Speak Easy Languages Gives The Gift of Gab

We’ve seen the following scenario in countless movies because, after all, it will likely evoke laughter: Bring a foreigner to the United States — or vice versa — and insert him or her into an unfamiliar social situation. Or perhaps, as a student of foreign language yourself, the joke was on you when you thought you were asking someone to pass the ketchup and, unbeknown to you, you were telling your fellow dinner guest to take a hike.

If this hasn’t happened to you, well, fantastic. But if it has, you don’t have to let it happen again.

A company called Speak Easy Languages right here in Plymouth is the antidote to all of your potential cultural gaffes. Manned with a staff of approximately 50 employees — all of whom are native speakers of the language that is required for each specific project, Speak Easy Languages founder and owner Cristina Clark is ready to come to the rescue. 

Plymouth Patch: Tell me how Speak Easy Languages began, and was it founded here in Plymouth?
Cristina Clark: Speak Easy Languages started as a home-based business in the summer of 1980, and in the summer of 1986 I made Plymouth its home-base. My first language is Spanish, my second is English, and my third is Portuguese. In Argentina, I obtained a diploma [degree] in English, and when I was 17 I spent one year tutoring college kids there; in Brazil I did the same thing. And, well, when we moved here… it was quite a culture shock! (laughter) I had never lived in snow, so I was not very happy the first winter. I decided to do something with my languages, so that’s how it all started.

Plymouth Patch: There is hardly an area of our life that is untouched by language. Tell me about the kinds of challenges you help your clients through…
Clark: We have a lot of people who are relocating to the United States, and we have had that through the years more and more. We take our students to open bank accounts, if necessary; change their driver’s license; we’ve taken them to doctor’s visits. Some of the ladies are afraid to go shopping in supermarkets, and we’ve done little trips. And we’ve especially helped stay-at-home-moms with the telephone because when the phone rings, they panic because they don’t speak English. For their husbands, we help them write emails as well as technical translating for those words that they need in their businesses. And when American families relocate abroad, we help them learn the language and also what to expect in terms of cultural differences in the target country.

Plymouth Patch: Are your clients mostly businesses? Or do individuals seek your help as well? Would you help, say, a student who needs help with his French essay?
Clark: Absolutely. We not only assist companies, but individuals, including children. We have helped many teenagers with their foreign language school homework assignments, upcoming tests…whatever is necessary. Mostly it has been Spanish and French. And we’ve also helped foreign children with their English. We even help people who travel -- or have a second home somewhere. Some people work with foreigners and want to learn more about them.

Plymouth Patch: I read that all of your employees are native speakers of their particular language…what languages does Speak Easy specialize in?
Clark: With regard to our translation and interpreting services, there are too many languages and dialects to list for you. But the most popular languages for learning are German, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and English as a second language.

Plymouth Patch: When it comes to communicating effectively, speaking well is just the tip of the iceberg. Tell us about your cultural services, and how they can be of immense help, particularly in professional situations. We’ve all heard of situations where people have embarrassed themselves socially…
Clark: Oh, yes…I remember when President Nixon went to Brazil, and he comes off the airplane with the okay sign! Nobody had told him that it’s a no-no. It’s a dirty word! I remember that…I was in Brazil then. It was funny…

Plymouth Patch: What did Brazilians say? Were they cracking up or truly offended?
Clark: I’m going to tell you something about Latin people: they might laugh at you, but they’re not laughing at you, they’re really laughing with you. They appreciate your speaking their language. They love it. But Americans sometime misinterpret the laughter as being made fun of, but it’s not. We’re laughing with you… But the importance of culture is such that you cannot separate learning a language — that is the culture. We help our clients adapt to a variety of situations in their day-to-day life and business. Generally, we tailor our culture training to the needs of a particular company. We incorporate social and business etiquette, how to connect with experts in their field, exchange of business cards, shopping for essentials, national holidays… and if there is something that is a no-no, we put that into the training.

Plymouth Patch: People are, quite literally, unique, and when it comes to Speak Easy Languages, people are, quite literally, your business, and I know you aim to please. What is the most outrageous request you’ve received from a client?
Clark: People really are our business, and this is why we enjoy what we’re doing. But this is something comical that we had years ago: Remember when the Red Wings had more Russian players than now? So we had a fan of an opposing team — we can’t remember the name of the team now — but he called and wanted to learn as many Russian swear words as possible so that he could use them against the Red Wing players.

Plymouth Patch: Yikes. Did you teach this guy?
Clark: No. (laughing) And the most important reason for not doing it was because we are all Red Wings fans here! And we told him that.

Plymouth Patch: Many people are quite nervous about the prospect of learning a foreign language: They’ll say, “Oh, I’m just not good at it.” What tips can you give a person on how to most effectively learn a new language?
Clark: Children ages 10 and under are the best example of how to learn a language easily; they don’t have any inhibitions. But after 10, you have inhibitions. So we recommend to everyone to leave your inhibitions behind. Try to forget it. It doesn’t matter. Carry a dictionary… and point if you don’t know (the word). And no matter what method of study you use, one must study using the tools available. Practice makes perfect.