Become a better communicator in your workplace

Are language barriers hurting productivity in your workplace? We can help! Join Penn State Schuylkill's office of Continuing Education and Workforce Development for Practical Spanish for the Workplace courses I and II and improve your workplace communications.

Spanish for Healthcare Workers (SPAN 5018)

Hola, me llamo Pat y soy su enfermera (o)
(Hello, my name is Pat and I will be your nurse)

Spanish for Healthcare Workers is an entry-level, remotely delivered course designed to help healthcare professionals develop conversational Spanish skills for communicating effectively with Spanish-speaking patients in medical settings. The flexible online format is ideal for busy professionals, including those working rotating, evening, overnight, or other multi-shift schedules, allowing students to learn at times that fit their work and personal commitments without sacrificing the quality of instruction.

To support student success, the course includes a weekly live, instructor-led Zoom session. These interactive meetings help students get off to a strong start each week by reviewing course expectations, discussing assignments, reinforcing key concepts, and providing opportunities to ask questions and practice language skills in a supportive learning environment.

By the end of the course, students will learn how to:

  • Apply essential medical Spanish vocabulary in routine healthcare situations.
  • Write basic clinical notes and simple treatment recommendations and patient instructions in Spanish.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of common Hispanic/Latino cultural perspectives on healthcare, including the patient-provider relationship.
  • Describe the signs and symptoms of common medical conditions encountered in the United States.
  • Conduct a basic patient interview in Spanish using appropriate medical terminology and conversational skills.

Meet the instructor:

Maria T. Berger holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology & Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language. Berger is experienced in teaching Spanish language courses at Higher Education Level for more than a decade, including  in person, hybrid, and online courses modalities. Berger has also served as an interpreter for Spanish speaker patients in the mental health field.

Dates: September 8 - October 27, 2026
Time: Tuesdays, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Delivery: Remote learning with a weekly live Zoom instructor led meeting
Textbook: Access to an eBook and four months of unlimited access to online educational materials are included with the registration fee.
Investment: $495
Register

Optional Student Resource (not included in registration fee): 

  • Basic Spanish for Medical Personnel

Spanish in the Workplace: Level 1 - SPAN 5007A

This course will offer Spanish for the workplace to facilitate basic communication with employees or clients whose native language is Spanish. Emphasis is placed on oral communication and specific vocabulary used in a business context. Written and oral practice is provided to exercise the ability to find and communicate information of daily transactions.

Course Objectives

  • Become proficient in workplace Spanish vocabulary
  • Demonstrate an ability to engage in simple business in Spanish
  • Increase active vocabulary by practicing conversation with authentic materials
  • Improve listening skills to become more proficient in understanding Spanish
  • Understand basic questions and requests in Spanish
  • Identify key grammatical structures to improve reading and speaking strategies in Spanish
  • Develop your next level skill, in translating sentences and short texts or forms from English to Spanish and Spanish to English
  • Improve cultural communication skills
  • Be able to ask and in-take information to fill out documents pertaining to business

Class dates TBD

Spanish in the Workplace: Level 2

This workshop will refresh and reinforce the topics covered in Level 1. The class will continue conjugating verbs in the present tense along with gaining a general sense of the past and future tenses. At the end of the course, students will be able to carry on a simple conversation without consulting a dictionary.

Class dates TBD

Spanish in the Workplace: Level 3

This workshop begins by reviewing the basics of Spanish presented in Levels 1 and 2. (It is expected that students enter the class with a rudimentary understanding of pronunciation and the present tense). The differences between the two past tenses (preterite and imperfect) will be explored, along with further practice with the future tenses. Notes on culture will be added to each session, and the workshop will be adjusted according to the needs of class participants.

Class dates TBD

Interested in taking this course? Contact Erica Kunkel at 610-396-6221.