31/10/2011

Is our city prepared to welcome foreigners?

0n the 23rd September 2011, with the mission of finding out if our city is ready or not to receive foreigners, our class went to the historical city centre to interview people (tourists, inhabitants and business owners).
We decided to approach people in English.
Here are some of the answers to our questions:
Paraxut Restaurant
"-Good morning! Do you speak English?
-Yes.
-Do you think English is important to improve your business in the historical centre of Guimarães?
-Of course.
-Why?
-Because Guimarães will receive many visitants from the entire world.
-If they are from all around the world why do we have to speak in English?
-There are other important languages like Spanish, but English is the easiest to learn and speak.
-Well, thank you."
Cervejaria Martins
"-Sabe falar Inglês?
-O básico, para atender os clientes, nada muito complicado.
-Can you tell us some sentences that you usually use?
-Hein?
-Nós explicamos, pode dizer-nos algumas frases que usa frequentemente? Or words?
-“Welcome”; “Thank you”;”Here is the menu!”; “Can I help?”; “The bathroom is down there”;”Beer”;”Bread”;”Spirits”.
- Well, thank you very much."
The mastery of other languages is important, but we should also consider the mastery of basic details of the historical and cultural knowledge of Guimarães, in order to be able to inform tourists correctly. In spite of the visible difficulty felt by the citizens and business people, it is also important to consider the effort made by many of them to overcome these communication obstacles. As an example, the city hall has provided a workshop —“Eu Sou Guimarães” —, aimed at business people which gives them the bases to better welcome the tourists that may “invade” our city next year.
12º LH3

Interviewing a British couple