Survival Spanish Training for LEOs

[rammiranda]

Hello Everyone,

The South Carolina Hispanic Outreach program is currently developing a comprehensive training program in Survival Spanish for Law Enforcement Officers.

We are working under a federal VAWA grant, and will submit this training program to the SC Criminal Justice Academy's Standards & Certifications Office for approval.

If approved, it will become part of the Continuing Law Enforcement Education (CLEE)system and officers across the state will be able to earn credit for participating.

There will be no charge to the state or any participating officers for this training program, unlike several similar programs offered by "consultants" around the country.

If your state has a similar program, I would like to hear about it. If you can think of anything, a word or a phrase that you feel is critical for an officer to be able to say in Spanish, please make a recommendation.

Any comments, ideas, or recommendations are welcome. Serious replies only, time is critical.

Thank you.

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Rodolfo A. MoralesMiranda
Admin Coordinator-Tng
SC Hispanic Outreach
Tng Dev Specialist
Member, NAIS
Member, ASTD

[Rebecca]

Ramm... we appreciate your enthusiasm and the fact that you have brought a useful bit of info here that will help the LEO's who want to benefit from this program. However, only one advertisement of it is necessary to let them know about it. I'll leave this one here since it's about training... and delete the other five.

Welcome to the forum... and if you need any help with anything... just click the link for one of the staff emails and we'll do what we can for you. http://www.officer.com/ubb/smile.gif

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***Rebecca***

[rammiranda]

Thank you Rebecca, your assistance is truly appreciated. I guess I over did it with the postings, eh?

I've got my younger brother (NYSP) working on this project with me and he's been telling me that most state & federal agencies go to an outside contractor for this type of training. It doesn't seem right to make officers pay for something that should be part of their Academy's curriculum! I'm trying to fix that here in SC and make it available free of charge, and also make it count as continuing education credit. Again, thanks for your help.


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Rodolfo A. MoralesMiranda
Admin Coordinator-Tng
SC Hispanic Outreach
Tng Dev Specialist
Member, NAIS
Member, ASTD

[Rebecca]

Here's a cut and paste of ice_fog's reply to you in the Support Personnel forum, in case you want to reply...

i think that program is a great idea, i live in KY, and never thought i would need to know any spanish, boy was i wrong, got a 911 call one night the lady only spoke spanish. it could have been a desaster, had the desk sgt not been there, he spoke spanish and saved the day. since then i have tken a corse in spanish, hoping to learn enough to get the basics from some one if it ever happens again.

__________________________________________________ _______

And now, from me...

I really can't continue to post in here because it's for sworn officers only, but since you addressed me, I'll make one quick reply and off I will run to watch from afar. http://www.officer.com/ubb/wink.gif

Bearing in mind that I'm not in LE and I really have no clue whatsoever about the training, you do cause me to pose a few questions. If they teach Spanish in the academy... wouldn't they then be forced to teach other languages, as well? Political correctness would force their hand to teach more languages, wouldn't it? Are you making an eventual push for all communities to be taught Spanish? And only Spanish? I think it's a great idea for heavily populated Spanish speaking areas to train officers in Spanish... but in other areas, I wonder if that might not be better left to the officer to do if he/she so wishes.

Ok, I'm getting on outta here now before my fellow staff members boot me out... http://www.officer.com/ubb/eek.gif http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by Rebecca (edited 03-09-2001).]

[Niteshift]

One of the best Spanish programs I've seen is taught by Command Spanish. Their 1 week program is taught regularly at the Regional Counterdrug Training Academy (RCTA) and it is very effective. I attended their 1 day version as part of another course.

Since I already had a good Spanish language background (2 years in Central America, 3 years of HS Spanish and 16 years of living in South FL), I was able to simply look at the content and method of delivery, rather than worrying about learning the material. I was amazed. I watched 40 non-Spanish speakers learn and be able to effectively use about 30 very relevant phrases in around 4 hours.

Conversely, I have attended 40 hour courses that are 40 hours of my life I'll never get back.

What is the difference between the 2? First was method of delivery. One was very dynamic and it was made relevant. The other was the same old "repeat after me". Second, the better one was very relevant material. Phrases that you will actually use, not asking where the dog sleeps.

One thing I'd emphasize is teaching for memorization, phrases that you can't take time to look off of a cheat sheet for. I can look up "What is your address?" I can't look up "Drop the gun!"

Another thing is cut the fat. You can teach a guy to say "Get out of the car" or "Get out". If they are in a car, they know what you mean. It's easier for a guy to learn a one word command (in this case), rather than a phrase.

I'd also say common sense too. I remember when I was in the Army and they gave us a Spanish language cheat sheet. One of the items was how to ask "What kinds of weapons did they have?" Well common sense tells me that if you need to read that off the sheet, you won't understand the answer.

I've gone on long enough. Hope it helped a little.



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Niteshift-
Perseverate In Pugna

[rammiranda]

Niteshift: Your comments were very useful.
I copy:

1. Cut the fat.
2. Make it dyanmaic.
3. Make it relevant to the job.
4. Teach for memorization.

Thanks. I'll check out "Command Spanish" and check their teaching methods.

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Rodolfo A. MoralesMiranda
Admin Coordinator-Tng
SC Hispanic Outreach
Tng Dev Specialist
Member, NAIS
Member, ASTD

[Niteshift]

Not so much memorization.......but application.

Memorize the ones that are time/safety critical, like drop the gun. I can stop and look up "what is your address" if I need to.

Command Spanish is run by a PhD by the name of Sam Slick (yeah, really his name). He was the language dept. chair at Southern Mississippi Univ. and now does this pretty much full time. I know they also teach programs to companies that have a lot of Spanish speaking workers.

If I find their web or other addresses, I'll post it here.

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Niteshift-
Perseverate In Pugna

[Mack811]

I believe this is a worthwhile and relevant topic to train on. I live in South Texas, grew up in Chicago and studied German in high school. Duh. I had no idea I would end up living and doing LE work here. I have picked up the basics but do not feel confident with it. This is training I would take. Niteshift hit it on the head. I don't need to carry on a detailed conversation as a rule as I can get a Spanish speaking officer on scene quickly.I failed the Border Patrol Spanish test several years ago.I can not read the language but I can convey basic information.What I know I have learned from my spanish speaking friends.Let us know how your course progresses. I'll take it.

[rammiranda]

To Mack811:

In your experiences, what have been the most critical things you need to say in Spanish. I'm a native speaker, so this information isn't for me, it's for officers that have absolutamente no ability in the language. The course I am developing has to meet the needs of the force on the street. I'm in agreement with Nightshift and it must be relevant. "Drop the gun" "Drop the knife" "Don't move" etc., etc. I've been going through almost 14 books on the subject so far and most agree that the "courtesy phrases" are nice, but they don't help in a drug bust or a domestic violence situation. That's what I need to know... what YOU want to be able to say? Thank you very much for your input.


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Rodolfo A. MoralesMiranda
Admin Coordinator-Tng
SC Hispanic Outreach
Tng Dev Specialist
Member, NAIS
Member, ASTD

[Niteshift]

On a side note: Would you recommend ASTD membership for LE trainers that are doing "private practice" on the side?

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Niteshift-
Perseverate In Pugna

[rammiranda]

I would recommend membership in ASTD, the American Society of Training Developers, to anyone involved in training. They advise you about training events nationwide, provide outstanding professional advice, and have a support system second to none. They are nation-wide and extremely forthcoming with training advice and assistance. It's also a good connection for civilian life, later on, when you put the uniform up.

Don't let the corporate techno-trainers make you feel any less of a trainer, as they tend to do by focusing on technical, computer based training. Apply their techniques and methodologies to what we do for a living. To answer your question, yes. I highly recommend membership to law enforcement and military trainers.

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Rodolfo A. MoralesMiranda
Admin Coordinator-Tng
SC Hispanic Outreach
Tng Dev Specialist
Member, NAIS
Member, ASTD

[Jingwa]

Ram,
our agency sponsors the Texas Counterdrug Training Institute, and we currently use Sam Slick. He appears to be the guru in our area. I personally thought his class was useful, especially for the Spanish illiterate. I have a decent Spanish background for a guero, and his class was a bit remedial for me. One thing that has come up from his class, is the use of the word "Registrar" when asking for permission to "search" a vehicle or person. As far as you know, is this the correct translation? According to dictionaries that I have scoured, this translation is not exact, but I have been unable to find a better one.

[Niteshift]

We use registro here.

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Niteshift-
Perseverate In Pugna

[rammiranda]

"Registrar" es la palabra correcta, Jingwa.
Reference:
Diccionario Moderno, Espanol/Ingles
(Larousse Grolier)
Quote: registrar v. tr. To search: registrar un ladron, to search a thief; me registraron todo el equipage, they searched all my luggage// To search, to go through (cajon, bolsillos)//To inspect, to examine, to check (inspeccionar)... La policia registro el barrio a fondo, the police carried out a complete search of the area... Registro en el armario, he searched in the wardrobe... registrarse los bolsillos, to go through one's pockets.
(Note: Sorry I can't place the accents properly)

I believe the confusion comes from the other translations of the verb, as it also means to register, as in registering for school or to vote. Another form of the verb refers to taking note of something: Hemos registrado un aumento de la criminalidad, we have noticed a rise in the crime rate.

It is, however, the correct term when refering to conducting a search or frisking a subject.

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Rodolfo A. MoralesMiranda
Admin Coordinator-Tng
SC Hispanic Outreach
Tng Dev Specialist
Member, NAIS
Member, ASTD