Welcome to SPA 163 Spanish for Health Professionals, offered by the Extended Learning Institute of Northern Virginia Community College.

This course is designed to introduce individuals in the health sciences professions, such as: doctors, nurses, paramedical personnel, and health care providers with the language and culture skills necessary to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients within a basic context of vocabulary and structures. You will develop correct Spanish pronunciation and an awareness of cultural differences and needs. This course will help you to communicate effectively with Spanish-speaking patients on basic topics related to:

• Greeting and salutations
• Personal administrative informantion
• A patient's medical history
• Medical services and procedures
• Basic anatomy and physical conditions
• Illnesses
• Emergency services
• Cultural perspectives impacting on health care

You will learn by developing a basic knowledge of Spanish grammar, acquiring conversational skills in topics related to the medical profession, and understanding cultural differences and their impact on the medical profession.

What you learn in this course will benefit you in your medical profession. You will be able to better serve those entrusted to your care and overcome language and cultural barriers.

If you do well in this course, you will be able to:

• Write basic learned material.
• Understand basic spoken Spanish within the limited context presented to beginners.
• Communicate in Spanish learned material with adequacy.
• Read in Spanish within the limited context presented to beginners.

Your course grade will be determined by exams, textbook-exercises, special report, group presentation, as well as speaking and writing activities, according to the following percentages.

Your final grade will be based on the following scale.

There are two (2) exams in this course. Each exam has an online component, which you must complete at a campus testing center and an oral component, which you complete at home. For the online exam, be sure to allow enough time to complete your exam before the Testing Center closes; Testing Centers have specific policies relating to the administration of ELI exams. For the oral exam at home, you must have access to a computer with a microphone or a headset with a microphone.

You will need to take a photo ID, your NovaConnect empl ID number, and the appropriate Exam Pass when you go to the Testing Center.  

For Testing Center locations, hours of operation and policies, click here.

For information on taking exams outside of the metropolitan area, click here.

This is an Extended Learning Institute (ELI) course. ELI courses differ from campus courses in several important ways, including enrollment dates, communication with faculty, assignment completion requirements, and exams. You must follow ELI's policies and procedures if you take this course. Read (or review) ELI's Policies and Procedures before you begin the course. If you have questions, call ELI at (703) 323-3347 or (888) 435-6822.

1. Use your web browser to connect to http://www.nvcc.edu/bbstart. Follow the directions to determine your email, Blackboard and VIVA account user names and passwords.
2. Access your email account and make sure you know how to use it; you will be required to use this account for all course-related email.
3. Log on to Blackboard at http://learn.vccs.edu.
4. Click on this course under "My Courses." Review the entire course to make sure you understand what will be required of you. Then start completing the assignments.

Please note that account generation takes approximately one week from the time of your paid registration. If you cannot log on after one week, contact the IT Help Desk. If you can log on to Blackboard, but your course isn't listed, please contact ELI or your instructor.