop said. "Adiòs!"

For instructor and Venezuela native Susana Boland, just having Americans from the business world attempt Spanish is a start. Simply saying hola (hello) puts many Latinos at ease, Boland said. Learning Spanish is also a way for businesses to expand services and help a different segment of the community, she added.

Census 2000 counted 3,220 Latinos living in York County, 978 in Lancaster County and 255 in Chester County. Local Hispanic advocates, however, estimate some 15,000 Latinos live in York County alone, due to census undercounts and continued growth.

Many in the local Latino community are making strides to learn English, but having Americans learn a little Spanish can help break the communication barrier, Boland explained.

"We can reach in the middle," Boland said. "Those with no Spanish before, this will break the ice."

Lessons offered through York Tech's program not only help with simple salutations but also job-specific phrases.

Puedo ayudarle? May I help you?

Usted debe ser mayor de 21 años para comprar eso. You must be 21 years old to buy that.

Gracias por comprar en Bi-Lo. Thank you for shopping at Bi-Lo.

Retail business is just one area the program addresses. Other courses have been or will be offered for landscaping, construction, medical offices, hotels, car sales and office management.

"I don't think you can understand how hard it is until you've been to a country where you don't speak the language," said Debbie Russell, a Comporium business services representative who spent time in Papua New Guinea with her missionary parents. "It's nice to have someone on the other end who speaks a little of your language."

While he struggled some, Waldrop did pick up useful phrases to help Latino customers. More than that, Wednesday's lunch session also whet his appetite for more.

"It's a good starter training lesson because it opens your eyes to the Spanish language," Waldrop said. "It makes me want to learn more."

Contact Jason Cato at 329-4071 or jcato@heraldonline.com.