Learning Spanish

Prior to a few months ago, I have not used Spanish in years. I took Spanish in high school, and learned the basics of nouns, pronouns, and conjugations. I used my knowledge to test out of needing to take a language in college, and then promptly forgot most of it. Fast forward, and I complete residency, and land my first job in Pantego, Texas, where many of the patients speak Spanish. Oh boy. Instead of staying la gringa, I have started working on my medical Spanish.

I kept this program that is free, online, offered from my alma mater, LECOM, called Canopy. It has interactive programs where I can hear the Spanish spoken, practice speaking it, practice writing it, and then test my knowledge through telenovelas. It has also helped having two wonderful colleagues who are fluent in Spanish and do not seem to mind me practicing my Spanish on them.

Some of the words I have found muy dificiles, son estreñimiento, inmunización, y estetoscopio. I am currently in the middle of learning about diet and diabetes. I love learning new palabras, especially seeing their links to the Latin language. So, if you ever see me muttering away to myself, and repeating over and over the same phrase, know that I am studying Spanish. Let me know if anyone has any recommendations on improving.