MICHAEL Graham has always loved languages and he still remembers the days he worked alone tutoring students at their homes. But he eventually thought, ‘Why not bring everyone to me under one roof?’ And that was when Fluency Express was born – an agency that offers various language services.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Graham said he was forced online – a move he doesn’t for a minute regret because it only served to grow his business. Whereas he was only able to accommodate students from Georgetown and its environs, he has now been able to extend his services to all parts of Guyana and even internationally.

The 28-year-old got started in 2019 and from that time to now, has already had 40 students completing his programmes. At the moment, he told Sunday Chronicle that he is working with over 70 more students. Having started up in an office on Regent Street, Georgetown, Fluency Express is now conducted strictly online. The idea was birthed when Graham felt that there were not enough language services being offered to Guyanese in a manner that was flexible, convenient and affordable.

Fluency Express provides interpretation services, translation of documents, and language courses (which are their main focus) in Spanish, French and Portuguese for both adults and children. The business also offers ESL (English as a second language) for non-natives.

The beginners’ programme runs for six months, and the intermediate one for four months. An advanced level is eventually going to be introduced; payment plans are in place so that those who need the facility can be able to pay in installments.

“What separates our programme from others is that our methodology is more oral-based. We aim to have our students speaking from the very start. Our biggest emphasis is not on writing but on speaking because we’ve observed people can write the language but can’t speak it,” explained Graham who speaks three foreign languages namely, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. One of his future plans is to introduce Mandarin into his curriculum.

He has included 30 guided conversations with a native speaker trained by Fluency Express to reinforce what the students would’ve learnt in class. Meanwhile, the last batch of students for 2021 will be taken in this July.

Graham, the author of four book, has also completed his first poetry collection. He has hired a mixture of tutors who hail from different countries and are thus fluent in the languages he’s offering.

Reflecting on his accomplishments so far, Graham expressed: “It’s a surreal experience because I remember I had the idea and it was only an idea at first. I remember sitting and crying and complaining I wasn’t getting any clients and today I feel very happy and privileged to grow the business.”

He is grateful to the support from friends and family and noted how his work so far has taught him humility and patience as he seeks to continue building his brand.
“I don’t like to limit myself. It’s all about the mindset and I always push myself to do more,” he said, adding that he also wants to be able to help and inspire others to achieve their goals.