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Acting Director of the National Library Service, Jennifer Yarde.

Overwhelming response to adult Spanish classes

THE Government of Barbados has expressed gratitude to the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for teaming up with the National Library Service, to deliver Spanish classes for adults in Barbados.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for Culture, John King, was at the time delivering remarks during a brief ceremony held over the Zoom online platform, for the Launch of the Adult Spanish Classes. The ceremony was held recently by the National Library Service, in partnership with the Venezuelan Institute for Culture and Co-operation. King’s comments came after Acting Director of the National Library Service, Jennifer Yarde, noted that there has to date been an overwhelming response to the classes.

“It was indeed very heartening to (see) the overwhelming response (which) we received, when the classes were first advertised. It was completely filled within a day and people were still asking for additional spaces to be created for them to participate,” Yarde revealed.

“This shows that there is still hope for libraries and their response to fulfilling the mandate of connecting people and providing programmes that reflect the needs of the communities they service,” she stated.

Minister King meanwhile said, “Today marks another monumental step in removing a significant barrier, in our attempts to unify our region and by extension our hemisphere. The Caribbean is home to numerous official and unofficial languages, including English, Spanish, French, Dutch and communication inclusive of indigenous and African languages, referred to as dialect.

“There is no doubt that the ability to effectively communicate will have huge benefits for business. However, the social implications for the movement of people and the exchange of ideas, can only enhance an already vibrant Caribbean. The more you can communicate with each other, the easier it becomes to know each other. It is through communication that you become real with each other. It is then that we are truly able to connect as a people of this region,” he told those gathered.

Thanking the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for partnering with the National Library Service to provide adults with the opportunity to engage in the learning of a new language, King said this not only aligns perfectly with the Government’s intention to make Barbadians bilingual, but it also creates a path for them to be global citizens in every sense.

Venezuelan Chargé D’ Affaires a.i., Alvaro Sanchez Cordero, also spoke well of the partnership and the opportunity presented to join forces and share knowledge.

More than 100 Barbadians will begin their Spanish studies online through the platform of the Barbados National Library Service, from Monday, January 18, until March 25, 2021. (RSM)

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