Ambassador Talbot calls for concerted effort to learn foreign languages

DPI, GUYANA, Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Guyana’s Ambassador to Brazil, H.E. George Talbot is calling for a concerted effort on the part of Guyanese to learn foreign languages, with a specific focus on Portuguese, in order to take optimal advantage of the opportunities available in neighbouring Brazil.

During an exclusive interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), the Ambassador said, “I am a strong advocate for learning our foreign languages. It opens doors to speak directly to so many more people. If you learn Portuguese, for example, you’re able to speak directly to 200 million people in Brazil.”

Ambassador Talbot believes that this facility of communication will be conducive for Guyana’s positioning in the world, and the continents of the Americas, noting that, “We [Guyanese] have to be adaptable, we have to be flexible and we have to be agile as a people.”

While the establishment of a Brazilian embassy, locally, is a great step, the Ambassador highlighted the need for a team effort, which requires input from the Government through all its respective ministries, the private sector, members of academia and civil society.

This support, he said, will contribute to the success of our efforts to forge fruitful relations with counterparts. “Recognise that you can play a part in helping the embassy of Brazil and Guyana achieve its goals. Ideas are welcomed. No one has a monopoly on ideas or initiative. There are many Guyanese who live in Brazil and they may have insights into how we may be more effective”, he posited.

Ambassador Talbot pledged to maintain an active and engaged posture in the execution of his mandate in Brazil. “This requires a constant effort …there is interacting with children in schools, all in the process of evoking a sense of recognition of Guyana, a sense of appreciation of the country. I think of it as representing the best of Guyana, to the best of our ability”, he pointed out.

Additionally, he noted that the contact established by President David Granger, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge with officials in Brazil, has contributed to a conducive ambience of cooperation and joint endeavours between the two countries.

 

By: Stacy Carmichael

 

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