How to become bilingual

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Hey, does anyone know how to become certified bilingual?

How many semesters of spanish do you need before you can say your bilingual??

I want to be able to say Im bilingual on applications and such

I have a B.A. in linguistics and used to teach English as a second language to adults. Bilingual technically means you're equally comfortable in either language -- few people qualify for that -- but you can always shoot for fluency or near-fluency. When I was teaching ESL our rule of thumb was that it takes people about 2 years of daily use of a language to achieve minimal fluency, and about 3-4 years for what most of use would think of as fluency. The key there is daily use, so if you're only using Spanish once or twice a week it will take longer.

The only civilian certificate that I know of is the Foreign Service Exam, which scores you on a scale of 0-5, with 0 meaning you speak nothing and 5 being equal to a native speaker of that language. It's a TOUGH exam, though. Most people with four-year degrees in a language only score a 2 or 3.

My thought would be to just put on your resume how many semesters or years you've studied Spanish. Then if it comes up in an interview you can explain your level of fluency.

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Thanks everybody. The idea (for me) is to be able to say on job resumes when Im a nurse that I can speak spanish, because alot of jobs want bilingual people. Being bilingual gives some people an advantage.

I know I have DEFINITELY noticed point systems for admission to some RN programs give you points for being bilingual.

Maybe thats to much to try and acheive being a white girl from Cali. LOL

I have this awesome Medical Dictionary for nurses which my A&P teacher recommended to me and it has a section in it with questions you would ask a spanish or french speaking patient in a hospital setting....also lots of words relating to the body and such. Someone could communicate without prior knowledge, ... what a great resource and I bet it will come in handy some day!

If you need practice in Spanish come visit me here in San Antonio, TX....I plan to take a basic Spanish class so that I can figure out what my neighbors say behind my back LOL

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Specializes in LTC/Skilled Care/Rehab.

I took 2 years of Spanish in H.S. and am on my 4th semester in college. I am live with all Spanish speakers (my husband and his family is Mexican) and in a neighborhood where most of the people speak spanish. I still don't feel like I know much. We are thinking about moving to Mexico in the future for a year or two so I can really learn the lanuage. If you were under 10 years of age, you would learn Spanish really fast. But it takes adults much longer (which is why other languages should be taught before H.S. Good luck...it is never too late!

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Specializes in Operating Room.

I've had 3 years of Spanish in high school & 3 semesters of college Spanish.

I don't consider myself bilingual at all.

I can understand bits and pieces of SLOWWWWW Spanish conversation, but most Spanish is wayyyyyyyyyyyyy to fast for me to understand.

I can read/write much better though. When I do speak Spanish, I get all nervous and tongue-tied. :chuckle So, in the hospital, it will be better that I get a translator for major things. :)

I had a coworker/friend that moved to Mexico for a summer. She is unbelievably fluent now. It's amazing! She knows book talk & street language, that's what makes the difference.

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Volunteer at the hospital you are looking to work at as a translator. If you can pass their exam then later when you apply you can state that you pass their definition of bilingual.

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Specializes in CNA, RN Student.

Check your local college schedule/catalog. My college has Spanish for Health Professions. It's two semesters to finish and each class is full credits. Full credits usually indicate to me it's not a lousy class. That's probably something that would totally help out if you're trying to communicate with patients.

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Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.

Becoming designated as bilingual is very difficult, IMHO. I have 2 years of HS Spanish, and 3 in College, with 20 or more years using what I know in a birth center setting. I recently looked into the possibility of becoming a certified translator where I work and found out that unless I was a native Spanish speaker or unless I'd been immersed in a situation where Spanish was considered the primary language, there's no way it would ever happen.

Most hospitals won't use translators who aren't certified for anything having to do with procedures or consents. Maybe for giving directions, and such, but not for anything legal.

I can converse pretty well, most days, with my patients, even explaining simple procedures, but refuse to do consents when asked. Too much liability there.

Of course, if I went to some other country, there sure wouldn't be a translator provided for me at taxpayers' expense, even if I spoke the language there, but that's another topic.

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Becoming designated as bilingual is very difficult, IMHO. I have 2 years of HS Spanish, and 3 in College, with 20 or more years using what I know in a birth center setting. I recently looked into the possibility of becoming a certified translator where I work and found out that unless I was a native Spanish speaker or unless I'd been immersed in a situation where Spanish was considered the primary language, there's no way it would ever happen.

Most hospitals won't use translators who aren't certified for anything having to do with procedures or consents. Maybe for giving directions, and such, but not for anything legal.

I can converse pretty well, most days, with my patients, even explaining simple procedures, but refuse to do consents when asked. Too much liability there.

Of course, if I went to some other country, there sure wouldn't be a translator provided for me at taxpayers' expense, even if I spoke the language there, but that's another topic.

If you needed medical care in my native country there would be a good chance that you would be spoken to in English. "Over there" higher education (including nursing) requires knowledge of one or more foreign languages and English is one of them where I grew up ;)

In Europe you would definitely get by with English pretty much everywhere you'd go, for example ticket counters, restaurants, banks, airlines, trains, city public transportation, businesses etc particularly in the larger cities. No need for taxpayer's money to pay translators ;)

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Thanks everybody. The idea (for me) is to be able to say on job resumes when Im a nurse that I can speak spanish, because alot of jobs want bilingual people. Being bilingual gives some people an advantage.

I know I have DEFINITELY noticed point systems for admission to some RN programs give you points for being bilingual.

Maybe thats to much to try and acheive being a white girl from Cali. LOL

Why is only Spanish/English considered bilungual...what about other languages...I consider myself "tri-lingual"...I speak German, English and French

What happens to non-spanish speaking foreigners....speak English or die?!?!

Well that's what has happened to me since I got here...speak English or die, no English=no degree, no English=no service of any kind... there are no Butterball Turkey cooking instructions in my native language, no warning signs that I am not allowed to bring a gun into the convenience store in my native language either. When did things stop to make sense......

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Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.
If you needed medical care in my native country there would be a good chance that you would be spoken to in English. "Over there" higher education (including nursing) requires knowledge of one or more foreign languages and English is one of them where I grew up ;)

In Europe you would definitely get by with English pretty much everywhere you'd go, for example ticket counters, restaurants, banks, airlines, trains, city public transportation, businesses etc particularly in the larger cities. No need for taxpayer's money to pay translators ;)

The difference here is not whether or not someone can speak to you in your language. It's whether you request or require an interpretor. I've had patients who were born in the US (well into their 20's) say they must have an interpretor, and we are obligated to provide it. Taxpayers pay. It's the law. And this is much more abused by some groups than others. Some immigrants are very happy to be here, and work hard to learn English. They are proud to say they do not need an interpretor. Others are happy to be here, but they want it to be like home, except for the pay and jobs, I guess.

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The difference here is not whether or not someone can speak to you in your language. It's whether you request or require an interpretor. I've had patients who were born in the US (well into their 20's) say they must have an interpretor, and we are obligated to provide it. Taxpayers pay. It's the law. And this is much more abused by some groups than others. Some immigrants are very happy to be here, and work hard to learn English. They are proud to say they do not need an interpretor. Others are happy to be here, but they want it to be like home, except for the pay and jobs, I guess.

Well, I guess I am one of the proud ones who work hard to learn and make something out of myself in the US other than skimming and scamming the system ;)

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Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.
Well, I guess I am one of the proud ones who work hard to learn and make something out of myself in the US other than skimming and scamming the system ;)

And I'm happy to have you here, also.

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