Bilingual

[Sasha]

Most mexicans speak mexcian. Like English is to England and you get the point. Also, I see alot of people talking about immagrants and everything, and it is wrong of me to not learn their language. What about my people, I am native American. I don't see anyone jumping to learn my peoples or any of the others tribes around native tongue. I am just throwing that out their to anyone who thinks anyone else is wrong for not learning a secong language.

Do you and your tribe speak English? You are able to effectively communicate with the general population. And where, may I ask are classes to learn such languages? Native Americans have assimilated to to the American culture. It's a non issue.

 

[VentMedic]

Most mexicans speak mexcian. Like English is to England and you get the point. Also, I see alot of people talking about immagrants and everything, and it is wrong of me to not learn their language. What about my people, I am native American. I don't see anyone jumping to learn my peoples or any of the others tribes around native tongue. I am just throwing that out their to anyone who thinks anyone else is wrong for not learning a secong language.

The languages spoken by native Americans are not normally found throughout the country in high schools and colleges. Hence, this is why their languages were successful during war time for code.

If I chose to work at a hospital or clinic on one of the Reservations I would make every effort to learn some of the language that might be spoken if there are still elder members that speak very little English. This would not be much different from my choice to live in Miami and speak the language spoken by over 65% of its residents. In San Franciso I am a little overwhelmed with the 20+ dialects of Chinese as well as the many other Asian languages plus the 100+ different dialects from the Philipines. The Mission District has Spanish spoken but with a slightly different dialect than the Cubans and the culture is very different. However, if I was to choose to work a Chinese Hospital in the heart of SF, I would try to learn some of the two most popular Chinese languages.

It is about choice. If you choose an area to work where there is a different language commonly spoken, you should be able to communicate at least a little with the community you have chosen. If not, you can try Kansas or some state that has very few minorities.

 

[Shishkabob]

Vent, no one is saying "Be a stubborn donkey and refuse to learn another language to help your pt"

We're saying it should not be mandatory.

 

[Sasha]

Vent, no one is saying "Be a stubborn donkey and refuse to learn another language to help your pt"

We're saying it should not be mandatory.

And once again, why not? Please come up with a reason that doesn't make the profession sound like a bunch of pouting children.

 

[VentMedic]

Vent, no one is saying "Be a stubborn donkey and refuse to learn another language to help your pt"

We're saying it should not be mandatory.

Where did you get that from?

I just said we have "choices".

 

[Shishkabob]

Lets see;


If you live in a place that has an uber-amount of different backgrounds, such as cities on the west coast, it is completely beyond me to expect someone to learn Spanish AND the other Asian dialects of the area. But hey, you live there, so you HAVE to know atleast 3 languages to work, right?


They moved to the US, we didn't move to their country. They should make an effort to assimiliate. Sure, there are people who are brand new who can't speak. That's one thing. But NO one in the southern states can say they never met someone who refused to assimilate. That's why theres China towns, little Cuba, Little Mexico, or with Arabs in Michigan-- Dearborn.

They form those communities so they don't have to assimilate, which is just wrong.



Add on top of it, I'd rather EMS personnel go to school for more medical stuff. If A&P was required, I'd be all for it.


What if an EMT or Medic mistranslates a word because they've been up for 20 hours running 30 calls, and they end up killing the PT?



We're used to dealing with pts we cannot communicate with, unconcious from medical or trauma, that we should be able to do our job without saying a word. And if you CAN'T, but are in an urban area, your stay with the pt is so short anyhow, it's a non-issue.






Again, it'd be nice to learn a language to make your job a bit easier, but not mandatory.

 

[Sasha]

So we're all for a&p because you can better understand your patient and what's going on with them, right? Same with patho, pharm, etc.

Yet, because you would be to conceed and adapt to your possible patients, you are against learning a little Spanish or German or Russian or Italian or Chinese, whatever is the DOMINANT second language in your response area.

Are those who are new to the country immune from needing 911??

How about we go at this from a new direction. Does your service offer phone interperters?

 

[VentMedic]

Lets see;


If you live in a place that has an uber-amount of different backgrounds, such as cities on the west coast, it is completely beyond me to expect someone to learn Spanish AND the other Asian dialects of the area. But hey, you live there, so you HAVE to know atleast 3 languages to work, right?

They moved to the US, we didn't move to their country. They should make an effort to assimiliate. Sure, there are people who are brand new who can't speak. That's one thing. But NO one in the southern states can say they never met someone who refused to assimilate. That's why theres China towns, little Cuba, Little Mexico, or with Arabs in Michigan-- Dearborn.

They form those communities so they don't have to assimilate, which is just wrong.

Add on top of it, I'd rather EMS personnel go to school for more medical stuff. If A&P was required, I'd be all for it.


What if an EMT or Medic mistranslates a word because they've been up for 20 hours running 30 calls, and they end up killing the PT?

We're used to dealing with pts we cannot communicate with, unconcious from medical or trauma, that we should be able to do our job without saying a word. And if you CAN'T, but are in an urban area, your stay with the pt is so short anyhow, it's a non-issue.

Again, it'd be nice to learn a language to make your job a bit easier, but not mandatory.

I see you didn't take History in school or learn anything about why the U.S. is such a great country.

You don't have to live in the areas you mentioned either.

What percentage of your patients are a trauma or a code. Very small. Most are talking.

I guess now I see why some in EMS have also failed to even master the English language and are part of the grunt and groan club. They weren't told they would have to communicate with the patient. It is all about the trauma and unconscious. There is nothing about patient care mentioned in your EMS training where you have to interact with a patient by communication with words?

There are probably those that are reluctant to learn another language because it might mean enrolling in a college and we sure wouldn't want any of that education stuff to get in the way of being a Paramedic which just involves those cool trauma calls or a code.

As I said you have choices. If you don't care for the diversity this country has to offer, you have the choice to leave.

What if an EMT or Medic mistranslates a word because they've been up for 20 hours running 30 calls, and they end up killing the PT?

Blaming a language for the other issues in EMS is not valid. But, EMS always seems to be looking for someone or something else to blame for its own mistakes and shortcomings. If mistakes are made by working too many calls in a shift, shorter shifts should be considered before and not after you kill someone.

It is funny how some of the excuses for not learning a little of another language sounds just like the excuses for not getting more education for EMT(P)s. Excuses. That is the real specialty in EMS.

 

[Shishkabob]

So why not force nurses, doctors, firefighters, police officers, and other civil services jobs to learn the multitude of languages in their area as well.


You REALLY believe that someone that lives near chinatown in a southern state should be forced to learn Mandarin AND Spanish? Talk about shortage of staff.



Again, I've spent half my life learning foreign languages. I'm not against incentives for eomployees to learn a language, but it should not be forced.

 

[silver]

Actually if they required a BS or AS it would be pretty easy to require 2 or 4 classes in a foreign language for proficiency.

 

[JeffDHMC]

Out of curiosity Sasha, are you a polyglot?

 

[Buzz]

Learning another language is nice, but is not completely necessary. Using pictures and body language are other ways to communicate. Granted, you can't get a full picture of the situation but unless you are pretty fluent in a language, you aren't going to get much more information. Taking a couple of language courses at a college is enough to get you conversing with someone if they speak slowly and use basic words. I have a hard enough time understanding many of my patients when they are speaking English.

There's a difference between learning a language and learning to say the words. Time would probably be better spent by giving employees a little flashcard with a language common to the area with basic assessment questions on it with yes or no questions.

 

[Sasha]

Out of curiosity Sasha, are you a polyglot?

Currently? No, but I am making an effort to learn Spanish, as it's the dominant second language in my area. I do know a decent amount of ASL (Though not as much as I should after the two years in high school! )

 

[Mountain Res-Q]

Currently? No, but I am making an effort to learn Spanish, as it's the dominant second language in my area. I do know a decent amount of ASL (Though not as much as I should after the two years in high school! )

An they hired you? Good thing it wasn't mandatory... ^_^

 

[VentMedic]

So why not force nurses, doctors, firefighters, police officers, and other civil services jobs to learn the multitude of languages in their area as well.

As already mentioned there is at a 2 semester requirement and if you want to work in a hospital or facility that has clients speaking another language, the employer will advertise "bilingual preferred". Also mentioned are the incentives to know more than one language.

But, since EMS doesn't have a minimum education standard at the college level established, there is little point in enforcing more education.

 

[silver]

As already mentioned there is at a 2 semester requirement and if you want to work in a hospital or facility that has clients speaking another language, the employer will advertise "bilingual preferred". Also mentioned are the incentives to know more than one language.

But, since EMS doesn't have a minimum education standard at the college level established, there is little point in enforcing more education.

Yeh all the future doctors (accepted to med school) and BSN graduates at my university are required to take 4 semesters of a language (or test out).

 

[medicdan]

Heck, all undergraduates at my university are required to take up to a 30-level language, or test out...

My only recallable snafu related to language in medicine was a story from a partner-- a Spanish speaking patient who had been prescribed an Rx once a day, and read it as once (eleven) times a day... good think it was only children's strength APAP, so I dont believe it did any permanent damage.

 

[VFFforpeople]

Do you and your tribe speak English? You are able to effectively communicate with the general population. And where, may I ask are classes to learn such languages? Native Americans have assimilated to to the American culture. It's a non issue.

Yep, but there are a few that do not and won't. We had to learn english and adapt to the American culture. So, my point to you is that if the natives that lived here first had to adapt and learn english, shouldn't everyone else that came/comes over into America? That would make the most sense. As for your non issue, read above then go our to a reservation and try and talk with them. Your not native they don't really care about you, because you do not know their culture and their traditions, so lets expand this. Why not learn the other cultures ways of dealing with medicine and death, that way we can provide better care and comfort. Now, coming back to the world of reality, ya in a perfect world everyone would beable to speak all the languages. Seeing as how that will not happen, we try to do the best we can and keep going.

 

[VFFforpeople]

The languages spoken by native Americans are not normally found throughout the country in high schools and colleges. Hence, this is why their languages were successful during war time for code.

If I chose to work at a hospital or clinic on one of the Reservations I would make every effort to learn some of the language that might be spoken if there are still elder members that speak very little English. This would not be much different from my choice to live in Miami and speak the language spoken by over 65% of its residents. In San Franciso I am a little overwhelmed with the 20+ dialects of Chinese as well as the many other Asian languages plus the 100+ different dialects from the Philipines. The Mission District has Spanish spoken but with a slightly different dialect than the Cubans and the culture is very different. However, if I was to choose to work a Chinese Hospital in the heart of SF, I would try to learn some of the two most popular Chinese languages.

It is about choice. If you choose an area to work where there is a different language commonly spoken, you should be able to communicate at least a little with the community you have chosen. If not, you can try Kansas or some state that has very few minorities.

Well I live north of the SF, and am now seeing Spanish/Mexican being brought in. You choose to come to my country, I ask you learn my language. Lets put it like this, You or anyone here moves to Japan, China,Germany. Do you think they will change the way they speak or do things because you moved there? I wouldn't bet my life on it. So, because someone moves here for a better life or w/e. I have to now change the way I do things, what I have to learn for them? No, thanks. In Germany I can bet you it isnt manditory to know English, likewise Japan,China,Russia,all of Africa, South America, Central America. So, again I ask why? Give me a better reason than just..well it is a majorty vs. Minority. We allow them to not have to try and learn english, just skate on in and we will make sure you are taken care of.

 

[Sasha]

Now, coming back to the world of reality, ya in a perfect world everyone would beable to speak all the languages.

Where did I say all? The dominant second language of your response area. For example, I live in Orlando. If I ever got on a truck, I would deal with a lot people who spoke Spanish only. As stated above, I'm working on learning Spanish.

But let's remember something, learning a language is hard and time consuming. Maybe they ARE making an effort to learn English but haven't gotten very far in to it.

Why not learn the other cultures ways of dealing with medicine and death, that way we can provide better care and comfort.

Foreign language classes often incorporate the cutlture of the languages' speakers in class.

As for your non issue, read above then go our to a reservation and try and talk with them.

No, I'm not a native American, and I don't live near a reservation. If those who run calls on a reservation have classes to learn the language available to them, then they should make an effort to learn the language to communicate with their patients.

So, my point to you is that if the natives that lived here first had to adapt and learn english, shouldn't everyone else that came/comes over into America?

The Native Americans were forced to assimilate by violent and cruel ways. Are you saying we should repeat the actions of those who enslaved, kidnapped and murdered Native Americans to force immigrants to assimilate?

The settlers didn't discover America, they conquered it.

You or anyone here moves to Japan, China,Germany.

In Japan and China (I don't know about Germany) students are required to learn English in school because they do a lot of business with Americans.

You choose to come to my country, I ask you learn my language.

So if they're in country, and are learning English, are they not allowed to get sick or hurt until they learn English fluently?