Spanish calls in the Info Center
From AFSWiki
Sometimes we will receive calls from parents who prefer to speak Spanish (espanol) with an Advisor. We also may get a parent on the phone when we are calling out to potential students and host families. Here are some helpful resources from the Info Center from 2004.
Here is a short script for non-Spanish speakers to use when leaving messages with Spanish-speaking family members:
- IC--Hi, may I speak with STUDENT NAME HERE?
- Family Member--No, no está/ no se encuentra/ está en la escuela (or whatever).
- IC--OK, no hablo mucho espanol, pero soy YOUR NAME HERE y estoy llamando con AFS (ah-effe-esse), Programas Interculturales. Puedo dejar mi numero?
- Family Member--Si.
- IC (phonetically)--Uno-ochocientos-dos-tres-siete-cuarenta-y-seis-treinta-y-seis. Se oprima el numbero uno despues. Muchas gracias!
Here are some Spanish AFS vocab words for those who speak some Spanish:
- Exchange student
- Estudiante de otro pais
- Exchange program
- Un programa intercultural
- To study abroad
- Estudiar en otro pais
- To apply
- Postular/aplicar
- Application
- Postulacion/ aplicacion
- Preapp
- Aplicacion preliminaria
- Form A
- Formulario basico (puedes explicar que el Form A no significa ningun compromiso- solamente nos indica que tienen interés en hospedar)
- Commitment
- Compromiso
- To host
- Hospedar/ser familia anfitriona
- Financial Aid
- Ayuda económica/monetaria
- Scholarship
- Beca
- Merit-based scholarship
- Una beca que está basada en el mérito del estudiante
- Need-based scholarship
- Una beca que está basada en la necesidad financial del estudiante
- AFS provides
- El costo incluye/cubre
- Room and board
- Comida y donde quedar
- Tuition
- El costo del programa
- Domestic/international flights
- Vuelos domesticos/internacionales
- Health insurance
- Seguro médico
- Travel within the host country
- Transporte dentro del pais anfitrion
- Grades
- Notas
- Transcript
- Certificado de notas
- Guidance Counselor
- Consejero academico
- GPA
- El promedio de tus notas
- Referrals
- Referencias
- Visa
- Visa
- Embassy
- Embajada
- Passport
- Pasaporte
- Taxes
- Impuestos
- Orientation
- Orientacion
- To contact
- Contactar/ponerse en contacto con
- Contact number
- Numero de contacto
- Volunteer
- Voluntario
- Requirement
- Requisito
- Letter of recommendation
- Carta de recommendación
- Interview
- Entrevista
- Citizen
- Ciudadano
- Appointment
- Cita
Some issues to keep in mind when taking a Spanish call:
For a student who is interested in going abroad: We need to know how much English they speak. If they don't speak any English, this is a problem. The application and the interview have to be in English, their orientations will be in English, their Admissions Advisor may not speak Spanish, etc. So if they don't have basic proficiency in English, let them know they need it in order to apply. Also, we need to determine what the status of their citizenship is- are they a US citizen and if not, do they have documentation which permits them to leave and then re-enter the country.
For a family who is interested in hosting: You should definitely take the Form A, but keep in mind that the possibility of a Spanish-speaking host family is fairly low, and the family probably won't be contacted very quickly by the field team. The partner country would have to approve the placement, and this is unlikely since most students come here to learn English. However, we don't know that for sure, and at the very least they could be a welcome family, an aunt and uncle family, or a volunteer. So take the Form A, but make sure you ascertain exactly how much English is spoken by the various family members and also make sure that you give the family a number to call if they don't hear back from the field.
