BYU Takes Top Portuguese Honors at Business Language Competition

The Portuguese competition’s winning team,
from BYU, consisted of Justin Bray,
Cameron Barr and David Braudt.PROVO, Utah – Dec 28, 2009 – Two Brigham Young University undergraduate teams put their Portuguese-speaking skills to the test at the BYU Business Language Case Competition — winning first and second place. The competition highlights language and cultural skills in an effort to prepare students for international business experience.

"Students open doors for networking and building relationships when they learn another language," says Sherstin Creamer, competition director. "This gives them a competitive advantage in the business world."

For this year's case, teams presented an international business strategy for Walmart. The teams, which consisted of three students each, were required to present entirely in Spanish or Portuguese and were judged on language ability, depth of analysis and effective delivery.

Competition winners received a trophy and cash prize from BYU's Kay and Yvonne Whitmore Global Management Center, which hosted the event.

The Portuguese competition’s second-place
team consisted of Cory Christensen,
Mike Bready and Jordan Weber.The winning Portuguese team members credited their success to their diverse educational backgrounds and mission service in Brazil. The team members met in a business Portuguese class and were looking for opportunities to continue refining their language skills.

"Education is much more than homework and book work," says Cameron Barr, a senior Latin American studies major from Sanford, Colo. "It's about getting involved in good causes and applying what we learn in the classroom to real-life situations."

While the three first-place Portuguese winners did not earn extra credit for their participation in the event, they didn't seem to mind.

"I would rather have this than extra credit," said Justin Bray, a junior Latin American studies major from New Canaan, Conn.

The first-place Portuguese team consisted of Bray, Barr, and David Braudt, a junior economics major from Gilbert, Ariz. The second-place Portuguese team consisted of Mike Bready, a senior accounting major from Bountiful, Utah; Cory Christensen, a senior business management major from Ogden, Utah; and Jordan Weber, a senior accounting major from Houston. BYU–Idaho took third place in the Portuguese division.

In the competition's Spanish portion, Utah State University was awarded first place, Indiana University took second place and the University of Washington landed third. BYU was precluded from participating in the Spanish portion.

To expand opportunities for participating students, Creamer says Arabic and Chinese portions of the competition will likely be added in future years. The next BYU Business Language Case Competition will be in November 2010.

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems, entrepreneurship, and recreation management and youth leadership. The school's mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,300 students are enrolled in the Marriott School's graduate and undergraduate programs.