Do nurses need to know Arabic?

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2007

A lot of people in the Middle East speak French.

Arabic could certainly help you, although if you end up in Iran it's Persian and in the north of Iraq the Kurds speak - Kurdish? It isn't Arabic.

I think strengthening your French might be your biggest asset.

NavyCheerGirl · May 2, 2007

Any other languages that may be helpful in the Middle East?

Gennaver, MSN · May 2, 2007

I was thinking about learning Arabic because there could be times where nurses need to help Iraqi people who have serious injuries and they might not be able to speak English. Although there may be a translator, I'd say I'd find it quicker to know Arabic myself and help the patient one-on-one. I know French but that's not a language the military uses (although there are a lot of French terms and words that the military does use and no one thinks about it!). I'm willing to learn Arabic if I need it, which makes me wonder if nurses need to know Arabic.

Hello,

As the previous poster mentioned that there are other languages in the area. Arabic is a strong base for several from what I hear but, I think it'd be like generalizing the similarities between French/Spanish/English, not sure.

I was taking Arabic but, my schedule was too full.

Glad to read the advice about French though, that is much simpler for me as I've got somewhat of a familiarity with it.

Gen

Jarnaes · May 3, 2007

I wish I could have taken an Arabic course before my deployment to Iraq. I learned a few key phrases while I was there and it was very helpful.

While in Iraq, you will have translators assigned to your unit, but they might not be available right at the moment when you need them.

If you take an Arabic course make sure you take the DLPT (defense language proficiency test) as soon as you get on active duty- if you get a passing score you'll get an extra couple of hundred dollars every month. This pay is available for a few other key languages as well.

Gennaver, MSN · May 3, 2007

I wish I could have taken an Arabic course before my deployment to Iraq. I learned a few key phrases while I was there and it was very helpful.
While in Iraq, you will have translators assigned to your unit, but they might not be available right at the moment when you need them.
If you take an Arabic course make sure you take the DLPT (defense language proficiency test) as soon as you get on active duty- if you get a passing score you'll get an extra couple of hundred dollars every month. This pay is available for a few other key languages as well.

Hi,

Nurses can take the DLPT? I'm interested in that, (not sure if Spanish counts for anything on that).

Gen

prmenrs, RN · May 3, 2007

I think the language may be Farsi.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · May 3, 2007

I think the language may be Farsi.

That's in Pakistan, I think. Not sure. And Afghanistan.

prmenrs, RN · May 3, 2007

"Official languages Arabic, Kurdish " from Wikipedia; we had a clerk who spoke Farsi, even if they were from Iraq, parents understood her.

I googled Farsi: from irannet.com "...Persian Language, also known as Farsi, is the most widely spoken member of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, a subfamily of the Indo-European languages. It is the language of Iran (formerly Persia) and is also widely spoken in Afghanistan and, in an archaic form, in Tajikistan and the Pamir Mountain region.

Persian is spoken today primarily in Iran and Afghanistan, but was historically a more widely understood language in an area ranging from the Middle East to India. Significant populations of speakers in other Persian Gulf countries (Bahrain, Iraq, Oman, People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates), as well as large communities in the USA. ..."

love, the Trivia, aka Google, queen!

NavyCheerGirl · May 3, 2007

After thinking about it, I think it would be in my best interest to learn Persian and Arabic... would I be better off trying to teach myself or going to school to learn it?

sus182 · May 11, 2007

They do speak Farsi in Iran, but in Afghanistan the official language is Dari. They are both of the Persian languages, and very similar, but someone from Afghanistan would beg to differ that they speak Persian. They also speak Pashto in Afhg. but that is mainly in the southern regions, more where the Taliban is concentrated.

Also, hint of advice, if you're planning on learning Arabic, try to get someone from Iraq to tutor you. The dialects from other Arabic speaking countries can be different and difficult for a foreigner(such as myself) to overcome.