Reality Spanish® for Healthcare

Are your office staff and emergency personnel able to connect with Spanish speakers?

Are children being used to translate simple personal information for their parents?

Change the model from: 'We need a translator!' or 'Pass the blue phone' for basic connective needs - to: 'All our staff can gather basic information and communicate to ensure the comfort, safety and quality care of our Spanish-speaking clients and their families'.

Course description:

Reality Spanish® for Healthcare, is an 'entry-level' course for those needing ability to speak and understand immediate connective phrases to help in daily situations which occur in U.S. community agencies, jobsites and healthcare environments. Commands are included which are frequently related to first aid and care in the office, waiting room, hospital and at accident scenes. Vocabulary is based on interactions between patients, family and caregivers. Common questions are included along with appropriate responses. "Bites" of language are introduced and developed into directives, dialogs, and narratives. The multi-sensory teaching techniques of the COLA® instructional system focus on speaking and listening, and a 'mix and match' approach encourages the customizing of language by students from the first class. The Interactive CD-ROM, Workbook, Audio CDs and Internet support extend student learning with instruction outside of class hours. Insights are given about some cultural differences which exist between Anglo Americans and Hispanic Americans, to ease misunderstandings that could occur within the realm of care giving.

Credit: 2 or 3 undergraduate or graduate credits (see below for specific requirements), or 3.0 or 4.5 CEU's 

Student Learning Outcomes:

 2 undergraduate credit or 3.0 CEU's course:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• 1. Speak direct, comprehensible 'bites' of Spanish relevant to their work situation with victims/patients.
• 2. Comprehend key ideas from native speech by victims/patients, around accidents, injury and healthcare-related contexts.
• 3. Read and write simple dialogs and stories in Spanish based on healthcare-related scenarios.
• 4. Create new relationships with Spanish speaking patients/victims & families through direct interaction.
• 5. Internalize empathy and develop openness with learners of English, no matter their first language or ethnic origin.

2 graduate credit course:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to achieve all of the above outcomes, plus:

• 1. Research, reflect deeply upon and identify practical implications of caring accurately and efficiently for Spanish speakers.
• 2. Demonstrate effective interactions and practices in scenarios with patients/families which reflect direct interventions, where appropriate basic care is concerned.

3 undergraduate credit or 4.5 CEU's course:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to achieve all of the above outcomes, plus:

• 1. Express and articulate cultural issues experienced by Spanish speakers, as they relate to extended care outside the healthcare setting.
• 2. Complete additional readings reflecting all the language acquired to date, and demonstrate comprehension, through written and oral activities.

3 graduate credit course:

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to achieve all of the above outcomes, plus:

• 1. Read and write meaningful dialogs and stories in Spanish based on healthcare-related scenarios.
• 2. Complete an exit demonstration of crowd control/accident scene practices.

Methodology:

Students will experience multi-sensory learning activities in the classroom which expose them to abundant comprehensible input of new language. These activities include: physical movements and gestures, drawing and acting to demonstrate comprehension; spontaneous responses to questions in a conversational setting; small group and partner work to practice 'bites' of language; written and oral assignments.  The multi-sensory learning activities in the Reality Spanish® for Healthcare program reflect the COLA® Methodology of LingoLynx, LLC. This has been developed as a culmination of language acquisition techniques including Dr. Stephen Krashen's The Natural Approach; Dr. James Asher's Total Physical Response (TPR); Blaine Ray's TPR Storytelling®. These language acquisition techniques have been coupled with additional multi-sensory learning activities, content reflecting the context of the school environment, the specific needs and constraints of adult learners, and technology tools, to create a unique instructional system. 

Hours of Instruction:

2-credit/3.0 CEUs: 12 face-to-face classes: duration 2 hours 30 minutes each of direct instruction. In addition, each student is expected to spend a minimum of two hours weekly interacting with the CD-ROM materials, research components, and follow-up assignments. This totals 30 hours of direct instructional time, plus independent study.

 3-credit/4.5 CEUs: 16 face-to-face classes: duration 2 hours 50 minutes each of direct instruction. In addition, each student is expected to spend a minimum of two hours weekly interacting with the CD-ROM materials, research components, and follow-up assignments. This totals 45 hours of direct instructional time, plus independent study. 

Course Content:

(2- and 3-credit)

Key Topics:

Courtesy, personal information gathering, dates, times, locations, patient/family member care, body parts/injuries, pain, first responders, accident & crowd control

Key phrases/commands:

Do you have an appointment? Please fill out this form and sign it. Where does it hurt? On a scale from 1-10, how much does it hurt? Is someone at home who can help you? Stay in bed and rest until tomorrow. Does anyone here know first aide? Keep the crowd back until the ambulance comes.

Scenarios/dialogs:

A talk with the receptionist; in the doctor's office; describing the pain; an accident scene; first responders; in the ambulance.

Cultural topics:

Immigration; Traditional Latino healthcare practices; Curandismo; Language barriers related to health care; Importance of family; Latino health risks

Grammar:

NOTE: Grammar is an integrated part of this course as it is relevant to the accurate reproduction of the target, context-based language. Specific grammatical structures are taught as their use becomes familiar to the students from working with class stories, dialogs and activities. In class, reference is consistently and naturally made to verb form patterns, noun-article-adjective agreements, tense usage and accuracy of the written form. In addition to class work with grammar, the articulated student learning materials (interactive CD-ROM, workbook and Audio CDs) have detailed grammatical explanations, examples, activities, and web links, to extend student learning out of class.

Verbs: regular AR, ER, IR verbs in present tense; ser and estar; tener - to have, and expressing hunger, pain, thirst, fear; ir in present and expressing future ideas; stem-change verbs: querer, poder; reflexive verbs: sentirse, sentarse, pegarse, etc; imperatives; present participles.

Constructions: alphabet; written accents & punctuation; article-noun-adjective agreement; contractions using 'a' and 'de'; interrogatives; possession; time telling; dates; cognates; 

Course requirements:

1. Participation. Students will be graded on their engagement in and readiness for the classes.
2. Assignments. These are written and spoken and include: written and spoken story per module, sketch of building, command phrases; plus for 3-credit: reading comprehension activities with extended stories & additional writing activities.
3. Final Presentation. Students will prepare an original storytelling scenario using all course language and teach this to the class. They will question the class about their scenario to elicit spontaneous answers and conversation in Spanish around their story or dialog.
4. Journal. Students will submit a journal to their instructor. This will contain their reflections on their learning and the development of their connections with Spanish speakers. They will comment on their cultural research also.

Textbooks/Materials:

 Reality Spanish® for Healthcare: the multi-sensory, interactive CD-ROM program corresponds to a printed text/workbook and expanded readings (for 3-credit version). The CD-ROM and the 2-pack of Audio CDs are required for all students supplement student learning. These materials are articulated, contain the six modules of course content, and follow exactly the learning targeted in this course. Authors: Gaye R. Jenkins, Ed. D., & Molly P. Schneider, M.Ed.