The city I'm living in now is... different that where I had been. It is much more diverse than what I accustomed to. Perhaps the most odd thing is that it does not swing in one direction, it's pretty even desperation of cultures.
After being here for three weeks though, I have come to a decision. It is something I knew I would have to do at some point given my profession, but it was something I thought I could put off for a while.
It's time to learn Spanish.
I'll be the first to admit that languages are not my strong suit. I struggled a ton with it in high school, although I will say my study habits have vastly improved.
It just seems like one of those things that not only will be immensely helpful during the work day, but will be helpful for patients. I do not expect to be able to speak it fluently, but would like to able converse on the most basic of levels.
Naturally I do not have enough on my plate as it is, but I figure I can take my time at it. I just need to find the motivation to actually start it and keep up with it.
I guess I know what I'm doing until school starts now...
6 comments:
Most definitely -- if there's one second language to have nowadays, it's Spanish. We can all debate about people's need to learn English, but I'm still really uncomfortable with the liability involved in dispensing medications to someone (or their child/baby) and having them not understand how to use it.
Should be painless to learn some of the most oft used phrases in Spanish, it's not like you're going to be making casual conversation. Just enough to say x pills, after eating, before eating, in the morning, x times a day, or whatever questions you guys usually ask. If you have time you can always take a semester at local community college, should be enough to get your feet wet about the language and then you can blunder your way through the rest. I've found most often their English is miles better than my Spanish, but often they are more comfortable with you at least trying in Spanish first, especially in a customer service setting.
You must either be in California, Texas, Arizona, or perhaps Florida.
I get the occasional Spanish customer. I can't speak Spanish and refuse to try to learn how. Why? Just cause they are too lazy to learn how to speak a customary language. Should you learn basic phrases in French, German, Swahili, etc just because they are too lazy to learn how. I had one dude who couldn't speak a lick of English try to drop off an rx for Percocet for his lady friend. Didn't have her on file or anything. Handed him back the rx, told him I couldn't fill it without information, and waited for him to leave.
I have a somewhat similar view to Anonymous (July 28th). English is the unofficial national language. I have been fortunate enough to work in stores that have translation hotlines, so, hey, if I need one I'll go there. I don't see the point in spending a few hundred bucks and time I don't have to learn a language that I may use only a few times a week. Like someone else said, if you want to learn Spanish, stick to stuff related to pharmacy. You don't need to learn the whole entire language to do your job. Besides, if you don't keep using all you learn in class during conversation (which you won't), you are just going to forget it anyway.
I applaud your willingness to learn Spanish. I'm a native Spanish speaker, but I've learned how to speak in French due to the diverse culture in Florida.
As for the poster Anonymous who refuses to learn another language,it is naive point of view. However, I'm happy he/she is not willing to learn because that means I have an advantage against them when competing for the same position/job.
I'm sick of people assuming people are "lazy" because they don't speak a country's official language. How do you know they're not trying? How do you know how long they've lived in the country? Learning a language is not that easy especially in your later years of life. It presumptuous and a bit prejudice to assume someone is lazy that speaks another language instead of English.
The United States in one of the countries where the majority only speak one language;however, if you go to Europe, the majority know a minimum of 3 languages. Who is the lazy one now?
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