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Training and Supporting Caregivers Who Speak A Language Different From Those in Their Community

by Joan Matsalia and Paula Bowie
September/October 2003
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Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/training-and-supporting-caregivers-who-speak-a-language-different-from-those-in-their-community/5015350/

“Close your eyes for a minute. Imagine you, or someone you love, is sick. It’s serious and you need medical help. You find yourself in the hospital, but no one there speaks the same language as you. You are trying to explain your concern, but see blank stares. Someone hands you paperwork to fill out, but you can’t read the words. Think about how you are feeling, and if it
involves someone else, how you are trying to comfort them . . . .”

This scenario is a visualization exercise that is one part of a workshop we’ve designed, and used, around the United States and at the 2003 World Forum on Early Care and Education in Acapulco, México. Our goal has been to engage those in early care and education in a discussion of how to best identify, ensure, and support quality training for those who speak languages other than the dominant language. The above visualization exercise is a simple method to use when seeking to sensitize participants to the often overlooked and seldom discussed needs of others in their community.

Why would a couple of white, monolingual women, like us, even be interested in this topic? We feel passionate ...

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