Speaking Spanish Helpful?

[Energizer Bunny]

Do you find that speaking Spanish is helpful in your job? I am considering starting to learn it on my own (have been for quite awhile) and was wondering if all of you here think it would be useful or just a waste of time?

[truern]

i took spanish for health professionals in my nursing program...although i READ it much better than i SPEAK it

however, i'm all for hispanics learning ENGLISH, too

[truern]

i took spanish for health professionals in my nursing program...although i READ it much better than i SPEAK it

however, i'm all for hispanics learning ENGLISH, too

[nekhismom]

absolutely. In my community, everyone speaks spanish, and some speak english. I can kind of go around and around to get to where I need to be, but I don't always understand what the patients are trying to tell me. FOrtunately, there are always people around who are willing to translate when I'm in a pinch.

I need a spanish for healthcare professionals course, though. I mean, I know how to say average words, but have you ever tried to obtain consent in spanish for a procedure that you have NO idea how to even begin to translate??? Absolutely horrible.

[nekhismom]

absolutely. In my community, everyone speaks spanish, and some speak english. I can kind of go around and around to get to where I need to be, but I don't always understand what the patients are trying to tell me. FOrtunately, there are always people around who are willing to translate when I'm in a pinch.

I need a spanish for healthcare professionals course, though. I mean, I know how to say average words, but have you ever tried to obtain consent in spanish for a procedure that you have NO idea how to even begin to translate??? Absolutely horrible.

[Sheri257]

They say "no Spanish!" as if we are retarded and have no business working in California, America, and NOT knowing it.

Even though I am trying to learn Spanish, this also gets on my nerves.

In California, everything from grocery items to the DMV to customer service phone lines are presented in both languages. It gets to the point where it almost encourages Hispanics to never learn English.

I mean, they did come to AMERICA, where English IS the primary language (at least for now ... LOL).

Like, maybe they should try to learn the language of their adopted country too? Or, at least, don't get mad at us for only being able to speak the language of our native country.

I want to learn Spanish, but it would be nice if more Hispanics would want to learn English too.

[Sheri257]

They say "no Spanish!" as if we are retarded and have no business working in California, America, and NOT knowing it.

Even though I am trying to learn Spanish, this also gets on my nerves.

In California, everything from grocery items to the DMV to customer service phone lines are presented in both languages. It gets to the point where it almost encourages Hispanics to never learn English.

I mean, they did come to AMERICA, where English IS the primary language (at least for now ... LOL).

Like, maybe they should try to learn the language of their adopted country too? Or, at least, don't get mad at us for only being able to speak the language of our native country.

I want to learn Spanish, but it would be nice if more Hispanics would want to learn English too.

[prmenrs, RN]

A lot of the pts I work with actually are not immigrants, legal or otherwise; since the hospital is ~ 15 miles from the border, they want to have their babies in this country, and come, cash in hand to pay for it.

[prmenrs, RN]

A lot of the pts I work with actually are not immigrants, legal or otherwise; since the hospital is ~ 15 miles from the border, they want to have their babies in this country, and come, cash in hand to pay for it.

[FROGGYLEGS, LPN]

My husband learned Spanish on his own. I don't know that he would be considered fluent, but I'm impressed. He has spent a lot of time working on it. At his job there are many non-English speaking immigrants so it is a near necessity for him. He speaks well enough to get by.

I took Spanish for 3 years in high school. I never was good at speaking it but I could understand what Spanish speaking people were saying for the most part. I think it is true that you lose what you don't use....I can only recongnize the simplest of Spanish phrases now.

The Vocational school here offers Spanish for the workplace.

[FROGGYLEGS, LPN]

My husband learned Spanish on his own. I don't know that he would be considered fluent, but I'm impressed. He has spent a lot of time working on it. At his job there are many non-English speaking immigrants so it is a near necessity for him. He speaks well enough to get by.

I took Spanish for 3 years in high school. I never was good at speaking it but I could understand what Spanish speaking people were saying for the most part. I think it is true that you lose what you don't use....I can only recongnize the simplest of Spanish phrases now.

The Vocational school here offers Spanish for the workplace.

[Rustyhammer]

I'm pretty fluent in Spanish but I can't read or write.

-R

[Rustyhammer]

I'm pretty fluent in Spanish but I can't read or write.

-R