NCJ Number
121351
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 57 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1990) Pages: 42-47
Date Published
1990
Length
6 pages
Annotation
The Sam Houston State University model of "Survival Spanish for Police Officers" can realistically, quickly, and economically prepare large numbers of Anglo officers to operate decisively in a limited number of language situations involving Hispanics.
Abstract
Such a course is important for agencies in communities having an Hispanic population or experiencing significant travel by transient Hispanics across their jurisdictions. Through a proven system of rote learning, officers attain virtually complete dominance of the language in one 8-hour training session. The core of the language component consists of four 1-hour classes that include 39 "survival" commands, questions, warnings, and exchanges. The cross-cultural training component also takes 8 hours and is a multifaceted overview of the Hispanic community and its relationship to law enforcement and the criminal justice system. To immerse officers in a new cultural perspective, many teaching techniques are used, including slide lectures, directed discussion, and questionnaire surveys.