Is Spanish a very impt language to learn in California?

fergus51 · Jun 20, 2006

It will help you a lot, but it isn't a necessity. I don't speak Spanish at all and have to rely on interpreters.

puresass · Jun 20, 2006

learning at least a little bit of spanish would definitely make your life a whole lot easier living in california (especially if you'll be living in southern california).

LydiaNN · Jun 20, 2006

I agree, it will help you a lot. I only speak a bit of Spanish and it is a pain to have to schedule activities around the availability of interpreters and/or translators.

shodobe · Jun 21, 2006

Spanish is very important where I work because 80% of my patients are Hispanic and do not speak English very well. I work in the OR and have a small, very small, grip of the language. My aide in the evening with me has become very fluent in Spanish and is very helpful. The anesthesia group comprises mostly Phillipinos and one Indian and they have found it a necessity to learn the language. Most of the day aides are Hispanic and that helps on days. Even with all of this talk around the country about illegals and such, learning Spanish, in California, can only be a plus. I would recommend learning all the basics and other nuances will come as you get more proficient.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 22, 2006

As others have indicated, it all depends on where you choose to work. If you work in cities that have virtually no Spanish-speaking community, Spanish will not be a very important language in your everyday dealings. If you choose to work in cities that are home to an overwhelmingly large Latino population, then Spanish will be very useful.

West_Coast_Ken, BSN, RN · Jun 29, 2006

I only speak a bit of Spanish and it is a pain to have to schedule activities around the availability of interpreters and/or translators.

You have to schedule around the abailablilty of interpreters to do your job? That is just plain wrong to have to do that! When thinking about learning another language receltly I decided Spanish should be the LAST language I learn.

Why? Because this is an English speaking country and I decided to refuse to work harder to make things easier for someone who has decided to refuse to learn English and thus make things harder on me.

prmenrs, RN · Jun 29, 2006

I believe it would be VERY helpful.

Sheri257 · Jun 29, 2006

Why? Because this is an English speaking country and I decided to refuse to work harder to make things easier for someone who has decided to refuse to learn English and thus make things harder on me.

Normally I would agree with you but, in our job, it's not supposed to be easier for us ... the patient comes first regardless of what language they speak.

Besides, it's such a royal pain not to be able to communicate with them ... having to run around finding an interpreter, etc. Then when they're gone something else comes up and you gotta find the interpreter again who's busy doing something else because they have their own job to do also. It's a major hassle.

In the end, learning Spanish probably does make your job easier in the long run.

And, with the job I'm probably going to take when I graduate, I get paid more to speak Spanish so ... guess what? I'll be learning Spanish as soon as I get done with the NCLEX.

Since they're paying me for it ... I'll do it.

Malinda1974 · Jul 6, 2006

You have to schedule around the abailablilty of interpreters to do your job? That is just plain wrong to have to do that! When thinking about learning another language receltly I decided Spanish should be the LAST language I learn.
Why? Because this is an English speaking country and I decided to refuse to work harder to make things easier for someone who has decided to refuse to learn English and thus make things harder on me.

I somewhat agree as well. If one is going to another country, its the considerate thing to do to at least learn the language. But hopefully we will all exercise our compassion anyway.

But the way the international business community is pushing the laws here in North/Central America, whether we like it or not, the northern continent will be one interconnected economic/social entity with much less border restrictions. Its the way they want it.

So if you are planning to come to any state here and stay awhile, get used to the Spanish language; current immigration forcasts are showing by the year 2030 people of non-U.S. decent will be in the majority here, and others in the minority with the Latino community being a large percent of the majority.

West_Coast_Ken, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2006

normally i would agree with you but, in our job, it's not supposed to be easier for us ... the patient comes first regardless of what language they speak.

no one said, nor implied, the pts don't come first because they refuse to learn to speak english.

if i am going to spend extra time to learn something to benefit my pts it will be something that will benefit all of them not a special group--you know...something like improving my nursing skills, diagnostic skills, pharmacology, the equipment, or cross-training to another related dept, etc, etc.

i refuse to have the label of translator added to the huge list of responsibilities nurses already carry. give us responsibilities regarding medical care and i have no problem with that, but try and dump on me the role of translator and i say "yo no lo haré."

regards,

ken

mitchsmom · Jul 7, 2006

...I decided to refuse to work harder to make things easier for someone who has decided to refuse to learn English and thus make things harder on me.

I totally hear you and really I agree about learning the language of the country you are in... but... what are the migrant workers in my area going to do? Listen to English language tapes while picking oranges like slaves all day? Most of them probably fall into bed in a coma every day when they come home from doing a job that no regular residents in my area are willing to do. Most don't have transportation and send all their extra money back home. I would not say that these people in my area are "refusing" to learn English.

And as far as "making things harder", if I had to characterize my Spanish speaking patients as a group so far, I'd say they have been the most polite, cooperative ones of all!

I know it's easy to say what someone should do from afar, but it's hard to think of these things when you are in abject poverty, no? I live a charmed life compared to them and I'm not always motivated to do the things I should...

y, Ken, parece que ya sabe espanol!