9 answers
Krish
Student
Aurora, Illinois
3
Questions
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Should I take Spanish for all 4 years at my high school?
I am leaning toward taking it all four years and reaching either Spanish 4 or AP Spanish because when I become a doctor, it would be useful for me to communicate with my patients. On the other hand, if I dropped Spanish after my sophomore year, which would mean I would stop either Spanish 2-3, I could take other classes relating to my career
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9 answers
Daiesha Lawrence
Admin
2
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Daiesha’s Answer
Hi Krish, I would say yes. It's always a great asset to have.
Seth Cohen, Pharm.D
I am an informatics pharmacist specializing in hospital information systems
8
Answers
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Updated
Seth’s Answer
I have to use more than 10 characters to answer, so I can't simply answer "Si." My answer is "Si."
Will do, thank you much!
Krish
Jerome Dees Jr.
Sales Professional and Networking Expert
833
Answers
San Francisco, California
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Jerome’s Answer
I think this makes a lot of sense! Giving yourself that extra dimension could make yourself more valuable as a doctor. I also hear learning other languages and in turn about their cultures is good for your overall development as well.
Thank you! Your words are much appreciated.
Krish
i think Spanish 4 or AP Spanish is not that important to learn more that your future career so if you pick 4 years of Spanish you wasted your time i think or if your in high school yes you still can do it you have time but if your in college than you cadent have to for Spanish class.
shay
Brittany Raffa
Project Manager; Contracting and Risk
3
Answers
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
Updated
Brittany’s Answer
I think taking Spanish for all four years is a great idea. Being able to communicate well with your patients is important and will help you succeed in college. Many colleges have language requirements for general education courses, and by studying Spanish in high school, you might already meet some of these requirements.
Learning Spanish can also lead to travel and internship opportunities after college. I got the chance to work in Spain three months after graduating, and it was amazing to explore and learn about the culture. I wished I had taken even more Spanish in high school and continued learning in college. Knowing a second language can open many doors.
Good luck with everything!
Learning Spanish can also lead to travel and internship opportunities after college. I got the chance to work in Spain three months after graduating, and it was amazing to explore and learn about the culture. I wished I had taken even more Spanish in high school and continued learning in college. Knowing a second language can open many doors.
Good luck with everything!
Rachel Scott-Mohammed
Photographer
6
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Rachel’s Answer
Definitely take the opportunity to become bi-lingual! It is a huge asset, no matter where you live or what your profession is. However, I think your real question is how much Spanish you should take in high school. This comes down to a few factors.
A) How do you see your Spanish teacher? Do you think this person can give you the education you need for all four years?
B) Is there another way to learn more Spanish? I don't mean Duo Lingo (as many report that it's not a good teaching tool). But is there a tudor you can use to practice with? Are there others in your community that you can practice with?
C) Definitely take that AP course if you can! Even if you don't end up taking the AP test (which you still should probably do for your academic record), AP classes on your school record will look great for college applications.
D) Are there college-level Spanish courses you can take at the universities you're interested in? Or as someone else said, do these universities require a certain amount of foreign language credits?
E) What is the class you'd like to take instead of Spanish in high school and will it bring you closer to your goals (or will it be a "fun" class to give your workload some balance?). Is that other class important to you and can you make a plan to continue to learn Spanish in other ways so you can still achieve your goals.
Final answer: Becoming bi-lingual is admirable and a great goal, no matter where life leads you. You just have to do a little research on the best approach. There are plenty of ways to continue learning another language but there are advantages to "going all the way" in high school as well. You seem like a smart kid and I know you'll figure it out! Best of luck
A) How do you see your Spanish teacher? Do you think this person can give you the education you need for all four years?
B) Is there another way to learn more Spanish? I don't mean Duo Lingo (as many report that it's not a good teaching tool). But is there a tudor you can use to practice with? Are there others in your community that you can practice with?
C) Definitely take that AP course if you can! Even if you don't end up taking the AP test (which you still should probably do for your academic record), AP classes on your school record will look great for college applications.
D) Are there college-level Spanish courses you can take at the universities you're interested in? Or as someone else said, do these universities require a certain amount of foreign language credits?
E) What is the class you'd like to take instead of Spanish in high school and will it bring you closer to your goals (or will it be a "fun" class to give your workload some balance?). Is that other class important to you and can you make a plan to continue to learn Spanish in other ways so you can still achieve your goals.
Final answer: Becoming bi-lingual is admirable and a great goal, no matter where life leads you. You just have to do a little research on the best approach. There are plenty of ways to continue learning another language but there are advantages to "going all the way" in high school as well. You seem like a smart kid and I know you'll figure it out! Best of luck
Thank you much. This really helps me to look at Spanish as not only a tool to connect with my future patients, but also a new culture to learn and be bilingual!
Krish
Maegan Galvan
1
Answer
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Maegan’s Answer
Being bilingual is a strong advantage in the medical field and could potentially get you higher pay. I am from a primarily mexican-american town and grew up hearing spanish. I only went up to spanish 2 in high school and elementary spanish in college. As i’m ending my undergraduate degree I am finding myself regretting not advancing my spanish skills and now having to self learn. My brother during Physician Assistant school had to buy a medical spanish book to communicate with his patients since he was doing his rounds in deep south texas. I would get as much as u can done in high school now so you can focus on your core classes in college because that’s what matters more to medical schools. Spanish culture is beautiful to know and understand. Be the kind of doctor that understands the patient individually and not though an interpreter, you build better relationships and connections than getting lost in translation.
Wow! This really helps! Thank you for sharing.
Krish
Martha D. Kramer
Corporate Training and Communications
26
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Martha D.’s Answer
Your question about taking 2+ years of a foreign language as a pre-med student is an interesting one, Krish. I join Jerome in encouraging you to do so because:
- as you said, it could help you communicate with future patients (give you more internship opportunities) and, as Jerome said, understand more about other cultures. This would help you understand others and build rapport, which is important to having them follow your recommendations
- taking advanced language courses would show your academic curiosity and ability to meet academic challenges
- as long as you fulfill high school graduation requirements, you will have plenty of time in college to take the required pre-med courses
- you may need four years of a foreign language for a college you apply to
- the more different types of courses you take, the more you grow your academic skills and brainpower
With all that said, do not take a more difficult level foreign language if it will jeopardize your physical or mental health.
Wishing you good luck!
- as you said, it could help you communicate with future patients (give you more internship opportunities) and, as Jerome said, understand more about other cultures. This would help you understand others and build rapport, which is important to having them follow your recommendations
- taking advanced language courses would show your academic curiosity and ability to meet academic challenges
- as long as you fulfill high school graduation requirements, you will have plenty of time in college to take the required pre-med courses
- you may need four years of a foreign language for a college you apply to
- the more different types of courses you take, the more you grow your academic skills and brainpower
With all that said, do not take a more difficult level foreign language if it will jeopardize your physical or mental health.
Wishing you good luck!
I am really grateful you took the time to answer this question.
Krish
Yvonne Lalyre. Ed.D.
semi-retired
5
Answers
Boston, Massachusetts
Updated
Yvonne’s Answer
You may not learn to speak Spanish fluently in high school. However, having the basic grammar knowledge will help you achieve fluency later on. It is essential to get the basics now. You must also know English grammar very well. That knowledge will be invaluable and transferable in the future, when you may want to acquire fluency in other languages. Best of luck in your studies!
Thank you for taking time to answer! I will definitely consider mental health with my classes moving forward.
Krish
Morgan Adams
Healthcare Administration
35
Answers
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Updated
Morgan’s Answer
Taking Spanish all four years is a strong choice if your goal is to communicate effectively with patients, especially since fluency often requires multiple years of study. Stopping early lets you explore other career-focused classes, but you might miss reaching a level of Spanish where you can confidently converse in medical settings.
Thanks, can't wait to put this advice into action!
Krish