To get a driver's license

Question

Here in my state, we no longer give the driver's license exam in Spanish. Some may disagree, but I think this is crazy. I know people who have every right to be here but are unable to drive to work legally, or take their children to school, because they haven't learned enough English yet to pass the exam. They can read road signs in English but the poorly written test is beyond their ability.

I want to help a small group of people who have recently arrived in my community to pass this test. They shouldn't be forced into doing something illegal just because our state legislators don't understand that it takes time to learn a language.

I would appreciate your suggestions. Should I translate the study guide into Spanish? Or go page by page in English? I really don't know where to start!

Answer 1

Great idea!

I'd say teach it in English and suggest that they take notes in Spanish to help them remember what the rules are.

Use lots of road signs to explain what they mean in English.

Thanks, Mariana. I appreciate your advice! - MLucie, Sep 8, 2011

Answer 2

They don't give it in Spanish anymore? Good God, that's absolutely ridiculous.

By "in your state", I'm guessing you live in the United States? The United States has the third largest Spanish speaking population in the world, following México y España. It's time they get with the program and accept that other languages beside English exist.

Anyhoo...

This is a very admirable thing you are doing, Lucie! Nice work. It will be a wonderful way to practice Spanish.

Thanks Sonrisa. Yes, I live in the United States, and I'm not proud of this. Wish me luck though, I have a little class going and I hope they'll be legal drivers soon! - MLucie, Sep 16, 2011

Answer 3

I disagree. If I went to live in Mexico (or any other Spanish speaking country) and wanted to take a drivers exam I would not expect them to give me the exam in English. (I'm assuming that they have a minority that speaks English).

It's time they get with the program and accept that other languages beside English exist.

So what do you tell the person that wants to take it in French? Sorry, your minority isn't large enough for us to worry about you. Do you happen to speak Spanish, too? Or maybe eubonics?

addendum (let's throw in some hyperbole):

Should I demand that they remove ¡Alto! from their Stop signs or put Stop on the sign also? Should I tell them to not use the metric system on their road signs because I am accustomed to English measurements? Should I tell them not to use the International traffic symbols on their signs and model it more after the US system. And don't let them enforce anything local like the Turn left on red into one way streets or different school hours that I am familiar with.

You have to do what is practical and affordable.

The whole idea behind having a license is to conform traffic behavior to a set of rules. I don't think it is too much of a burden to ask someone who wants to enjoy the privilege of driving to be able to understand those rules. You might be able to translate the test, but what does that person do when he actually gets on the road. Not all construction signs are on the test nor most information signs. Since a person must recognize those signs in English they must have a basic understanding of English and that knowledge should be tested. I don't want someone running over me saying that he didn't understand the Slow down. Toll booth ahead sign because it wasn't on his test in his native language.

I think you have a point, Q. I just wish there were an international test or something...so people aren't forced to break the law while they are trying to survive. - MLucie, Sep 17, 2011

In CA, there is a separate test on signs that you must take if you don't take the written test in English. - lorenzo9, Sep 19, 2011

Answer 4

I disagree. If I went to live in Mexico (or any other Spanish speaking country) and wanted to take a drivers exam I would not expect them to give me the exam in English. (I'm assuming that they have a minority that speaks English).

If you take the test in a language that is not your native, there is always the risk that you have just memorized the answers and /or don´t really understand the meaning! My mom had to take her drivers exam in Germany (she is Greek) at the late 70' s and although she spoke at the time German she had to make it in both languages just to make sure she really understands the rules.

It suprises me that they would have to funds for examining you in more than one language. - 0074b507, Sep 17, 2011

Answer 5

Well then,

I went for my drivers license here in Mexico and there of course was no English. In my opinion that is not at all inappropriate. This was a few years ago when my Spanish was truly rudimentary.

However I had help to complete the paperwork and the test. Which I do feel is appropriate.

Lucie. as there are several different tests, and they are chosen at random, you may ask, as we did here to offer one on one help for translation only.

Answer 6

So what do you tell the person that wants to take it in French?

In California, the written test is available in Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Cambodian, Chinese, Croatian, Englsh, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Persian/Farsi, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Samoan, Spanish, Tagalog/Filipino, Thai, Tongan, Turkish, and Vietnamese.

The test is also available in an audio format in Armenian, Chinese/Mandarin, English, Hindi, Hmong, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

The test is also available in American Sign Language, as well as in a face to face interview format.

Clearly, the government encourages driving legally.

The government of California, that is. Other states, not so much. - MLucie, Sep 17, 2011

I hope you are not using California as an exemplar. That could be why they were facing bankruptcy. - 0074b507, Sep 19, 2011

No, the reasons for the bankruptcy are well known and have nothing to do with that. You also have to realize that the economy of California is larger than that of most countries. - lorenzo9, Sep 19, 2011

Answer 7

I disagree. If I went to live in Mexico (or any other Spanish speaking country) and wanted to take a drivers exam I would not expect them to give me the exam in English. (I'm assuming that they have a minority that speaks English).

Estamos hablando de Estados Unidos, no es un pais pequeño, entonces no podemos comparar. Se supone que este pais es el pais de las oportunidades para todos a nível mundial.

Mexico will allow you to have a translator. Oklahoma doesn't extend such considerations. I see valid points on both sides of this argument, but for now, I just want to help a few people. - MLucie, Sep 17, 2011

Answer 8

I would get some old driving tests to work with. Read them over and over with them, going over the vocabulary. Send them home with copies. Have them read at home. Review the vocabulary at each meeting. I would check out ESL websites and see if there are any games or role plays about taking driving tests.

It's a little more difficult if they are beginners, you may need some good translating skills to begin with.....or maybe you excel at Charades.

Good luck and, What a nice thing to do!

Thank you. I can handle the translating for the most part, but I'm also quite good at charades! - MLucie, Sep 17, 2011

Answer 9

I agree with Mariana, since the test is going to be in English.

I suppose the written exam is a multiple choice test. This tests have often answers that look quite similar except of one "key-word" that changes the meaning of the sentence , so my suggestion would be that you try to point out those "key-words" in every correct answer combined with the questions so that they can remember which answer to choose. Also try to emphasize only on the correct answers and not explaining the wrong answers so much. I hope that will help.