Bilingual

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

  • Total voters
    75
chfite said:
I exercise extreme caution and cover all the bases in treating those who are not fluent in English. I will not accept a refusal from those who are not fluent in English.
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So you are saying that people who don't speak English have no rights?

This is when you and your company need to have access to a qualified interpreter service.
 
VentMedic said:
So you are saying that people who don't speak English have no rights?

This is when you and your company need to have access to a qualified interpreter service.
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I just saw that statement of not accepting refusals as well and wondering how many people they have now kidnapped by forcing them to go when they had every legal right to say no.
 
Yes, You have no legal right to not allow them to refuse, just because they can not speak English. They still have the same rights as any other pt. It is up to you, to make sure they understand what you are telling them!

As stated, this is called Kidnapping,Assault and battery and unethical practices. Might want to rethink that way of doing things!
 
Nah, but I am fluent in Spanish. I can understand Portuguese and Italian pretty, well enough to understand what they say a good bit of the time, but as for mandatory: no. Perhaps bilingual incentives, like a little bit more pay, like the military.
 
This is America... we speak English... that is OUR language. If you want to live here then learn the language. Don't expect to reap all the benefits of living in this country and not have to do something as basic as learn the language.

Personally, I am really sick of having to flip boxes and products around just to find the English product description and/or instructions. I could get on my soapbox about the influx of immigrants into this country... especially from Mexico... but that wouldnt be appropriate for this forum.

So to answer the question... no... it should not be mandatory. If someone can;t communicate in an emergency due to a language barrier... it's their problem... not mine.

Why should I have to go through the headache and hassle and maybe even expense of learning their language when they should be the ones going through the headache, hassle, and expense of learning ours!
 
ResTech said:
This is America... we speak English... that is OUR language.
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America has no nationally declared language. It just so happens that the majority speaks English.

So to answer the question... no... it should not be mandatory. If someone can;t communicate in an emergency due to a language barrier... it's their problem... not mine.
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I wholeheartedly disagree. They are your patient, so it is your problem.

Why should I have to go through the headache and hassle and maybe even expense of learning their language when they should be the ones going through the headache, hassle, and expense of learning ours!
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Because you chose to be in a profession that deals with people, they didn't choose to have an emergency.
 
Sasha... the majority rules... ever since this Country was founded... ENGLISH has been the primary language. I don't think we need an official declaration to state English is the dominant language of the United States of America.

And to a point, it is my problem because it causes more of a headache for me to figure out their symptoms and whats going on... but ultimately it is their problem... their lack of motivation to learn the language where they reside is all on them.. not me. If I knew I would be moving to a Country that spoke something other then English... then I would try to get into a language class prior to moving and continually work on it til I became proficient.

Your right, they didn't choose to have an emergency... and I didn't choose for them to move here (a lot of the times illegally) and not learn how to speak. Why should I have to sit in a classroom for months and go through the hassle of learning a language I have no desire in learning and take time from my family or career solely because they fail to meet their basic obligation of living in this county!

AN IMMIGRANT HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO LEARN ENGLISH... DO NOT MAKE EXCUSES FOR THEM OR PICK UP WHERE THEY FAIL. IT GIVES THEM MORE INCENTIVE NOT TO LEARN ENGLISH!!!!!!!!
 
I don't think they should be required to know a second language. It’s great if they learn one on their own. For me it’s German but I don’t get much of a chance to use it.

I carry a PDA with a multi-language dictionary. English, Brazilian, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish. We have a number of Hispanics in the area I wish it had Polish and Croat because I could use those at times.
 
Why do they have the responsibility? Is it the law? Honestly if a survey was done there may be as many or more people that could speak Spanish than English. The USA was founded by immigrants, why should we change that now? If we want to get down to it we should all be speaking a Native American language rather than English as the immigrants that spoke English should have learned it since they decided to come here.
 
AN IMMIGRANT HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO LEARN ENGLISH... DO NOT MAKE EXCUSES FOR THEM OR PICK UP WHERE THEY FAIL. IT GIVES THEM MORE INCENTIVE NOT TO LEARN ENGLISH!!!!!!!!
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How do you know if they've been in the country long enough to learn English? It's a long, lengthy process and English is one of the hardest languages to learn.

Sasha... the majority rules... ever since this Country was founded... ENGLISH has been the primary language. I don't think we need an official declaration to state English is the dominant language of the United States of America.
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That's incorrect. In some areas of the country, Miami, parts of Texas and California, for example, Spanish is the dominant language, although the majority does speak English. Of course, we are referring not to the number of speakers as majority, but those who are ecnomically dominant as the majority.

and I didn't choose for them to move here (a lot of the times illegally)
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Also, have you looked at requirements to legally immigrate to this country? Most Americans wouldn't make the cut, no wonder people have to sneak in.
 
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Sasha said:
Because you chose to be in a profession that deals with people, they didn't choose to have an emergency.
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I agree BUT I have had an emergency in another country where they refused to attempt to speak English when dealing with the emergency. I had made the attempt to learn their language prior to traveling and we were able to communicate. I feel they were very understanding of my poor language skills.

I work a seasonal job at a destination resort and we get people from around the world that speak many languages. It is not possible for a responder to know all the languages. People just need to attempt to learn English.
 
ResTech said:
Yeah, that's the problem.
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Why? Again if any language should be spoken here it should be a Native American one not English.
 
ResTech said:
... the majority rules... ever since this Country was founded... ENGLISH has been the primary language. I don't think we need an official declaration to state English is the dominant language of the United States of America.
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Actually this country was largely under the Spanish flag while the Native Americans were the first residents. And, did you see the make up of this country doing election time and why certain populations were being catered to? Did you also notice some public office candidates or those campaigning for them speaking Spanish when addressing crowds? If the Presidents of this country have no problem with this country being made up of many races or different nationalities speaking many languages why should you?

ResTech said:
AN IMMIGRANT HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO LEARN ENGLISH... DO NOT MAKE EXCUSES FOR THEM OR PICK UP WHERE THEY FAIL. IT GIVES THEM MORE INCENTIVE NOT TO LEARN ENGLISH!!!!!!!!
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This does not sound like the words of a medical professional. These are words that state intolerance and incite hatred. I might expect something like this to come out of the mouth of James Von Brunn or a member of his klan that have beaten up Spanish speaking young people in Miami when they heard them speaking something other the English. In San Francisco they killed a couple of young Chinese men on a public street for speaking something other than English. Whatever these groups call themselves or code they live by, they use the same statements to incite their followers.
 
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This does not sound like the words of a medical professional.
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Your statements following this quote are a bit of a reach. Regardless of my profession... I am still a US citizen with an opinion. Granted, sometimes it needs to be kept within.. but I am not the only one who shares this opinion. A large majority of this country does not like what is taking place. I dont have a problem with the President but he is just a person and an agenda. So if the next president has a problem with English speaking ppl becoming a minority that is ok and you will then shift gears and follow that leader? Nah... thats ok.

I am not racist at all and treat all my patients in a non-judgemental and totally objective manner. However, it does not take away my feelings that they should speak English. After all, it will make their life easier while living here.
 
ResTech said:
A large majority of this country does not like what is taking place.
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Really when a large percentage are immigrants and a large percentage speak some form of Spanish. Just think you are spouting opinion and calling it a fact.
 
I'll agree to disagree... we all have our own personal feelings on this issue as do a lot of ppl and with some it is a hot topic of debate. Its not really a hot topic for me.. I just have my view and opinion and is what I was portraying.
 
ResTech said:
I'll agree to disagree... we all have our own personal feelings on this issue as do a lot of ppl and with some it is a hot topic of debate. Its not really a hot topic for me.. I just have my view and opinion and is what I was portraying.
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Just bring up some numbers to back up the statements you made.

I hate to think that someone would cop such a "speak English attitude" with my mother during an emergency just because I chose to have her living in the U.S. with me. I thought this is the United States which is a melting pot of nationalities and she would be welcome.
 
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