necessary to speak Spanish (El Paso, Fort Bliss: medical, best, teaching)

[bobcatt]

Is el paso like miami where it is hard to grt a job if you are not bilingual. I work as a psychiatric rn and teach nursing. Teaching is not an issue but working as a psych rn was difficult

[malamute]

I don't know if it's worse than Miami but it is a big factor. I think with Fort Bliss expanding, there is more room for English speakers now.

[mistabinks]

This might fall under "6 of one thing, half a dozen of another."

We are a border town. You improve your hire ability if you speak Spanish. It is what the customer base speaks. If you go by this forum, you will hear a lot of people say it's a must. I don't speak Spanish professional, at work, or when at my small business. It has never been a problem for me.

[atrabilius]

It'd probably do you good to learn at least one other foreign language anyway (IMHO). Spanish would probably be the most likely to be useful in this country, although French might also come in pretty handy, too, especially in the Northeast.

[katzpaw]

As a psychiatric RN you'd have to be able to communicate with your patients.

El Paso is 82% Hispanic, 72% speak Spanish at home, 25% speak English only at home, and 32% of Spanish speakers in El Paso County have difficulty expressing themselves in English. People in the Lower Valley are more likely to be unilingual Spanish.

[atrabilius]

Originally Posted by katzpaw

As a psychiatric RN you'd have to be able to communicate with your patients.

El Paso is 82% Hispanic, 72% speak Spanish at home, 25% speak English only at home, and 32% of Spanish speakers in El Paso County have difficulty expressing themselves in English. People in the Lower Valley are more likely to be unilingual Spanish.

Yeah, if you're going to work as an RN in El Paso, you would want to be fluent in Spanish--and the Spanish spoken in El Paso is probably not going to be the Spanish you'd be likely to hear in Miami. I think most Hispanics there are of Caribbean or South American origin, whereas most in El Paso are Mexican or Mexican descent.

[thenewtexan]

Originally Posted by atrabilius

It'd probably do you good to learn at least one other foreign language anyway (IMHO). Spanish would probably be the most likely to be useful in this country, although French might also come in pretty handy, too, especially in the Northeast.

In the local customer service field, it is a necessity. It will help in the medical field, too. About French, LOL, no. If anything, it's still Spanish, but more geared towards Puerto Ricans, not Mexicans. As someone who does not speak Spanish, it's still easy to tell there is a BIG difference between the two. (Brazilian) Portuguese is getting more useful lately up there too.

[atrabilius]

Originally Posted by thenewtexan

In the local customer service field, it is a necessity. It will help in the medical field, too. About French, LOL, no.

I was thinking you'd be most likely to need French in this country in northern New England, along the Canadian border (with Quebec and New Brunswick) especially, and maybe in certain situations in New York. Spanish has become the second language of the US, though, and we're talking about El Paso anyway.

[TexasCCW]

It might best fit you to try and get a job on base. Ft. Bliss soldiers should all speak English.

[malamute]

Or maybe skip El Paso and go to Las Cruces instead where English is spoken.