The best free Spanish dictionaries are definitely better than Google Translate…

Every language student wants a good resource for that quick translation to help you communicate your thought perfectly.  The good news is that there are plenty of options. Unfortunately the go-to resource for may people is an online translator.

Instead of a translator, probably what you’re looking for is a solid dictionary.  While online translators like Google Translate are getting better, they tend to miss out on the context that you’re speaking in – which can make a big difference.

It would be a mistake to assume that English terms that fit a variety of unrelated contexts will necessarily translate to 1 term in Spanish as well. Consider the word “back” in English.   We use “back” in a variety of contexts (body part, part of a chair, a location within a room … Read More »

Denver Medical Spanish classes | Aurora Medical Spanish classes | Louisville Medical Spanish classes | Loveland & Fort Collins Medical Spanish classes | Medical Spanish Classes in Costa Rica

The Winter 2013 Intermediate Medical Spanish class schedule for Colorado is set – classes begin the week of January 28, 2013!

Find the level and schedule of courses that best fits your needs!

See 2013 class schedule

Denver Medical Spanish classes | Aurora Medical Spanish classes | Louisville Medical Spanish classes | Loveland & Fort Collins Medical Spanish classes | Medical Spanish Classes in Costa Rica

The Winter 2013 Medical Spanish schedule for Colorado is set – classes begin the week of January 28, 2013!

Find the level and schedule of courses that best fits your needs!

See 2013 class schedule

International medical work is rewarding for the healthcare professionals who travel abroad. Three guiding principles ensure your work is proper, ethical, and sustainable within your target communities as well.

For the past 10 months Common Ground has been evaluating its international medical work in Costa Rica. Our self-evaluation started as we came across some interesting articles on the ethical challenges of providing medical care abroad. While we feel good about our record of medical care and outreach in Costa Rica over the years, it’s been rewarding to research current ethical standards, evaluate our programs, and project forward to define the nature of our medical work in Costa Rica for the long run.

We’ve landed on 3 essential components of responsible and ethical medical work abroad, and we will use these principles to guide our international medical work in the future:

Preparation: it seems obvious, but … Read More »

“The stakes are too high – I can’t practice Spanish with my patients.”

We often hear this sentiment expressed in our Medical Spanish classes, and while it is a responsible approach to patient care, it may not always be true.

The underlying principle at work when you feel the hesitation to use Spanish with your patients is a good one; you want the best for your patients and you don’t want to do anything that would compromise them or their condition.  But have you considered that there might be a way for you to use the Spanish that you have AND make sure that your patient is getting quality care?

Common Ground will never advocate reckless use of Spanish with your patients; trying to navigate situations that are beyond your language ability is akin to treating a patient outside of your own scope of practice.  … Read More »

Ever wish you could acquire your second language as naturally as you did your first? True language acquisition is idea behind immersion programs abroad and immersion-style teaching.

“I’m not good at languages.”
For a long time, the dominant model used by language educators has been language “learning.” Language learning consists of learning about the language – its grammar rules, spelling patterns, etc., through exercises, drills, and memorization. Unfortunately, language learners often complete many years of study, and can correctly fill in the blanks on a grammar quiz, but can’t communicate effectively in the language. At that point, it’s easy for some to conclude that they don’t have a “knack” for language and give it up.

However, this teaching method is like having someone learn to dance by reading about theory and technique, but never actually taking to the dance floor. Although rules … Read More »

Medical Spanish Commands: Getting the Imperative Right in a Medical Setting

Ever found yourself fumbling for the right way to tell your Spanish-speaking patients to do something, and end up using the present tense verb conjugation? Good news! Forming the imperative (Spanish command form) of verbs is easy – especially in the Usted form, which is the most appropriate pronoun to use with your patients. It’s not rude to use a command with your patients, but be sure to include “por favor” at the end to soften the command.

Forming Formal Spanish Commands

We’ll demonstrate with LLAMAR (to call) & DORMIR (to sleep):

1) Form the present tense YO form of the verb: llamo & duermo

2) Take off the “o” ending: llam & duerm

3) Replace the “o” with the “wrong” vowel (“a” for verbs ending in -er/ir and “e” for verbs ending in … Read More »

Over the past six weeks, fifteen healthcare professionals from Colorado traveled to Costa Rica with Common Ground’s Spring 2010 Medical Mission. They lived with Costa Rican families, studied Medical Spanish, and provided medical treatment in local communities where many people have little or no healthcare.

Basics of medical Spanish: Why the names of medical professions can be tricky…

One of the first topics we cover in our Medical Spanish courses is las profesiones – the names of various medical professions, so students know how to identify themselves and others (Yo soy terapeuta físico, Ella es farmacéutica, etc.) However, this part of Medical Spanish is never quite as straight forward as one would expect, for two reasons:

Non-existent medical professions

“¿Cómo se dice Case Manager?” is a question that commonly comes up after we cover the most universal professions.

The reality is that there is a huge array of medical professions in the United States that simply don’t exist in Latin America. Most notably, there are very few mid-level medical professions in Latin America. This means that even though there are accepted terms for professions like Physician’s Assistant (asociado/a … Read More »

Simplify your medical Spanish with these verbs!

Medical parlance is laden with very specific, nuanced verbs, which often trip up our Medical Spanish students – even at the higher levels. Expressing a thought in the simplest possible way is a skill that often comes very late in game for language learners. With this in mind, we’ve developed a list of some very versatile verbs (and some examples of how you might use them) that can help you simplify your Medical Spanish right away!

SUBIR = to go up, to rise

Si su dieta tiene mucha grasa, usted va a subir de peso. =
If your diet has a lot of fat, you’re going to gain weight.

Cuando come fruta, su azúcar sanguíneo sube. =
When you eat fruit, your blood sugar rises.

Tomar mucho alcohol sube el riesgo del cáncer. =
Drinking a lot of alcohol increases the … Read More »