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It's all part of a new venture Plains Area is starting to help reduce cultural and language barriers.
About 25 therapists and receptionists at the Le Mars mental health center and its Storm Lake counterpart are working on picking up another language and learning about that group's culture.
"The hope is by the end of the two years a number of staff are able to answer the phone (in that language), have a reasonable conversation," said Patrick Schmitz, executive director. "Since community mental health is the safety net provider of services we need to be able to work with those folks who may not have any other options."
Plains Area was approved for a grant that encourages agencies to reduce those cultural barriers.
The plan is to use the Rosetta Stone language-learning computer program along with multicultural training through the University of Northern Iowa (UNI).
Currently, the Le Mars office serves five or six clients whose primary language is Spanish.
"At this office it's less than 5 percent (of our clients). It seems to come in waves," Schmitz said. "I see that down the road that could be a whole area that could become a significant piece of what we do and what we offer."
Currently, Plains Area in both Le Mars and Storm Lake offer interpreters for individuals who primarily speak a language other than English.
The problem with interpreters is that means there's an extra person in the room while clients are working through therapy, Schmitz said.
"That can be somewhat uncomfortable," he said. "By reducing that concern, I think the therapists feel they're going to be able to better serve the clients and connect with them."
According to the grant application, Plains Area staff who want to take the training will spend one hour a week minimum with the Rosetta Stone language program.
"They're welcome to do as much as they want outside that hour," Schmitz said.
Staff members can log onto the Internet and complete their lessons, and can even do it from home.
The Rosetta Stone program combines pictures with the spoken word and written statements.
About 80 percent of the staff plan to participate.
The vast majority are going to learn Latin American Spanish, but staff members can choose another language as long as it is meaningful to their work, Schmitz said.
"Over in Storm Lake, we have a Vietnamese population, a Sudanese population and the Latino population," he said.
The learning process will be a multi-year project.
"Nobody learns a language in a matter of a year," Schmitz said.
Staff who want to take the language learning to an even further level can, he added.
The Rosetta Stone program offers a Level 4 and 5 which teach language for the business world, medical world and emergency situations, he explained.
Ultimately, the goal is that therapists be able to converse with clients in therapeutic setting, he said.
Schmitz, who last studied Spanish in college, already began relearning Spanish through Rosetta Stone.
"I enjoy it so far," he said. "It is far different from college where it's 'Here's your book and start reading.'"
The Plains Area staff seems to be on board with the idea, Schmitz said.
"The vast majority are excited about it. They really see it as a benefit to their clients and to their ability to reach out to their clients," he said. "Not only will it help them serve their clients, but also their life it will give them some advantages."
Along with learning another language, the staff is going to undergo cultural training.
"If you understand the language but you don't understand the culture, you can really mess up therapy," Schmitz said. "In our society, things are a certain way, but in the Latin American countries they can be totally different."
Not understanding those differences could cause therapy to break down, he said.
The cultural training ranges from topics like whether a society is patriarchal or matriarchal to what's appropriate in that culture and what's not.
Representatives from UNI departments that deal with understanding diversity of cultures will be training Plains Area staff.
The Le Mars agency completed some multicultural training two years ago, Schmitz said.
"That was focused more on the Latin American societies and the variety there, too," Schmitz said. "They're not one-size-fits-all when you talk about South America."
The cultural training should give therapists a window in to people's lives to help see how they can best be served, he explained.
"We'll be learning things about how to instruct them about 'This is how it works in America,'" Schmitz said." You've got to understand where they come from but you've also got to help them so they know how to navigate things here."
Getting to know more about a person's language and ethnic background sends a strong message, Schmitz said.
"It shows that person it's important enough for you to understand them and their culture to learn their language," he said.
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PRESS #1 TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN ENGLISH.....PRESS #2 TO READ THIS ARTICLE ........
How do you say, "Are you here in the United States legally?" in Spanish?
My Great Grandparents came from Germany. They learned that if you wanted to fit in they needed to learn and speak english.
Why is it different now?
What would this country be like if everyone that came here from some other country kept speaking their native tongue, includeing all of the native Americans that were here first, instead of learning one common language{english}?
There is a lot of money that is spent just so warnings, label, and signs are in multi language. That adds up to more cost. Who pays for the added cost? Not to mention that many places now have to have someone to translate which is another expence.
No one is say that heritage needs to be forgotten or not celebrated.
While they are training the staff are they teaching Cherokee, Winnibago, Sioux, and other native tongues. How about German, Luxemberg, Vietnamese, Japanese, or Korean. I am guessing not. Those will have to learn how to speak english so they can get help.
I am 100% German. There was no one accommodating for any of my ancestors. They learned English to make a life for themselves and loved ones. No one went out of their way to learn German to make adapting to American society easier for them. So, I agree with Giblem. If we conform to the needs of one nationality then we should also conform to all nationalities. The U.S.A. is a melting pot of all nationalities. To focus on one class of the minority cultures would be a slap in the face to all the other minority cultures that learned the language to make this country what it is today.
There isn't a law requiring Plains Area to learn Spanish. They are choosing to learn Spanish. Perhaps they are following the dollar signs. I would imagine that the majority of the staff is learning Spanish because that is the language that most non-English speakers speak.
I am almost willing to bet that if someone was to move to some other country they would have to learn the local language to fit in. They would have to learn it at their own expence also.
That is if they moved to a non tourist area. Tourist areas learn multi ways to communicate so they can do business. We have been to Germany and I was in Korea for a year so this we know. You get away from tourist areas and few knew much english.
I am going to guess that the comments coming from the people who disagree with this know sign language. Or, do you think that this country should send people who can't speak back to where their ancestors came from because you can't communicate with them through sign language?
Why me
No I do not think that. I think it is more that people should learn the language of the place where they live. Not that the place you move to learn your language.
If I moved to some other country I would try to learn that language. While I was in the U.S. Army I was in Korea for just one year I took lessons to learn that language. That was just so if I went out in the country side I would be able to talk with the people that live there. When you got away from base the Korean's know very little english.
Why Me:
Just a thought-
Deaf people make great strides to adapt to the society they live in by learning to read lips and learning to talk as well as reading and writing the language of the country they live in. I have great respect for that.
Ugh, you're all ignorant. Do you realize that most Europeans can speak 3 different languages and you're all complaining about speaking one because you're too lazy to learn about other cultures. Get over yourselves.
Like I stated most in other countries speak other languages because it is in tourist areas or for the business they are with.
You get away from tourist areas and then they most likely speak their native language. At least they did where we went when we traveled to Germany. We were lucky that the friends we were with were German so they translated for us. Some of the areas we visited were tourist areas and the locals did not know english. They were very friendly and would try their best to help us. Even then the dialic they had depended on what country was the closest to the area.
So yes some in this area should know different languages for business purposes and because they are pushing Le Mars as a tourist place.
But then that is not what this article is about. It is about people MOVING INTO this area and not adapt to the local customs and culture.
Sorry Unanimous but, I DID study a foreign language in school. I studied German so I could learn about my heritage, the culture and the language. Giblem studied the language while Giblem was in Korea. I would NOT call that ignorant or lazy.
Unanimous
If you moved to an area that was not a tourist area in, say Italy, would you expect the Italians to learn English so you would fit in? I doubt it, you would probably learn Italian.
I believe some people posting comments fail to realize our ancestors did learn English but they didn't learn it immediately. Our ancestors settled with others speaking their language because it made the transition to a new country easier. My grandparents told me they spoke German at home all the time and they were 2 generations removed from Germany. Our Spanish speaking residents have children who speak great English even if the parents don't. A generation from now it will be the same for them as it was for our ancestors, they will speak English. People that have a difficult life somewhere else don't learn a new language BEFORE they move, they move and learn it once they are here--just like our ancestors did. If we applied your standard to ourselves WE should all be speaking a Native Sioux language! Give them a break!
I'm not talking about tourist areas. The United states has over 3 million Spanish speaking residents that are not here for tourism. Knowing another language is very beneficial when speaking to a person that may not fully speak English. English is a hard language to learn, but it isn't as if immigrants aren't trying because they are.
What do you do if a person moves into your community that knows very little English? Will you run them out of town with a pitchfork because they're different? What if you're working for a large corporation that sells out of country? You probably talk poorly about people from India for learning English to take calls for customer service too. Well they don't live in the US, so why should they have learned English?
Then again, most of the people that complain about having to learn Spanish have not fully learned to speak the English language either.
We have had 3 foreign exchange student living with us from 3 different countries. We had no problem speaking with them. Mainly because that was one of the requirements for all of them. They were instructioned to speak english because that was the language of the U.S.
One of them was from Germany. My mother and others could not get him to talk in german because of that instruction. When there was meetings for all exchange students the german students spoke english when they were together.
My mom and Grandmother spoke german when they did not want others to know what they were talking about. Especially on the partyline phone system at the time. All other times they spoke english. As for my great grandparents I never knew them so I do not know what they spoke.
So yes maybe some day there may be one common language, but until then.
We had to deal with customer sevice from India. The next time we will not call. We talked with numerous reps and we could not understand any of them. Ya I know we could take classes and learn their language but then if they want my business.
By the way how many have read the book Iowaish. Very interesting book on language.
I have a great amount of compassion and understanding for someone who is genuinely trying to adapt and learn the language. It is about when you come across some people who have been here for years and years and is still not making an effort, and no not ALL of them are. I work with the public and when I come across someone who can speak some English and is making a valiant effort, I try my hardest to help them. I did not chase them down with a pitchfork or try to run them out of town.
No, it is NOT beneficial for citizens of LeMars to learn Spanish just because most of our minorities speak Spanish. When you go into larger cities, you come across many different nationalities. Would you learn many different languages in case you might need to communicate with someone who doesn't speak English? If I go to a foreign country I do not expect the citizens to learn English to help me out.
For me it's not just Spanish...it is any language or nationality. I just think that we citizens whether it is a general citizen or someone working for a large company or small business should not be asked to learn a language to communicate with someone who doesn't speak English. It should be the other way around. Shouldn't the same companies/business offer Rosetta stone for the non English speaking people to help them learn our language? It would not only help these people with work but to also help to socialize with the community.
GoodOne
I agree totally with what you stated and how you put it.