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Grace, 37, practices taking menu orders from fellow students Marlen, Milvia and Yasmin during the morning English language classes at Cuna del Sol in Manassas. Participants provided only their first names. DONNA RICHARDSON/For the News & Messenger
Employees get English lesson
By ALEXANDER J. GRANADOS
agranados@potomacnews.com
Thursday, August 17, 2006



Grace, 37, practices taking menu orders from fellow students Marlen, Milvia and Yasmin during the morning English language classes at Cuna del Sol in Manassas. Participants provided only their first names. DONNA RICHARDSON/For the News & Messenger
"Good morning. Welcome to our restaurant," a cacophony of uncertain voices called out Wednesday morning at Cuna del Sol, a Guatemalan restaurant near Manassas.
The phrase, common in dining establishments across the country, is somewhat unique at the restaurant where the majority of the employees only speaks Spanish.
Owner Jose Tenas hopes that by exposing some of his employees to a course on restaurant English, phrases like this will become more commonplace at Cuna del Sol.

"We serve everyone, and it's good to learn how to attend to a client," Tenas said. "For example, how to receive an American who doesn't know Spanish."
The course was designed specifically for restaurants by Stephanie Williams, president of the Spanish and English Regional Language Academy and Training Center in Manassas.

The course, which relies heavily on role playing and repetition, goes through the simple English needed in the restaurant business.

It covers everything from greeting customers to taking their checks.

Williams calls out phrases, like "The waitress will be right with you," and the eight girls echo the phrases back.

Sometimes the teacher and students repeat a phrase, in turn, at such a speed and rhythm that it resembles a song.

Tenas has two daughters, Maricela, 20, and Yasmin, 21, who are also participating in the class. They have lived in the area for a number of years and speak English well.

His daughters help out with the English speaking patrons, but Tenas wants his other employees to learn English so they can better serve the clientele.

"We are like the two people here who speak English," Maricela said. "And we have to take all the American people and that's a problem because sometimes it gets full of American people."
Tenas said that about 40 English speakers a week come into the restaurant. Yasmin said that the other employees can be intimidated by them.

"Sometimes when American people come in, they just go in the back and they don't go and greet them first because they are like afraid," Yasmin said. "I hope this will let them practice more and lose their shyness."

The classes cost the Cuna del Sol employees $145 each for 10 hours and are being held every morning this week for two hours each day at the restaurant.

Tenas is picking up $45 of that for each of his employees, but no more.

"Sometimes when someone gives you everything, you don't apply yourself in learning," he said.

The course is just a beginning for the employees of Cuna del Sol, Williams said. It is not meant to teach them English perfectly, it is meant to teach them what they need to know.

"If they can start using it, maybe there will be a follow-up class," Williams said.