I took Spanish (or another language) in high school but I am rusty and don’t know any medical terms in the language. How can I improve my language skills?
a. Take a class focusing on the language of your choice. Medical Spanish or conversational Spanish classes can often be found at the community college if there is not a WSU class you can enroll in. b. Watch movies, listen to radio, or TV programs, and/or read magazines, books, or web sites in the language of your choice. c. Buy a CD language program and listen while you drive. d. Look for a conversation partner and practice together. A good source for conversation partners are ESL programs at local colleges or universities or on your WSU campus or find a student who is a native speaker and have coffee once a week. e. Practice at every opportunity and don’t worry about making mistakes. I once told my roommate who spoke only Spanish that her head was falling off!!! She laughed, I laughed and I learned. f. Even if you are a fluent speaker you will often need a local interpreter to assist you with variations in dialect and meanings.
