Spanish lessons for Palmerston North retailers

The University is offering retailers the chance to brush up on their Spanish to greet the Argentina rugby team and their fans as they arrive for the Rugby World Cup.

Lecturers Dr Leonel Alvarado and Dr Celina Bortolotto have created a three-week Lunchbox Spanish programme for businesspeople in Palmerston North.

There will be six 45-minute lunchtime lessons where participants will learn useful words and phrases and the retailers will receive a take-home laminated list to keep at their shop counters. The last class will be a revision session.

Dr Alvarado, originally from Honduras, says they wanted to make the team and the fans feel welcome to Palmerston North and language was a good way to do that and add to the vibrant multi-cultural atmosphere. “The Chamber of Commerce have been positive,” he says. “We are hoping 20 to 30 people will take part.”

He says people will be surprised about how much they will already know and how easy it will be to learn. “There is so much Spanish language around, and the phonetics and pronunciation are similar to Māori.”

Argentina-born Dr Bortolotto says the classes start on August 30 at Square Edge. “We decided to have the lessons in town as we want them to be accessible to businesses,” she says. “The sessions will be fun, useful and interesting.”

The pair, from the School of Linguistics and International Languages, came up with the idea after a meeting with Massey University Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey, who thought it would be good to have people speaking Spanish around the city.They are considering running lessons on campus for staff next month.

Lunchbox Spanish is one of two activities Dr Alvarado and the School are involved in as part of the Our People Our Place festival being held alongside the Rugby World Cup. The second, the Latin American Film Festival, runs parallel to the language lessons at the Palmerston North City Library from September 3-17.

For more information about Lunchbox Spanish contact Dr Alvarado on 06-356-9099 ext 7037 or Dr Bortolotto on ext 2397.

Five phrases retailers might need to understand:

1. How much is an All Blacks’ jersey please? / Cuánto cuesta una camiseta de los All Blacks?
2. Is that in Kiwi dollars or Euros? / Ese precio es en euros o en dólares kiwis?
3. Are you sure that is right? / Está seguro (a) de que me dijo bien el precio?
4. Does it come with a free All Black? / La camiseta viene con un All Black gratis?
5. Can I have Dan Carter please? / Me da la que viene con Dan Carter, por favor?