Intermediate Medical Spanish: A Healthcare Workers’ Guide for Communicating with the Latino Patient by Diana Galarreta-Aima, Diana Ruggiero and Gabriela Segal (review)

Intermediate Medical Spanish: A Healthcare Workers’ Guide for Communicating with the Latino Patient is a paperback textbook, about 8.25 inches wide by 11.6 inches tall (or 21 cm by 29.5 cm). Large pages give the content an organized, spaced-out presentation and plenty of room for notes. The book consists of a “capítulo preliminar” followed by thirteen chapters, with their titles and content detailed in Spanish, and an annex. Each chapter after the preliminary one lists a minimum of three subsections and a maximum of eight, all of which feature an initial vocabulary section, at least one dialogue, and one or more readings. This review will detail the introduction and chapters 1–3 to give complete examples of the structured content of the textbook, then will summarize subsequent chapters.

The introductory chapter, “Información básica sobre la población latinx en los Estados Unidos,” presents three activities designed to get students thinking about various aspects of the Latino community. These include content questions, true/false statements, a discussion of debatable terms (e.g., “Latino/a,” “Latinx,” “Hispano,” “América”), a short reading on the “perfil sociodemográfico de la población latinx,” and questions meant to promote critical thought. A useful feature throughout the book is the listing of sources for readings and activities immediately following the cited text. While the material before the “capítulo preliminar” is in English, the text of all chapters, except for translation exercises and citations, is in Spanish. Accordingly, this book is geared towards intermediate college students and, in my opinion, is appropriate for semesters 4–6.

“Capítulo 1: Conceptos básicos de salud y medicina” begins with a vocabulary list including 37 terms for medical specialists, their fields, and a brief definition of each, for example: “Nefrología: el estudio de los riñones. Nefrólogo/a.” Four exercises follow this list, including a reading that further explains some of the terms. Three more vocabulary sections and activities (“Los signos vitales,” “Los centros de salud,” and “Los objetos en un consultorio”) are placed among readings and illustrations of relevant objects (e.g., curitas, bisturí). Next, three readings (on medical insurance, cultural sensitivity, and interpreting) and three mini dialogues, all accompanied by questions and activities, close the chapter. Any of the dialogues could serve well for interpreting, translation, or speaking practice.

Every chapter contains a unique mix of sections and activity types, based on its vocabulary. Chapter 2, “La salud del paciente latinx en los Estados Unidos,” opens with the vocabulary of body parts and organs, including illustrations. A bilingual list of “Preguntas generales” follows, then activities that interact with vocabulary from different angles (translation, spelling, images, matching, creating dialogues). This chapter ends with a long dialogue titled “Un chequeo general” and a short reading describing culture shock, both including follow-up questions. These questions are thorough and build to more complex topics. Instructors can pick and choose which to discuss in class or in written assignments.

The term “latinx” is used regularly throughout the book, though not exclusively, as evidenced in the title of chapter 3, “Nutrición y salud en la comunidad latina.” A drawing of the digestive system opens this chapter along with organs and a second list of related vocabulary such as “absorber,” “enzimas,” and “náusea.” Vocabulary exercises come next, followed by food and food pyramid illustrations and questions. The illustrations in this book overall have a hand-drawn quality that generally results in defined and clearly labeled images. One activity asks students to translate a nutrition label into Spanish and to evaluate the information on a different product’s label. A dialogue on diet and a reading on diabetes, both with questions, close the chapter.

Chapter 4, “Sexualidad y la comunidad latinx,” has a structure like the preceding chapter, but...