This intensive Spanish course is designed for students interested in pursuing studies in the health care area and in developing a future professional career in cross-cultural settings in which effective communicative Spanish is essential. The course focuses on some specific linguistic contents and topics useful for interacting in healthcare environments and it also discusses the local health system and health care practices. The course aim is to develop both linguistic skills and intercultural awareness. Students taking this course will review fundamental aspects of grammar and vocabulary in order to improve their general communicative skills.
Method of presentation:
Course includes listening and audiovisual activities, debates and role plays to enhance students’ understanding of specific medical contents complemented with lectures and discussions of assigned readings.
Required work and form of assessment:
Oral presentations 20%; written essays and reading comprehension 20%; midterm test 20%; final oral exam 20%; and final written exam 20%.
content:
Session 1: The hospital (part 1)
Discussion includes: Description of the hospital and its premises. Comparison of different health care professions. Medical tools and equipment.
Review concepts of ‘ser’ and ‘estar’
Present indicative mood: Description of work routines
Vocabulary related to hospital, professionals, and equipment.
Session 2: The hospital (part 2): Public and private healthcare systems
Discussion includes: Expressing advantages and disadvantages of the local health care system.
Use of verbs like “gustar” to express likes and dislikes
Comparative and superlative adjectives
Vocabulary related to healthcare benefits, insurance companies, etc.
Session 3: In the doctor’s office (part 1)
Discussion includes: the importance preventive medicine, medical examination and description of function of organs.
Present tense for present and future
Vocabulary related to human body and organs of the digestive system
Session 4: Fieldtrip
Students visit public hospitals and private clinics with the objective of familiarize themselves with the local healthcare system and compare both kinds of health care providers.
Session 5: In the doctor’s office (part 2)
Discussion includes: making a doctor’s appointment and medical examination
Use of imperative mood to give instructions
Diagnosis, treatment and prescriptions
Vocabulary related to human body and skeleton
Session 6: Do you feel any pain?
Discussion includes: Description of symptoms and malaise: common pains, aches and sore. Analysis of prevention and actions against common illnesses.
Contrast between preterite and imperfective
Review of subjunctive mood to give advice
Vocabulary related to: Illnesses, medications and remedies
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION: Comparative essay on health care systems in Chile and in U.S.
Session 7: Accidents and emergencies (part 1)
Discussion includes: Dangers and common accidents at home and first aid.
Accidental use of reflexive constructions
Preterite and imperfective
Vocabulary related to minor accidents and injuries at home and workplace.
Session 8: ORAL PRESENTATION
Students make an oral presentation in which describe and compare the health care centers they have visited during the fieldtrip.
Session 9: Accidents and emergencies (part 2)
Discussion includes: handling accidents and injuries in a medical setting.
Imperative mood
Vocabulary related with treatments and medicine for accidents and injuries
Final review before midterm exam
Session 10: MIDTERM EXAM
Session 11: FIELDTRIP
Visit to rural health care service. Students visit a rural primary care hospital and learn about the services provided and the community assisted.
Session 12: Addictions
Discussion includes: Alcohol, smoke and drug addictions and campaigns to prevent them.
Final review of preterite and imperfect
Vocabulary related to types of addictions and feelings and emotions associated with them
Session 13: Designing a campaign to quit smoking
Discussion includes: consequences of smoking and suggestions to quit.
Review of present subjunctive mood
Impersonal style to give instructions and recommendations
Session 14: Woman and reproduction (part 1)
Discussion includes: conception and pregnancy and birth.
Vocabulary on: conception, pregnancy, birth labor
Impersonal style and present tense for general description
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION: Addictions and effectiveness of campaigns in the United States.
Session 15: Woman and reproduction (part 2)
Discussion includes: Woman’s role in local society, contraception methods, abortion and its sociocultural consequences.
Imperfect subjunctive
Vocabulary related to contraceptive methods
Session 16: AUDIOVISUAL ACTIVITY
In class students watch the movie “Mar adentro” which deals with euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Session 17: DEBATE
Class is divided into 2 groups to support and oppose to euthanasia. Students take roles to defend their views.
Session 18: When we contract a disease
Discussion includes: modern life and its impact on the heart functioning. And health care services for senior citizens.
Conditional tense
Vocabulary related to the heart and its functions. And senior citizens and their health care needs.
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION: My own opinion about euthanasia
Session 19: Traditional and non-traditional practices as part of health care
Discussion includes: students debate about the importance for patients of the integration of non-traditional health care practices.
Non traditional health care practices
Imperfect subjunctive
Course language review for the final written exam
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION: My own opinion about euthanasia
Session 20: FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATION
Students present a project about a topic related to any sensible subject of medicine or Chilean health care system not studied during the course. Project includes the identification of a problem, research on the resources available and suggestion of concrete actions to solve or try to solve it.
Session 21: FINAL WRITTEN EXAM
Final exam assesses all contents reviewed along the course.
Required readings:
Dossier designed by the instructor which includes Spanish scientific journals, health and medical magazines, and other current pedagogical and relevant sources.
Aragonés, L., R., Palencia 2005. Gramática de uso del español. Teoría y práctica. Nueva Edición. Ed smele.
Dozier, E., Z. Iguina. 1999. Manual de gramática. Grammar reference for students of Spanish. Heinle and Heinle Publishers. 2nd Edition.
Florían, L. y A. M. Ruiz. 2005. Ciencias de la salud. Manual de español profesional. Universidad de Alcalá. UAH
García, N. y J. Sánchez. 1981. Español 2000. Nivel Elemental. Coloquio editorial. Madrid. Undécima edición 1990.
Martín, R., M., y M. Ellis 2000. Aventura 4. Hoodder & Stoughton. Grupo Hodder Headline Group
Millares, S. 1999. Método de español para extranjeros. Nivel Superior. Edinumen. (2da edición 2002)
Samaniego, F., F. Alarcón, N. Rojas. 1995. Mundo 21. Heath. D.C. Heath and Company.
Terrel, T,. M., Andrade, J. Egasse., E. Muñoz., 1996. Dos Mundos. Third Edition. McGraw Hill, Inc.
Spanish For Healthcare Practitioners 1
This intensive Spanish course is designed for students interested in pursuing studies in the health care area and in developing a future professional career in cross-cultural settings in which effective communicative Spanish is essential. The course focuses on some specific linguistic contents and topics useful for interacting in healthcare environments and it also discusses the local health system and health care practices. The course aim is to develop both linguistic skills and intercultural awareness. Students taking this course will review fundamental aspects of grammar and vocabulary in order to improve their general communicative skills.
Course includes listening and audiovisual activities, debates and role plays to enhance students’ understanding of specific medical contents complemented with lectures and discussions of assigned readings.
Oral presentations 20%; written essays and reading comprehension 20%; midterm test 20%; final oral exam 20%; and final written exam 20%.
Session 1: The hospital (part 1)
Discussion includes: Description of the hospital and its premises. Comparison of different health care professions. Medical tools and equipment.
Session 2: The hospital (part 2): Public and private healthcare systems
Discussion includes: Expressing advantages and disadvantages of the local health care system.
Session 3: In the doctor’s office (part 1)
Discussion includes: the importance preventive medicine, medical examination and description of function of organs.
Session 4: Fieldtrip
Students visit public hospitals and private clinics with the objective of familiarize themselves with the local healthcare system and compare both kinds of health care providers.
Session 5: In the doctor’s office (part 2)
Discussion includes: making a doctor’s appointment and medical examination
Session 6: Do you feel any pain?
Discussion includes: Description of symptoms and malaise: common pains, aches and sore. Analysis of prevention and actions against common illnesses.
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION: Comparative essay on health care systems in Chile and in U.S.
Session 7: Accidents and emergencies (part 1)
Discussion includes: Dangers and common accidents at home and first aid.
Session 8: ORAL PRESENTATION
Students make an oral presentation in which describe and compare the health care centers they have visited during the fieldtrip.
Session 9: Accidents and emergencies (part 2)
Discussion includes: handling accidents and injuries in a medical setting.
Session 10: MIDTERM EXAM
Session 11: FIELDTRIP
Visit to rural health care service. Students visit a rural primary care hospital and learn about the services provided and the community assisted.
Session 12: Addictions
Discussion includes: Alcohol, smoke and drug addictions and campaigns to prevent them.
Session 13: Designing a campaign to quit smoking
Discussion includes: consequences of smoking and suggestions to quit.
Session 14: Woman and reproduction (part 1)
Discussion includes: conception and pregnancy and birth.
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION: Addictions and effectiveness of campaigns in the United States.
Session 15: Woman and reproduction (part 2)
Discussion includes: Woman’s role in local society, contraception methods, abortion and its sociocultural consequences.
Session 16: AUDIOVISUAL ACTIVITY
In class students watch the movie “Mar adentro” which deals with euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Session 17: DEBATE
Class is divided into 2 groups to support and oppose to euthanasia. Students take roles to defend their views.
Session 18: When we contract a disease
Discussion includes: modern life and its impact on the heart functioning. And health care services for senior citizens.
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION: My own opinion about euthanasia
Session 19: Traditional and non-traditional practices as part of health care
Discussion includes: students debate about the importance for patients of the integration of non-traditional health care practices.
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION: My own opinion about euthanasia
Session 20: FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATION
Session 21: FINAL WRITTEN EXAM
Dossier designed by the instructor which includes Spanish scientific journals, health and medical magazines, and other current pedagogical and relevant sources.