Spanish Language Topics Course with an Emphasis on Construction Safety

The end goal of this research-based project is to evaluate whether a Spanish course with an emphasis on construction site safety would be beneficial to Cal Poly’s Construction Management (CM) program and how it might also benefit the industry. The research orchestrated will be to decipher whether or not there is even a need for this type of class to be included into the curriculum. Along with data research, two separate surveys have been conducted, one administered to the Construction Management student population and the other to industry professionals. Furthermore, George Healy, a fellow CM student, is working on the deliverables such as a course syllabus and assessments of the proposed class. After analyzing the data, discussing the need with professionals, and referring to my own experiences, I have concluded implementing a Spanish topics course with an emphasis on construction safety will be worthwhile. The purpose of this course would be not only for students to learn Spanish as it relates to construction, but to also realize real world situations where a language barrier can impact a jobsite and more importantly, the integrity and safety of a project.