William C. Harvey - Spanish for Health Care Professionals

2017, 2008, 2000, 1997 by William C. Harvey

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form,
by Photostat, microfilm, xerography, or any other means, or incorporated
into any information retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, without
the written permission of the copyright owner.

All inquiries should be addressed to:

Barrons Educational Series, Inc.

250 Wireless Boulevard

Hauppauge, NY 11788

www.barronseduc.com

eISBN: 978-1-4380-6850-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Harvey, William C., author.

Title: Spanish for health care professionals / William C. Harvey, M.S.

Description: Fourth edition. | Hauppauge, NY : Barrons Educational Series,
2016. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016015147 | ISBN 9781438006949 (paperback)

Subjects: LCSH: Spanish languageConversation and phrase books (for medical personnel) | BISAC: FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY / Spanish.

Classification: LCC PC4120.M3 H37 2016 | DDC 468.3/42102461dc23 LC record
available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016015147

Contents

The key to learning Spanish is self-confidence. To build self-confidence you must first realize that the entire learning experience is painless and fun. What they told you in the traditional foreign language classroom was wrong. In fact, research has revealed some startling information. Consider these tenets to acquiring basic Spanish skills:

Thousands of words are similar in both Spanish and English, which makes it easier for you to remember vocabulary.

Grammar and pronunciation dont have to be perfect in order to be understood.

Messages in Spanish can be communicated with a few simple expressions.

Motivation shouldnt be a problem. Businesses across the country are making efforts to recruit employees who speak two or more languages.

People who relax and enjoy their learning experiences seem to acquire Spanish at a much faster pace than everyone else.

Even a little Spanish allows doctors, nurses, technicians, and support staff to help people in need of medical assistance.

Feel better? Trust me. When it comes to learning a new language, believing in yourself can make all the difference. It may take time, hard work, and commitment, but it will be worth the effort!

This book provides all the practical vocabulary and phrases you need to communicate with non-English speaking patients and their families. Each chapter introduces several new language skills, along with suggestions on how to use these skills in everyday situations. Read along at your own pace. If you get frustrated, stop. Breathe deeply. Go back and review the material from previous chapters.

In Chapter One you will learn basic vocabulary and a few rules related to the Spanish language. In Chapter Two you will learn all there is to know about the patient. In Chapters Three through Eleven, youll be following various members of a Latino family, the Espinozas, as they receive medical treatment from various hospital departments. At the end of the book, there is a section on cognate words along with an index that lists, in alphabetical order, words and expressions for the health care professional. Use this list as a quick reference point for immediate conversation.

Throughout each chapter are signposts to help you find your way around the language. The No Se Olvide! (noh seh ohl-bee-deh) (Dont Forget!) sections give you tips on how to learn Spanish more effectively. The Cunto Aprendi? (kwahn-toh ah-prehn-dee-oh) (How Much Did You Learn?) sections are for easy review and practice. You will often find these sections preceded by a number within a circle, indicating that the answers are located . The Dos Culturas (dohs kool-too-rahs) (Two Cultures) segments provide you with valuable information on Hispanic customs. You will also find sections titled Ms Accin (mahs ahk-see-ohn) (More Action). Use these signposts as tools to improve your skills and to better understand your patients needs and desires.

So, lets get started... and have fun. Divirtase! (dee-bee-ehr-tah-seh) .

Tu profesor,
Bill

(kah-pee-too-loh oo-noh)

Informacin Bsica

(een-fohr-mah-see-ohn bah-see-kah)

This first section is an easy-to-follow introduction to survival Spanish. Before you learn all the job-related words and expressions, take time to review how the Spanish language is put together. Focus on the inside tips and practice the suggestions for successful communication. You soon will discover that learning Spanish is really no problema (noh proh-bleh-mah) .

One of the biggest concerns people have about acquiring a second language is speaking with improper pronunciation. Fortunately, Spanish is close enough to English that minor mistakes wont affect communication. In fact, you need to remember only five sounds in order to speak well enough to be understood. Here are the vowelseach one is pronounced the way it is written:

a (ah) as in yacht

e (eh) as in met

i (ee) as in keep

o (oh) as in open

u (oo) as in spoon

Now, using your new sound system, try pronouncing these words:

No se olvide! (noh seh ohl-bee-deh)
Dont forget!

Did you notice the accent () mark on some words? That part of the word with the accent mark should always be pronounced LOUDER and with more emphasis (i.e., Lul [loo- loo] ). If theres no accent mark, say the last part of the word LOUDER and with more emphasis (i.e., doctor [dohk- tohr] ). For words ending in a vowel, or in n or s , the next to the last part of the word is stressed excelente (ehk-seh- lehn-teh) . Youll get the hang of this once you begin to practice.

In some cases, the letter u doesnt make the oo sound as with guitarra (gee- tah-rrah) or guerra ( geh-rrah). Dont worry about these words right now. Theyre few and far between.

Note: The word si (see) without an accent mark means if.

Now lets take a look at the other sounds youll need to remember. And dont forgetthese sounds are always the same: