An officer stops a car for speeding. As the officer approaches, the driver is frantic. The driver is waving his arms, shouting incessantly in Spanish and pointing to the passenger who appears to be in agony and his holding his side.
Is this:
a. the get away car and the two men who just robbed a store down the road, one of whom was shot, or
b. a man and his nephew who are rushing to the hospital because the nephew has appendicitis?
If the officer doesnât know even basic Spanish this situation could easily turn tragic. With Workplace Spanish® a dangerous situation can be averted.
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Workplace Spanish® offers both Spanish learning manuals accompanied by audio CDs, and an easy-to-use CD-ROM called âClick Itâ¢â which features clickable audio Spanish terms and expressions that help law enforcement professionals speak Spanish in a basic and effective manner without having to learn academic Spanish. It uses relevant “bite-size” terms and phrases to get a message, question or response across.
Workplace Spanish worked closely with the Las Vegas police department in creating the law enforcement program. Workplace Spanish president Tom Sutula says, âThey told us what was critical to them on a day-to-day basis â what was most important to their officers. Like most law enforcement departments, they didnât have the time or budget to have everyone become fluent in Spanish.â
Over the past year law enforcement agencies from across the country including Nashville, TN, Eagan, MN and the FBIâs Atlanta office have addressed language challenges by adding Workplace Spanish® . They all recognized that the lack of clear communication for their staffs could be frustrating, potentially dangerous and costly.
Sutula says that Workplace Spanish® has been used by thousands of officers. Many appreciate the flexibility of the new Click It⢠CD-ROM. âIt gives them the ability to look up an expression and “click on it” to hear the Spanish and phonetic pronunciations played aloud. They can either repeat the Spanish or play it loud enough for a Spanish-speaker to hear.â
Detailed information and sample excerpts from on the Law Enforcement program are available on the companyâs website at the following link: www.WorkplaceSpanish.com/law_enforcement.htm
Founded in 1998, Workplace Spanish, Inc. develops materials that for basic, effective communication with Spanish-speakers in various work situations. Designed for time-stressed professionals in government, industry, health care and education, the company’s materials are easy-to-use and non-academic; they do not require prior Spanish training. Users learn Spanish pronunciation and how to say brief terms and phrases that are relevant to their work and everyday conversation.
Its job-specific programs are used in more than two dozen industries and the company is continually adding new areas. The company recently launched its first English learning program for Hispanic workers in manufacturing and industrial occupations. Many colleges and schools teach Workplace Spanish programs.
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