Bilingual

Do you think EMS providers should have to learn other languages?


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Shishkabob

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Vent, I'm all for it as education, or even a degree requirement, but not a job requirement.




And since you missed my view on the contradiction: the immigrant moved to a country where the primary language is English. Should he or should he not have to learn English before getting a job?
 

VentMedic

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Vent, I'm all for it as education, or even a degree requirement, but not a job requirement.




And since you missed my view on the contradiction: the immigrant moved to a country where the primary language is English. Should he or should he not have to learn English before getting a job?

Americans rarely learn the language of the country they may relocate to.

And do you not think there are areas in this country were people do predominatly speak another language? How arrogant of you to think there should be just one language for this country! Do you even know why some people do come to this country? Do you think they even gave learning another language a thought as some were fleeing for their lives? What about those so poor that they must risk their lives to cross the border to earn a few dollars? Do you think they would rather be working in their own home neighborhoods rather than commuting through a tunnel across the border?

If you live and work in an area where there is another language spoken, that employer should be able to require a person to be bilingual and to hire the most qualified. If two candidates are both Paramedics but one speaks Spanish, guess which one would be best suited for a hospital or EMS job in Miami?
 
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Shishkabob

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Let's see... I live in fort worth, where the north and and east end are predomintely Hispanic. I was raised near Dearborn Michigan, the single largest concentration of Arabs outside of the middle east. I lived in Florida for 5 years. I'm quite sure I'm used to dealing with forei



It's ok vent, I still love you. In a totally Herero? Never seen you but speak to you on the interwebs, kind of way.
 

VentMedic

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Let's see... I live in fort worth, where the north and and east end are predomintely Hispanic. I was raised near Dearborn Michigan, the single largest concentration of Arabs outside of the middle east. I lived in Florida for 5 years. I'm quite sure I'm used to dealing with forei



It's ok vent, I still love you. In a totally Herero? Never seen you but speak to you on the interwebs, kind of way.


Then you should have just a small understanding.

It is like being called the n word all your life.

Some just assume you are uneducated because you don't speak English or have a certain color of skin. How many times have we heard about "neighborhood profiling" on the EMS forums? Some in EMS don't even ask if they speak English and just start treating certain nationalities as uneducated, lower race idiots the minute they role up to a scene. I've been on both sides of that.

Yes I still love you but you are p....... me off.
 
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Sasha

Sasha

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It's ok vent, I still love you. In a totally Herero? Never seen you but speak to you on the interwebs, kind of way

Yes I still love you but you are p....... me off.

Awwweeee and they say there is too much hostility on this forum!
 

Ridryder911

EMS Guru
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Ironically, it appears that my state will be passing a State Law that declares that English language will be its primary language. For many factors as discussed also as a costs factor. Duplication and mandating of every paper and instruction in numerous languages is too costly and ridiculous.

I do argue that one should not have to be mandated to have a secondary language, especially within our own territorial borders. Spanish is third to tribal languages in most of my area, would this mean medics have to learn Native American Indian tribal languages (since there are about ten popular ones) and then Spanish and so on?... Ridiculous!

They make interpreter products for both field and in-hospital. Cheaper, less expensive and unless one has been certified as being accountable as a "medical interpreter" liability is a risk. Are you for sure, that they (medics) interpreted the foreign language properly? I have seen too many blunders made from well meaning interpreters.

Common sense has to be used in such matters.

R/r 911
 
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Mountain Res-Q

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Ironically, it appears that my state will be passing a State Law that declares that English language will be its primary language. For many factors as discussed also as a costs factor. Duplication and mandating of every paper and instruction in numerous languages is too costly and ridiculous.

If I remember correctly, California tried this years ago, but it was latter declared unconstitutional by the courts. Be interesting to see if it passes and makes any difference.
 

VentMedic

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Ironically, it appears that my state will be passing a State Law that declares that English language will be its primary language. For many factors as discussed also as a costs factor. Duplication and mandating of every paper and instruction in numerous languages is too costly and ridiculous.

Then you need to read what happened to Florida when they did that. That is one reason why few states have considered this idea since that stupid law was passed in 1988 in Florida.

Are the majority of calls on the reservations? There is probably a good chance some in Oklahoma could go for months or even years without hearing anything other than English. You situation may not be the same as comparing other cities like Miami.

Also, when a state is considering passing such a bill, it is usually spurred by arrogant/ignorant thinking of those who are afraid of them foreigners moving into the area.
 
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Sasha

Sasha

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They make interpreter products for both field and in-hospital. Cheaper, less expensive and unless one has been certified as being accountable as a "medical interpreter" liability is a risk. Are you for sure, that they (medics) interpreted the foreign language properly? I have seen too many blunders made from well meaning interpreters.

R/r 911

Ironically I've asked about the use of interperter services a couple times on this thread and it hadn't been answered.

Funnily enough, English is Florida's official language and there are far more Spanish speakers than English speakers.
 

VentMedic

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If I remember correctly, California tried this years ago, but it was latter declared unconstitutional by the courts. Be interesting to see if it passes and makes any difference.

Getting cut off from some funding at the Federal level as well as making a bad name with the international tourists kinda hurts. It primarily hurts the schools that rely on this funding.
 
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Sasha

Sasha

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Okay... I'll relent... Sacha... I love you, but you often pi** me off too.

Seriously dude? My name is SASHA With an SH not a CH. It is explicitly spelt in my user name.

It's pretty crappy that you find the need to be argumentative and childish in an attempt to tick me off by deliberately misspelling my name.
 

VentMedic

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Funnily enough, English is Florida's official language and there are far more Spanish speakers than English speakers.

Again it was a knee jerk ballot thing after the boatlift because some were afraid of all them Cubans.

It was also a big mistake.
 

VentMedic

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I just looked up the Oklahoma Bill SB 163 to make English the only language. Got a good laugh and again am truly disappointed by the attitudes of some. This is about the politicians and not the needs of the people. And, try to get the Native Americans to assimilate?

http://www.oksenate.gov/news/press_releases/press_releases_2008/pr20080507e.html

“The Senate Democrats’ substitute language is just a piece of paper that does not change the status quo. It still requires the state to expend funds to provide unnecessary translations for government services. Our version would have stopped the silly lawsuits that seek to force our state to provide services in any number of foreign languages,” said Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore.

Anybody guess, especially those in Florida, where the funding comes from to help pay for translators? Since the passage of the English Only Bill, that service does not have to be paid for by public funds. Most hospitals still provide the service because the accrediting agencies feel it is part of a patient's right to be able to communicate with their health care providers about their medical treatment. That also goes along with the right to refuse some medical treatment.
 
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VFFforpeople

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He made the choice to move. Those that live there should not have to bow to him and just speak "English". He should have no complaints about any other language spoken if he made the choice to live in an area like Miami for an example. If that job was to require that he be bilingual, then he has no reason to whine about it.

I have no tolerance for the all American white racist attidude that says speak English because you are in this country. It has been this mentality that has kept prejudice alive and well in this country. This thread has gotten a little deeper than just requiring another language for a job. The "live in my country, you better speak my language" attitude is one of intolerance. The nasty prejudices for other nationalities have emerged and for health care professionals in the U.S., that is a sad statement.


On the grounds of English, you actually did contradict and or make a double standard. Did the lets say Cuban because you talk about Miami like it is the saint of all cities in the US. Did the Cuban think about learning english before coming to a country that speak English? I don't think so, thus you just made a double standard to your argument and you can argue it all you want, but it still stands as such. Also, calling me prejudice, that makes you ignorant. I took spanish 2yrs, french 7yrs, german 1yr, know what I learned? Nothing that had to do with anything that applied to medical or real world applications. Most of them have a slang or improper dialect such as english. You ever consider the people responding on here have taking foreing language classes, before making such an ASSumption? Why should I have to learn spanish? french? german? or any other language? My family has had its roots in the US long before the Mayflower. Now I get to call you ignorant for not defending my peoples language, or any other language other than your spanish.
 
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Sasha

Sasha

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Why should I have to learn spanish? french? german?

Because if you have a big Spanish, French or German population you will be learning how to better service your patients, which is why I mentioned awhile ago foreign language classes geared specifically towards health care providers.

My family has had its roots in the US long before the Mayflower. Now I get to call you ignorant for not defending my peoples language, or any other language other than your spanish.

And your families ancestors were conquered and integrated into American culture through means of forced assimilation. Your people may have their language, but I have never heard of any tribal language classes. The Seminoles were big in Florida, the only time I hear anything that remotely sounds Seminole is when I look at street signs or county names. Granted, I don't know if there are reservations in Florida or where they are, but if I worked in an EMS system that ran on a reservation and there were CLASSES AVAILABLE I would make an effort to learn the language, as I think Vent would as well.
 

VentMedic

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On the grounds of English, you actually did contradict and or make a double standard. Did the lets say Cuban because you talk about Miami like it is the saint of all cities in the US. Did the Cuban think about learning english before coming to a country that speak English? I don't think so, thus you just made a double standard to your argument and you can argue it all you want, but it still stands as such. Also, calling me prejudice, that makes you ignorant. I took spanish 2yrs, french 7yrs, german 1yr, know what I learned? Nothing that had to do with anything that applied to medical or real world applications. Most of them have a slang or improper dialect such as english. You ever consider the people responding on here have taking foreing language classes, before making such an ASSumption? Why should I have to learn spanish? french? german? or any other language? My family has had its roots in the US long before the Mayflower. Now I get to call you ignorant for not defending my peoples language, or any other language other than your spanish.

Do you know the history of Florida?

Do you know how long the Cubans have been in Florida? The Spanish?

Do know anything about Baptista, Castro or the Bay of Pigs?

Gee, in times of persecution and revolution, learning English to go to a land which some of their Spanish ancestors already helped to establish might not have been a thought at the time.

Do you also know the role the U.S. played in the Mariel Boatlift? Again, I don't think President Carter gave the Cubans enough time to learn English. But wait, their families who spoke Spanish were already in Miami.

Now, do you want to talk about NYC or SF?

I took spanish 2yrs, french 7yrs, german 1yr, know what I learned?
Nothing that had to do with anything that applied to medical or real world applications.

And you found all of that a waste of time? Then why did you even take the courses beyond the required?

As I said before, some in EMS just belong in the grunt and groan club.

I am a medical professional that lives in the real world. I use whatever skill and education I have for the benefit of my patients, not for the selfish opinions of some EMS providers who believe it is all about them and not the patient.
 
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ffemt8978

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I'm not going to close this thread at this time, but I will be keeping an eye on it. Take the racism discussions elsewhere, and stick to the topic being discussed or become the focus of my complete and undivided attention.

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VentMedic

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My family has had its roots in the US long before the Mayflower. Now I get to call you ignorant for not defending my peoples language, or any other language other than your spanish.

You didn't even bother reading my posts or you would have seen that I did reference the Native Americans including that Oklahoma English Only Bill.

Florida's Native American Tribes:
http://www.native-languages.org/florida.htm

Do you also know how the majority of Florida's Native Americans got to Oklahoma? Now that is a sad part of Florida's history.
 
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Shishkabob

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Seriously dude? My name is SASHA With an SH not a CH. It is explicitly spelt in my user name.

It's pretty crappy that you find the need to be argumentative and childish in an attempt to tick me off by deliberately misspelling my name.




My money was on he was joking, hence the bolded / italicized "c".
 
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