The Latino population in North Carolina is growing rapidly. During the 1990-97 time period, approximately half of North Carolina’s 100 counties experienced Latino population growth or 100% or more(Sharer 1999). This data, combined with reports of increases in the proportion of Latinos in the daily census at North Carolina hospitals and health departments, add to the perception that the Latino population is growing at an unparalleled rate.
The Spanish for Health Professionals Program is an initiative designed to respond to the changing demographic profile of the state, through the offering of innovative Spanish language and cultural competency training. The program, sponsored by the University of North Carolina School of Public Health in collaboration with the North Carolina AHEC (Area Health Education Center), responds to the need for improving the spoken Spanish skills of health providers across the state.
The session proposes to address the need for human resources training and capacity building in a region of the country that has previously been quite homogeneous with respect to language. The following issues will be addressed: 1.primary concerns underpinning the development of the program; 2. state-wide network collaborating program; 3. some key needs identified by agencies for timely and culturally sensitively responses; 4. magnitude of growth of the immigrant Latino population and priority health needs; 5. characteristics of the learners enrolled in the programs series of workshops; 6. the teaching strategies used to promote communicative Spanish (and the differences from traditional language teaching strategies; 7. findings from the program’s evaluation.
Learning Objectives: 1.To explain the potential of a state-wide collaboration in North Carolina to respond to the need for Spanish language training and cultural competency posed by the rapidly growing Immigrant Latino population in the state. 2. To demonstrate one innovative language and culture learning experience so as to explain differences between the Program’s innovative communicative strategies and traditional language learning--including display of examples of interactive learning activities. 3. To suggest strategies used by participants in other geographic locations to respond proactively to the changing ethnic and language profile of the United States.
Keywords: Latinos, Access Immigration
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: North Carolina AHEC (Area Health Education Center)and the UNC-CH School of Public Health
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.