Spanish All-in-One For Dummies (For Dummies Series) - Softcover

The Experts At Dummies

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0470462442 ISBN 13: 9780470462447

Verlag: For Dummies, 2009

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A value-packed guide to speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish

Spanish All-in-One For Dummies is the first Dummies All-in-One title in the foreign language category–nearly 800 pages of expert instruction to help people master Spanish basics and beyond. This comprehensive volume features content from all For Dummies Spanish language instruction titles, including Spanish For Dummies, Intermediate Spanish For Dummies, Spanish Verbs For Dummies, and Spanish For Dummies Audio Set. The book's audio CD provides readers with an effective tool to help them start speaking Spanish from day one. Plus, the practical exercises give readers greater confidence in communicating in Spanish, whether traveling or in business.

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The Experts at Dummies are smart, friendly people who make learning easy by taking a not-so-serious approach to serious stuff.

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Your comprehensive guide to speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish!

Want to speak Spanish? Looking to improve your Spanish skills? Now you can start today with these minibooks, which give you the expert instruction you need to master Spanish basics and beyond. From numbers and vocabulary to common phrases, conversations, and much more, you'll see how to communicate effectively in Spanish and use it in real-life situations. The practical exercises will give you greater confidence -- and the bonus CD helps you start speaking Spanish from day one!

• Warm up with the basics -- handle greetings and small talk and review pronunciation rules, letters, numbers, and dates

• Speak in everyday settings -- handle greetings and small talk, order food and purchase goods, talk on the phone, ask for directions, and deal with emergencies

• Grasp grammar essentials -- learn to identify and use the various parts of speech while you conjugate verbs in the simple past, present, and future tense

• Stretch your skills -- issue commands with the imperative mood, take action on object pronouns, talk about yourself with the reflexive, and wish and hope with the subjunctive

• Take Spanish to work -- communicate with colleagues or customers at the office, tailor phrases to your line of work, and review example workplace scenarios for common professions

Open the book and find:

• Basic and advanced Spanish grammar

• Pronunciation tips and vocabulary charts

• Verb conjugations for regular and irregular verbs

• Masculine and feminine nouns

• Tips for using adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases

• Proper ways to ask questions

• The inside scoop on the key verb haber

• Key phrases for numerous work environments

• Spanish-to-English and English-to-Spanish dictionaries

Bonus CD Includes

• Features dialogues by native Spanish speakers

• Allows you to hear Spanish as it's really spoken

• Please see the CD appendix for details and complete system requirements.

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

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Spanish All-in-One For Dummies

John Wiley & Sons

Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-470-46244-7

Chapter One

Spanish for Healthcare Workers

In This Chapter

  Mastering basic terminology and emergency talk

  Dealing with admissions, forms, and insurance

  Interviewing and examining patients

  Offering a diagnosis and treatment plan

As a healthcare professional, you're dedicated to providing all your patients with the best treatment available, whatever language they happen to speak. Providing effective care, however, requires not only a thorough medical background but also an ability to clearly communicate with your patients. You need to be able to take your patients through the entire process - from meeting and greeting them to filling out paperwork, and from asking them questions to delivering your diagnosis, treatment plan, and instructions.

In the course of a single chapter, we can't possibly tell you everything you need to know to fully understand what your Spanish-speaking patients tell you or what you need to tell them, but we can bring you up to speed on the basics and show you how to communicate in the most common scenarios. Here, we cover the basics of gathering information from patients and explaining to patients the diagnosis and treatment.

REMEMBER

Refer to the early chapters in Book I for basic coverage of conversational Spanish, including a pronunciation guide in Chapter 1. Book I, Chapter 3 leads you through the basics of meeting and greeting people, while Chapter 4 shows you how to engage in small talk - for when you're just getting to know your patients.

First Things First: Key Words and Emergency Lingo

Whatever your role is in serving patients - whether you're a receptionist meeting the patient for the first time or the doctor who ultimately provides diagnosis and treatment - you need to know some basic doctor's office vocabulary and how to communicate with patients in emergency situations. In the following sections, we introduce you to some general terminology along with Spanish names for body parts and internal organs. We also provide key phrases for dealing with accidents and emergencies.

Doctor-speak: Using basic terminology

When you're in a healthcare situation, whether in a doctor's office, pharmacy, or emergency room, you're likely to use many of the terms in Table 1-1.

Naming body parts

Fortunately, you and your patient can probably refer to body parts simply by pointing to them - although this method can get a bit tricky when it comes to internal organs. A more efficient way to communicate with your Spanish-speaking patients is to brush up your Spanish anatomy terminology. Table 1-2 brings you up to speed and acts as a quick reference.

Dealing with emergencies

In emergency situations, you have very little time to establish rapport with the patient. You need to find out what's going on in a hurry and then issue whatever commands necessary to get the patient to cooperate. Here's a list of questions that can help you quickly ascertain what happened and evaluate the patient's condition:

  Can you hear me? Me puede or? (meh pooeh-deh oheer)

  Can you talk? Puede hablar? (pooeh-deh ah-bvlahr)

  What is your name? Cmo se llama? (koh-moh seh yah-mah)

  Where does it hurt? Dnde le duele? (dohn-deh leh dooeh-leh)

  Do you know what day today is? Qe da es hoy? (keh dee-ah ehs ohy)

  Do you know where you are? Sabe dnde est? (sah-bveh dohn-deh ehs-tah)

  We are going to put you on a stretcher. Vamos a ponerlo en una camilla. (bvah-mohs ah poh-nehr-loh ehn oo-nah kah-mee-yah)

  We are going in an ambulance. Vamos en la ambulancia. (bvah-mohs ehn lah ahm-bvoo-lahn-seeah)

  We are going to the hospital. Vamos al hospital. (bvah-mohs ahl ohs-pee-tahl)

When you encounter an emergency situation, you need to take control and tell the patient exactly what you need her to do. These short commands are often all you need:

  Try to calm down. Trate de calmarse. (trah-teh deh kahl-mahr-seh)

  Open your eyes. Abra los ojos. (ah-bvrah lohs oh-Hohs)

  Please, don't move! Por favor, No se mueva! (pohr fah-bvohr noh seh mooeh-bvah)

  Point to where it hurts. Apunte/seale donde le duele. (ah-poon-teh/ seh-nyah-leh dohn-deh leh dooeh-leh)

  Sit down! Sintese! (seeehn-teh-seh)

  Lie down! Acustese! (ah-kooehs-teh-seh)

  Breathe slowly! Respire lentamente! (rehs-pee-reh lehn-tah-mehn-teh)

  Open! Abra! (ah-bvrah)

  Turn! Voltee! (bvohl-teh-eh)

  Listen! Oiga! (ohee-gah)

Admitting New Patients

The first encounter with a new patient is likely to be one of the most important, and it usually occurs with the receptionist who answers the phone and greets the patient when she arrives. This initial contact is when the patient first explains what's going on and why she needs to see a doctor, sets an appointment, completes the necessary paperwork, and discusses details relating to insurance and payments.

In the following sections, we reveal some basic terminology and phrases you need to know at this point and present you with dialogues of some common scenarios so you can begin to tune in to your Spanish-speaking patients.

REMEMBER

A smile always conveys concern and compassion and makes a patient feel more at ease. This advice may seem trite, but people often forget how important body language can be, especially when they may be struggling with a language barrier.

TIP

One of the most common questions you're going to get is Dnde est el bao? (dohn-deh ehs-tah ehl bvah-nyoh) (Where's the bathroom?) You have two options here: You can escort the person to the nearest bathroom or give the person directions, as discussed in Book I, Chapter 8.

Setting appointments and asking initial questions

When a patient calls into the office, you need to gather some basic information - including the patient's complaint, name, and phone number - and then set up an appointment for the patient to see the doctor. The following dialogue leads you through a typical preliminary phone conversation.

Talkin' the Talk

Mrs. Cruz calls her doctor to set up an appointment. The receptionist, Janice, answers the call, obtains the necessary information from Mrs. Cruz, and then schedules the appointment. Here's how such a conversation is likely to go.

Janice: Bueno. Esta es la oficina de los Doctres Smith, Rowe, y Cline. bvooeh-noh ehs-tah ehs lah oh-fee-see-nah deh lohs dohk-toh-rehs smeeth, roh, ee kline Hello. This is the office of Doctors Smith, Rowe, and Cline.

Mrs. Cruz: S, necesito concertar una cita con el mdico. see, neh-seh-see-toh kohn-sehr-tahr oo-nah see-tah kohn ehl meh-dee-koh. Yes, I need to make an appointment with the doctor.

Mi doctr es el Doctr Rowe. mee dohk-tohr ehs ehl dohk-tohr roh My doctor is Dr. Rowe.

Janice: l tiene una cita disponible hoy a las dos de la tarde. ehl teeeh-neh oo-nah see-tah dees-poh-nee-bvleh ohy ah lahs dohs deh lah tahr-deh He has an appointment available today at 2:00 p.m.

Est bien esta hora con usted? ehs-tah bveeehn ehs-tah oh-rah kohn oos-tehd Is that time okay with you?

Mrs. Cruz: S, excelente. see ehk-seh-lehn-teh Yes, excellent.

Janice: Cmo se llama? koh-moh seh yah-mah What's your name?

Mrs. Cruz: Me llamo Sra. Mara Luisa Cruz. meh yah-moh seh-nyoh-rah mah-ree-ah looee-sah kroos My name is Mrs. Mara Luisa Cruz.

Janice: Cul es su fecha de nacimiento? kooahl ehs soo feh-chah deh nah-see-meeehn-toh What is your birthdate?

Mrs. Cruz: Es el veinte de mayo de mil novecientos setenta y cinco. ehs ehl bveheen-teh deh mah-yoh deh meel noh-bveh-seeehn-tohs seh-tehn-tah ee seen-koh It's May 20th, 1975.

Janice: Qu es su nmero de telfono? keh ehs soo noo-meh-roh deh teh-leh-foh-noh What is your phone number?

Mrs. Cruz: Mi nmero es 473-1205. mee noo-meh-roh ehs kooah-troh seeeh-teh trehs oo-noh dohs seh-roh seen-koh My number is 473-1205.

Janice: Cules son sus sntomas? kooah-lehs sohn soos seen-toh-mahs What are your symptoms?

Mrs. Cruz: Hace una semana que me duele la garganta mucho y tengo dolores en todas partes de mi cuerpo. ah-seh oo-nah seh-mah-nah keh meh dooeh-leh lah gahr-gahn-tah moo-choh ee tehn-goh doh-loh-rehs ehn toh-dahs pahr-tehs deh mee kooehr-poh For a week I have had a very bad sore throat and aches all over my body.

Janice: Tiene Ud. fiebre? teeeh-neh oos-tehd feeeh-bvreh Do you have a fever?

Mrs. Cruz: De veras, no s. No tengo termmetro en casa. deh bveh-rahs noh seh no tehn-goh tehr-moh-mehtroh ehn kah-sah Honestly, I don't know. I don't have a thermometer at home.

Janice: No hay problema. La enfermera tomar su temperatura durante la visita. no ahy proh-bvleh-mah lah ehn-fehr-meh-rah toh-mah-rah soo tehm-peh-rah-too-rah doo-rahn-teh lah bvee-see-tah It's not a problem. The nurse will take your temperature during your visit. Eso es toda la informacin que necesito. Gracias. Hasta las dos. eh-soh ehs toh-dah lah een-fohr-mah-seeohn keh neh-seh-see-toh grah-seeahs ahs-tah lahs dohs That is all the information that I need. Thanks. See you at 2:00.

Mrs. Cruz: Gracias. Adis. grah-seeahs ah-deeohs Thanks. Good-bye.

At some point in your initial conversation, you need to find out why the person on the other end of the line needs to see the doctor. Here's the question you need to ask:

Por qu necesita Ud. consultar al mdico? (pohr keh neh-seh-see-tah oos-tehd kohn-sool-tahr ahl meh-dee-koh) (Why do you need to see the doctor?)

Asking the question is the easy part (it always is); understanding the answer is the real challenge, because the patient can describe anything from the common cold to symptoms of a serious illness. Following are some of the more common reasons patients are likely to offer for needing to see a doctor:

  Yo tengo un catarro/resfriado. (yoh tehn-goh oon kah-tah-rroh/ rehs-freeah-doh) (I have a cold.)

  Mi hijo/a tiene fiebre. (mee ee-Hoh teeeh-neh feeeh-breh) (My child has a fever.)

  Tengo un dolor de estmago. (tehn-goh oon doh-lohr deh ehs-toh-mah-goh) (I have a stomach ache.)

  Me duele la garganta. (Fill in any body part.) (meh dooeh-leh lah gahr-gahn-tah) (My throat hurts.)

  Estoy estreido/a. (ehs-tohy ehs-treh-nyee-doh/dah) (I am constipated.)

  Tengo dolores en todas partes de mi cuerpo. (tehn-goh doh-loh-rehs ehn toh-dahs pahr-tehs deh mee kooer-poh) (I have aches all over my body.)

  Tengo un dolor de cabeza. (tehn-goh oon doh-lohr deh kah-beh-sah) (I have a headache.)

  Creo que me hubiera torcido el tobillo. (Fill in any body part.) (kreh-oh keh meh oo-bveeeh-rah tohr-see-doh ehl toh-bee-yoh) (I think I may have sprained my ankle.)

  Creo que me hubiera fracturado el brazo. (Fill in any body part.) (kreh-oh keh meh oo-bveeeh-rah frahk-too-rah-doh ehl bvrah-soh) (I think I may have fractured my arm.)

  Mi nio/a est vomitando desde hace dos das. (mee nee-nyoh/nyah ehs-tah voh-mee-tahn-doh dehs-deh ah-seh dohs dee-ahs) (My child has been vomiting for two days.)

  Mi nio/a est quejando de un dolor de estmago. (Fill in any body part.) (mee nee-nyoh/nyah ehs-tah keh-Hahn-doh deh oon doh-lohr deh ehs-toh-mah-goh) (My child is complaining of a stomachache.)

  Mi hijo/a tiene una tos muy persistente desde hace una semana. (mee ee-Hoh/Hah teeeh-neh oo-nah tohs mooy pehr-sees-tehn-teh dehs-deh ah-seh oo-nah seh-mah-nah) (My son/daughter has had a very persistent cough for a week.)

  No consigo curarme esta tos. (noh cohn-see-goh koo-rahr-meh ehs-tah tohs) (I can't get rid of this cough.)

  Mi esposo/a est quejando de dificultad en tragar. (mee eh-spoh-soh/ sah ehs-tah keh-Hahn-doh deh dee-fee-kool-tahd ehn trah-gahr) (My husband/wife is complaining of difficulty swallowing.)

  Estoy mareado/a cuando me pongo a pie. (ehs-tohy mah-reh-ah-doh/ dah kooahn-doh meh pohn-goh ah peeeh) (I am dizzy when I stand up.)

  Me zumban los odos. (meh soom-bahn lohs ohee-dohs) (My ears are ringing.)

Dealing with forms and other formalities

When a patient arrives at your office, you need to greet her and ask her to complete one or more forms. Book I, Chapter 3 offers everything you need to know about meeting and greeting people in Spanish. After dealing with the preliminaries, you need to have the patient sign in and then (if the person is a new patient) have her fill out the requisite forms.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Spanish All-in-One For Dummies Copyright © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: For Dummies
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0470462442
• ISBN 13: 9780470462447
• Einband: Tapa blanda
• Sprache: Englisch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 704
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar