Mr. Alan Vinson, a local businessman from Brazil and the director of Brazil Business Solutions of Jacksonville, recently spoke to students at
First Coast High School about the importance of mastering a second language in order to be successful in a global society.
The school has an International Trade and Logistics Career and Professional Academy with students who are studying Portuguese, the language spoken in Brazil.
Vinson emphasized the tremendous value of the study of Portuguese due to the strong connection with Brazil at the Jacksonville Port Authority. Brazil is an important trading partner, and the knowledge of Portuguese will give students a distinct advantage.
The Brazilian economy is among the strongest in the world. Americans have an increased confidence in investing in Brazil due to the recent visit of President Obama, the Olympics and the World Cup.
According to First Coast High Foreign Language Instructor Andrew Blanco, Vinson is working with the Jacksonville Mayor's Office to promote sister cities projects between Brazilian cities, Jacksonville and other U.S. cities.
Vinson encouraged the students to investigate the possibilities of an exchange program so that they can have an immersion experience. He also enjoyed speaking in Portuguese with the students and was impressed with their language skills.
“The students were very excited about the visit, and Mr. Vinson praised their commitment to learning Portuguese,” said Blanco.
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