H aving higher number s of multilingual professionals in the Greater Caribbean would contribute to strengthening working relations among ACS Member Countries and Associate Members.

Many governments of the ACS Member and Associate Member Countries have recognised the need to introduce and reinforce the teaching of foreign languages at the primary level in the school system. The Government of Panama, for example, has mandated the institution of the "Inglés por la Vida", "English for Life " initiative throughout the school system aimed at creating a fully bilingual nation . Definitive and innovative approaches such as these must be used to overcome the many obstacles being encountered in the training of bilingual nationals.

With specific reference to multilingualism in the Tourism Industry, too often the tourism industry in the region limits itself to one language when it should also be actively promoting and communicating in the two other languages of the region, so as to cooperate and jointly promote tourism to the Caribbean with their counterparts.

The migratory process that has occurred in some Eastern Caribbean countries has influenced the tourism industry as it relates to languages spoken in the sector, whereby t he influx of nationals of one Spanish speaking Member State, who are the descendants of immigrants from the Eastern Caribbeansought residency status in Eastern Caribbean Countries based on descent.

Many are being employed in the tourism industry. This may, in the medium to long term, provide these islands with a competitive edge in terms of tourism marketing and the stimulated interest of nationals in developing foreign language skills . It is likely however, to present a challenge in the short term, in that these new Spanish-speaking employees are in almost all instances supervised by, and work alongside monolingual co-workers who speak only English. The “new citizens" are providing tourism services to mostly non-Spanish speakers who visit these islands and this reality has created an urgent demand for language training in the recipient countries in question.

In response to its mandate, the emerging challenges facing the region related to foreign languages, and the demand for language training, the ACS implemented the OECS Language Training Pilot Project. This was aimed at strengthening French and Spanish language skills of OECS Nationals through intensive and immersion courses in French and Spanish-speaking Countries.

The successful completion of th is Pilot was the impetus to create the ACS Centre for the Promotion of Languages and Cultures (CPLC). This is now at an advanced stage of planning.

The tourism industry will derive many benefits from having ACS member nationals becoming bilingual. The CPLC initiative will, amongst others, facilitate the provision of better services in the expanding tourist economies of the Greater Caribbean, the largest income generator for most ACS Member States.

Ms. Jasmin Garraway is the Sustainable Tourism Director of the Secretariat of the Association of Caribbean States. The opinions expressed are not necessarily the official views of the ACS. Comments and reactions can be sent to mail@acs-aec.org

March 23, 2006