English at Work
Understand the language. Say it clearly.
Use it with confidence.
AZ SkillCare’s English at Work program helps bilingual healthcare learners and workers strengthen the English they use in healthcare settings. Students build medical vocabulary, pronunciation, listening comprehension, workplace communication, and confidence moving between English and Spanish or Haitian Creole.
The focus is practical: understand what is being said, recognize the healthcare terminology being used, pronounce key words clearly, and communicate more effectively with patients, coworkers, instructors, supervisors, and healthcare teams.
- Hours Varies/ Hybrid
- Upcoming Classes: View Schedule
What Is English at Work?
English at Work is healthcare-focused language instruction for adults who want stronger English communication in healthcare education and workplace settings.
The program connects medical terminology with the way healthcare workers actually hear, say, read, and use that language in real situations.
Students strengthen their ability to:
- Understand common healthcare vocabulary
- Recognize medical terminology in English
- Pronounce medical words more clearly
- Connect English terminology with Spanish or Haitian Creole equivalents
- Understand workplace instructions and healthcare conversations
- Ask and answer common healthcare-related questions
- Communicate more confidently with patients and healthcare teams
- Read common healthcare-related words, instructions, labels, and basic documentation
- Distinguish formal clinical terminology from everyday language patients may use
[PLACEHOLDER — Insert approved tuition]
Who Is English at Work For?
English at Work is designed for adults age 18 or older who use Spanish or Haitian Creole and want to strengthen their English for healthcare education, training, or employment.
The program may be appropriate for:
- Healthcare students who want stronger English medical vocabulary
- CNAs, Med Techs, caregivers, and other healthcare-support workers
- Bilingual healthcare workers who want greater confidence communicating in English
- Internationally educated healthcare professionals strengthening workplace English
- Adults preparing to enter a healthcare-training program
- Workers who understand healthcare concepts in Spanish or Haitian Creole but need stronger English terminology
- Learners who want focused pronunciation practice
- Learners who want to understand both clinical terminology and everyday patient language
How AZ SkillCare Helps You Build Healthcare English
AZ SkillCare uses a practical language-building approach that connects vocabulary, pronunciation, listening, comprehension, and workplace communication.
A Step-by-Step Language Readiness Process
1. Build the Medical Vocabulary Foundation
Students learn common medical terms associated with body systems, anatomy, symptoms, common conditions, procedures, medications, equipment, vital signs, patient care, and safety and infection control.
Students also learn how prefixes, suffixes, and word roots help explain the meaning of medical terminology.
2. Connect Meaning Across Languages
Students practice connecting healthcare terminology between Spanish and English, and between Haitian Creole and English. The emphasis is understanding meaning accurately and expressing it clearly in English.
Students learn that the same clinical idea may be expressed differently in formal medical terminology and everyday conversation.
3. Strengthen Pronunciation & Speech Clarity
Students practice saying medical terminology and common healthcare phrases clearly. Instruction focuses on difficult sounds, word stress, syllable patterns, medical word pronunciation, commonly confused terms, speaking at a clear, understandable pace, and building confidence when speaking with patients and healthcare professionals.
4. Develop Listening Comprehension
Students practice understanding spoken English used in healthcare and workplace settings, including patient questions, instructor directions, supervisor instructions, coworker communication, basic care instructions, common medical terminology, symptoms and concerns, and routine workplace conversations.
5. Practice Healthcare Conversations
Students use role-play, guided dialogue, and scenario-based practice to strengthen communication in realistic healthcare situations. Examples may include greeting a patient, asking basic questions, giving simple directions, explaining routine care steps, discussing comfort and positioning, communicating with a nurse or supervisor, reporting basic observations, and responding to common workplace instructions.
6. Apply English to the Workplace
Students practice using English in the situations where healthcare workers need it most. The goal is to improve clarity, comprehension, professionalism, and confidence across everyday healthcare communication.
Medical Terminology That Makes Sense
Medical terminology can feel difficult because many words are built from combinations of roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
English at Work teaches students how to break terms into meaningful parts.
Learn How Medical Words Are Built
Students practice:
- Common prefixes
- Common suffixes
- Medical word roots
- Abbreviations and acronyms
- Singular and plural forms
- Common pronunciation patterns
- Clinical terms and everyday descriptions
Clinical Language vs. Everyday Language
Healthcare workers often need to understand both the clinical term and the everyday words a patient may use.
For example, a patient may describe a symptom in ordinary language while a healthcare professional uses a more technical term.
English at Work helps students understand the relationship between medical terminology, everyday patient language, workplace instructions, and healthcare documentation language.
Pronunciation & Clear Communication
Being Understood Matters
Knowing a word is different from being able to say it clearly.
Students practice pronunciation so they can communicate medical terms with greater confidence and reduce avoidable misunderstandings.
Practice includes:
- Repeating terminology
- Hearing and identifying sounds
- Syllable stress
- Word endings
- Commonly confused healthcare words
- Sentence-level practice
- Speaking clearly at a professional pace
Pronunciation practice supports both understanding and workplace communication.
Listening & Active Communication
Understand What You Hear
Healthcare communication often moves quickly.
English at Work helps students strengthen active listening so they can better follow instructions, understand questions, recognize terminology, and respond appropriately.
Students practice:
- Listening for key information
- Asking for clarification
- Confirming understanding
- Repeating information accurately
- Recognizing common workplace phrases
- Responding to directions
- Using professional questions and responses
Healthcare Workplace Scenarios
Practice the Language in Context
Scenario-based practice helps students connect vocabulary with real communication.
Activities may include role-play and guided conversations involving:
- Patient introductions
- Symptoms and comfort
- Mobility and positioning
- Medications and routine instructions
- Appointments and scheduling
- Vital signs
- Infection-control language
- Safety instructions
- Communicating with supervisors
- Reporting observations
- Asking for clarification
- Teamwork and handoff communication
The purpose is to help students become more comfortable using healthcare English in realistic situations.
Current Language Pathways
Spanish ↔ English
Students can strengthen their ability to understand healthcare terminology and workplace communication across Spanish and English.
Focus areas include terminology equivalence, pronunciation, listening, everyday healthcare communication, clinical and non-clinical vocabulary, and workplace phrases.
Haitian Creole ↔ English
Students can strengthen their ability to understand healthcare terminology and workplace communication across Haitian Creole and English.
Focus areas include terminology equivalence, pronunciation, listening, everyday healthcare communication, clinical and non-clinical vocabulary, and workplace phrases.
What Students Build
By participating in English at Work, students work toward stronger ability to:
- Recognize and understand common healthcare terminology
- Pronounce medical vocabulary more clearly
- Understand spoken workplace instructions
- Communicate with greater confidence
- Connect Spanish or Haitian Creole healthcare vocabulary with English terminology
- Distinguish clinical terminology from everyday patient language
- Ask appropriate questions
- Request clarification when needed
- Participate more effectively in healthcare training
- Communicate more comfortably with healthcare teams
- Read common healthcare-related terms and instructions
Course Information
Apply Now
Contact us
Unit # 208
Port Charlotte, FL 33954
How to Apply?
- You Apply
Submit the appropriate AZ SkillCare application or request form and provide the information needed to begin the enrollment process.
- We Connect
An AZ SkillCare representative contacts you to review the program, answer questions, and help complete the next steps.
- You Get Ready
After your enrollment requirements are completed, you receive the information needed to prepare for your schedule and learning experience.
APPLY
Strengthen the English You Use in Healthcare
Build the terminology, pronunciation, listening skills, and workplace communication you need to participate with greater confidence in healthcare education and employment.