EMT student having trouble passing due to language barrier

[firefighter_2000]

Been a while since I've been around but Im in need of some help:

A member of my crew at the Fire Department has been studying to become an EMT. He has taken the national registry test unsuccessfully three times. He will be taking a refresher shortly and the test again shortly after.

Problem 1:

He is originally from Romania. He lived there until he was 13 years old and speaks the native language. He speaks english fairly well, but he is having trouble with much of the medical terminology. We have been working on much of the terminology and are doing some better.

Problem 2:

He's been using some online testing materials, but none of the online tests are similar to the questions on the national registry. Are there any online tests that are more realistic, or closer to the format of the national registry test? It seems as though the online tests he has been using consist of a question, with one CORRECT answer and three INCORRECT answers, whereas the national registry questions has a question with four CORRECT answers, but you have to pick the MOST CORRECT answer.

Has anyone run into this problem and been able to successfully get a student through the testing process?

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks

Craig

[DFIB]

That is a tough question. There are several sites similar to the ones you mention. I have heard that JBlearning has a test that is similar to NREMT but have never used it.

I understand the difficulty in understanding an Anglo-Saxon language when your native tongue is an Eastern Romantic Language. His difficulties may go beyond just medical terminology. The subtle differences in the NREMT answer language could be key.

I would focus at least part of his preparation on English grammar and written syntax and place oral exercises to a secondary importance. Since the exams are written he might want to spend time in simply understanding the written material, grammar, sentence structure. He doesn't need to understand the question in English even though that is the language he is reading it in.This may already be your approach.

I would be interested in what some our other bilingual members might opine on this matter.

Best Wishes

[Vorenus]

I understand the difficulty in understanding an Anglo-Saxon language when your native tongue is an Eastern Romantic Language. His difficulties may go beyond just medical terminology. The subtle differences in the NREMT answer language could be key.

... lol.

@OP:

I`m going to make a wild guess and present the theory, that your buddies problem aren`t really due to a language barrier (if it is really only about the terminology).

I guess he just has to learn the stuff - I mean it`s not like he has already known the terminology when he came to the states and now has trouble to translate that (seeing that he was 13 at the time). Seems like he had to learn the terminology from the scratch (in English to begin with), just like everybody else. Especially in this case - I couldn`t imagine language barriers as a problem. Only thing might be, that he might not be able to translate his english terminology rightfully into romanian.

So, I`m guessing it`s eiither a learning problem, or a problem with his general language capabilities - if the latter would be the case, he propably should deal with this before attempting another test.

Anyways, English and the romanic languages aren`t really that different as it might sound.True, the pronounciation is totally different, but many English words have their origin in Latin as well/originate even from a romanic-language-family background.

But even regardless of that, if it`s really only about the terminology and the language - most words considered medical terminology have their original linguistic background in Latin (some Greek), which makes them sound pretty similiar in nearly every language which has at least a streak of a latin/romanic influence. So it`s pretty easy to identify at least the medical terminology, even if that`s the only thing you understand in a conversation.

For example: English is not my mother tongue either, and although I never specifically looked into the translation of special medical terminologies - I have a fair idea of how they would translate just from the latin origin of the word. I might have to look up the spelling, but that`s a different story - and if you have a basic understanding of the foreign language, even that can be pretty easily assumed.

To conclude, I`d say the major problems lies in either your #2 problem or his general language capabilities.

Edited January 14, 2012 by Vorenus

[DFIB]

@ vorenus

How many languages do you speak? Are you totally bilingual, trilingual?

[Vorenus]

I`d say bilingual. German and English. At least those are the languages I am able to converse in fluently.

But I speak a litlle bit Romanian (it`s really more of a minimal understanding, than actual speaking) and I had Latin for six years in school (although that wasn`t really productive), too.

[DFIB]

I`d say bilingual. German and English. At least those are the languages I am able to converse in fluently.

But I speak a litlle bit Romanian (it`s really more of a minimal understanding, than actual speaking) and I had Latin for six years in school (although that wasn`t really productive), too.

That sounds like a prety good linguistic tool kit. I was wondering if you knew some Romanian. You European dudes all know at least a couple of languages. I learned both my languages before the age of five so I am pretty much bilingual.

You know what that they call person who knows two languages bilingual, trilingual for three, polyglot for 5 or more.

Do you know what they call a person who only knows one language?

[Vorenus]

I dno, monolingual, isn`t it?

[akflightmedic]

Do you know what they call a person who only knows one language?

AMERICAN

[island emt]

I was gonna guess cunnilingual :-} From the latin to use one's tongue

[DFIB]

I dno, monolingual, isn`t it?

American