Drivers Ed material for non-native English speakers?

[glenn1]

Just got an Au Pair recently and am trying to find Drivers Education materials for her. She has driven before (in Brazil) but driver conditions and laws are considerably different there.

Furthermore, our state-issued Drivers Manual is not in simple English and would be very challenging for her to read and fully comprehend - I don't want her to have to spend multiple hours learning some of the basic American driving concepts by needing to look up a bunch of technical terms that won't translate well. Does anyone have a simple English (or Portugese) resource we can use to help her?

 

[mcurphy]

Can she read any English at all? I would think that would be a prerequisite for any driver, otherwise how could they navigate if they can't read signs?

 

[PottedMeat]

...is there any large brazillian/portuguese community in the US? in some asian supermarkets here in DFW the free telephone books have all sorts of new immigrant info in chinese/vietnamese like reading road signs

 

[glenn1]

Can she read any English at all? I would think that would be a prerequisite for any driver, otherwise how could they navigate if they can't read signs?

She can read English fairly well. But at speed and trying to remember American traffic laws all the while negotiating the other crazy drivers around here will be much harder. Plus some terms like "hydroplaning" might not translate well thus the "simple English" request.

 

[LTC8K6]

But at speed and trying to remember American traffic laws all the while negotiating the other crazy drivers

No one else on the road remembers traffic laws...

 

[cabri]

Just got an Au Pair recently and am trying to find Drivers Education materials for her. She has driven before (in Brazil) but driver conditions and laws are considerably different there.

Furthermore, our state-issued Drivers Manual is not in simple English and would be very challenging for her to read and fully comprehend - I don't want her to have to spend multiple hours learning some of the basic American driving concepts by needing to look up a bunch of technical terms that won't translate well. Does anyone have a simple English (or Portugese) resource we can use to help her?

Since she can read English, then have her go through the book with someone and she can ask about phrases/areas that she does not comprehend.

Then she can make notes in the book for herself.

Or check with your DMV.

A quick Google (2 pages initially) shows at least 8-10 states that have the manual in Portugese

 

[glenn1]

Since she can read English, then have her go through the book with someone and she can ask about phrases/areas that she does not comprehend.

Then she can make notes in the book for herself.

Or check with your DMV.

A quick Google (2 pages initially) shows at least 8-10 states that have the manual in Portugese

Actually some offer the license exam in Portuguese, none that I can find offer the manual in it. California has the most language options (around 12) but that's not one of them.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Just got an Au Pair recently and am trying to find Drivers Education materials for her. She has driven before (in Brazil) but driver conditions and laws are considerably different there.

Furthermore, our state-issued Drivers Manual is not in simple English and would be very challenging for her to read and fully comprehend - I don't want her to have to spend multiple hours learning some of the basic American driving concepts by needing to look up a bunch of technical terms that won't translate well. Does anyone have a simple English (or Portugese) resource we can use to help her?

No, of course not. Why would you want the person entrusted to drive your kids somewhere to know basic American driving concepts...

 

[LTC8K6]

No, of course not. Why would you want the person entrusted to drive your kids somewhere to know basic American driving concepts...

Not that way... "by needing to look up a bunch of technical terms that won't translate well"

Not, not at all...

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Where do you live?

In California the manual comes in like 10 different languages.

 

[olds]

Pics of her pair?

 

[glenn1]

No, of course not. Why would you want the person entrusted to drive your kids somewhere to know basic American driving concepts...

Yeah, I'd much rather pay her extra hours to read a manual in English with unfamiliar terms she'll need to constantly look up in the dictionary, rahter than find a version in her native language which she'll be able to learn much quicker.

Shit, why not just give her a version of the manual in fucking braille since you think time doesn't matter. As long as she gets the "basic American driving concepts" it doesn't matter if takes her much longer due to format of the manual, right?

 

[cyclistca]

Get your chauffer to drive her around

 

[JulesMaximus]

Yeah, I'd much rather pay her extra hours to read a manual in English with unfamiliar terms she'll need to constantly look up in the dictionary, rahter than find a version in her native language which she'll be able to learn much quicker.

Shit, why not just give her a version of the manual in fucking braille since you think time doesn't matter. As long as she gets the "basic American driving concepts" it doesn't matter if takes her much longer due to format of the manual, right?

Here's a thought, why don't you just raise your kids yourself? Or hire an American to do the job?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Where do you live?

In California the manual comes in like 10 different languages.

Outside of Portugal, Brazil and a couple South African countries there really aren't any other countries that speak Portuguese.

I'm not at all surprised that the CA manual doesn't come in Portuguese. Maybe the OP could take the time to explain the terms she is having trouble with? Otherwise I don't really see an easy solution for this problem.

Maybe she could find some Portuguese living nearby she could meetup with in her spare time assuming the OP lives in a major metropolitan area. I have a friend who is Croatian and they tend to know everyone else in the area who is Croatian or Serbian.

 

[cabri]

Actually some offer the license exam in Portuguese, none that I can find offer the manual in it. California has the most language options (around 12) but that's not one of them.

Where do you live?

In California the manual comes in like 10 different languages.

CA does not support Portuguese.

However, I would recommend that you pull the manual from a state that does .
(NJ for example)