Classes for UMHS Staff
TO BE ANNOUNCED: The following Sign Language and foreign language classes (Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, French, Chinese) will be open to all UMHS staff. For more information on class schedules, pricing, etc., contact Jane Miller, our Education Division Coordinator, at educationdivision@med.umich.edu.
Simple Greetings, Phrases and Basic Cultural Understanding in Your Patients’ Preferred Languages
This 3-hour course is designed for techs, MAs, RNs, MDs and receptionists who have limited time and are seeking basic communication skills to use with their patients.
Language Courses for Travelers - Various Languages
This 5-hour course will teach greetings and useful phrases for shopping, dining, asking directions, exchanging currency, communicating in the airport, bank and subway, etc. It will also cover things to expect when visiting a foreign country.
Crash Language Course before your Business Trip - Various Languages
This 5-hour course is designed to give businesspeople, visiting scholars, exchange faculty, ministers, and adopting parents a basic understanding of different foreign cultures and languages.
Beginning Language Class - Various Languages
This 8-hour course is designed for beginners with no prior experience with a foreign language. Its main goal is to give students an introduction to the language and its cultures. The instructor will cover simple phrases of meeting and greeting in everyday situations.
Intermediate Conversational Language Class - Various Languages
This 8-hour course is designed for students who have completed the Beginning Language Class, and who are ready to broaden their skills.
Basic Sign Language
This class covers basic American Sign Language, Deaf culture, and information about using a Sign Language interpreter in the medical setting.
Spanish Bilingual Assistant (SBA) Training: An Introduction to Medical Interpreting
This intensive course is open to all Spanish/English-speakers, inside and outside the UMHS. It teaches students the language skills and cultural knowledge they need to provide quality medical services to Latino patients. The course covers medical terminology, strategies for helping people of different cultures work together, and the special skills needed for accurate interpretation. Many graduates go on to seek work as professional medical interpreters.
How to Work with an Interpreter In-Service
This in-service is free for all UMHS service providers and departments, and includes:
- A brief overview of Interpreter Services and what we provide
- How and when to request an interpreter
- Guidelines for working with an interpreter
- Reasons to use a trained interpreter
- A brief cultural overview
- Opportunity for questions and answers
Interpreter Services also provides free consultations with UMHS departments to help them meet the demands of the Limited English Proficient and deaf populations they serve. Consultants work with you to get your department the resources, tools and training that it needs so that you can better serve the specific populations you encounter.
Registration Form (PDF)
Payroll Deduction Form (PDF)
