Closing the Door on Language Barriers
C.W. Post Language Institute Helps Local Realtors Seal the
Deal
Two days after Frank DellAccio and 11 of his sales agents
at Century 21 AA Realty Inc. in Lindenhurst, N.Y., began an intensive
six-week Spanish course, they had the opportunity to test their
new-found skills.
A Columbian man and his son came into the real estate office
to inquire about buying a house. The father spoke no English.
His son, who spoke some English, was able to translate only parts
of the conversation. Thanks to the course, conducted by the Intensive
Language Institute of the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University
in Brookville, N.Y., DellAccio and his staff were able to assist
the man in his own language and close a deal the same day.
"More and more of our clientele are Spanish-speaking
immigrants. We have a limited number of agents who are fluent
in Spanish, and they can't, quite frankly, handle the volume,"
said DellAccio. "The Language Institute curriculum was terrific.
The teacher got right down to business, and in the first class
we were using 15 to 20 Spanish words in sentences."
The Intensive Language Institute has developed a variety of
language courses, including English as a Second Language and
Business Express Workshops like the one taken by the Century-21
AA team. The courses, which began in August, are designed to
help businesses cope with the influx of immigrants to the Long
Island area and to compete on a global scale. Each class is tailored
to the needs of specific business. The sales team at Century
21 AA, for example, learned how to ask clients about downpayments,
mortgages and property taxes. Hispanic employees at Fresh Fields
Whole Foods Market in Manhasset, N.Y., learned the English words
for produce, dairy products and coupons.
The key to the Language Institute's curriculum is the customized
approach it takes to individual industries. The approach of the
Institute is to focus on developing specific language skills
for effective on-the-job communication. This is accomplished
through a plug-in template which allows students to create more
than 1,000 sentences from 39 core words. The template is available
in print form as well as on CD-ROM.
"With a limited vocabulary, you can maintain control
of a conversation," says Dr. Elliot Glass, director of the
Institute. "This approach does not denigrate the learning
process; it enriches it by satisfying the needs of the students
in a short period of time." Customized workbooks, audiotapes,
videotapes and CD-ROMs can be purchased to supplement classroom
work.
The Institute offers 16-, 20- and 32-hour ESL courses at prices
ranging from $188 to $480 per participant. Prices for the Business
Express Workshops vary according to the number of hours and the
languages studied. For additional information, contact Dr. Elliot
Glass, director of the C.W. Post Intensive Language Institute,
at (516) 299-3426 or email crosroad@li.net.
For more information call the C.W. Post
Public Relations Office at (516) 299-2333 or e-mail pr@cwpost.liu.edu or send
mail to: Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus, 720 Northern
Blvd., Brookville, New York 11548-1300.
