# Need help with vocabulary for TESP

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-vocabulary-for-tesp/814626>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 22, 2018, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-vocabulary-for-tesp/814626 "2018-05-22T18:39:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-vocabulary-for-tesp/814626/1 "2018-05-22T18:39:23Z")

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Teaching English for Specific Purposes.

My dentist has requested English lessons to enable her to help her patients. I am excited because she has a successful business. Most of my English students have little money, and I end up working for food. Plus, I would like to get back some of money I have spent at her office. Or credit for future dental work.

I need to write the course before I can help her. I am requesting a 500 peso deposit to write the course. I once wrote a course for restaurant employees (without deposit) and it never happened. Hence the deposit.

In regards to vocabulary, I am thinking of mouth anatomy and physiology. Greetings and conversation. Diagnosis and treatment. Anything else?

Has anyone taught a foreign language course for dentists?

Thanks for you replies.

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**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-vocabulary-for-tesp/814626/2 "2018-05-22T19:17:25Z")

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I’m guessing dentists need to communicate with other businesses - equipment suppliers for example - so education on the often-cryptic notations of purchase orders, invoices, and so on, might be very helpful.

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**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-vocabulary-for-tesp/814626/3 "2018-05-23T00:29:15Z")

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Another thing I thought of, not sure if it’s useful - a dentist in an individual practice may also need to interview candidates for a receptionist job or something - doing an interview can be tough in a first language, let alone one learned later.

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**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-vocabulary-for-tesp/814626/4 "2018-05-23T01:08:59Z")

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Gracias DRavid. Everyone here speaks Spanish. Venders, receptionist, etc.

But she has patients that don’t speak Spanish. Only English.

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**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-vocabulary-for-tesp/814626/5 "2018-05-24T11:56:30Z")

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Patient instructions. e.g., _gargle with this every night before bed; wear this mouth guard to prevent grinding your teeth in your sleep (bruxism); take these antibiotics for three days before your next appointment; make an appointment with the receptionist_…

ETA: You might want to write a supplemental course for the receptionist and hygienist.

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**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-vocabulary-for-tesp/814626/6 "2018-05-24T12:02:25Z")

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> [@harmonicamoon](#):
>
> Gracias DRavid. Everyone here speaks Spanish. Venders, receptionist, etc.

Yeah but it’s possible that she’ll occasionally buy something from _los Estados_, or that items she’s bought from a local vendor will come with paperwork in English. So a +1 to what D-with-an-R said, and one to kdad.