Speak Spanish With Your Patients/Clients

The Step-By-Step Path To Build Connections, Create Conversations and Accelerate Communication With Your Clients, even if you have never studied Spanish.

  Enroll in Course

Speak Spanish With Your Patients/Clients is a course designed with you in mind! Created by Cuban American and Argentinean dietitians, this course is aimed to help dietitians broaden their patient networks by enabling them to interact with Spanish speaking patients. After taking just a few modules you will be able to effectively greet, give general and practical consultations, conduct a diet recall and describe the health benefits of various foods to your patients. Speak Spanish With Your Patients/Clients is here to advance all of your Spanish speaking needs with clients, and we can’t wait to begin! Vamos!

*This course is prior approved for 12 CPEUs*


I took 8 years of Spanish in school, but much of the food and nutrition-related vocabulary is difficult for me to recall. This course is unique because it focuses on language that is likely to come up in a nutrition counseling session. Speak Spanish With Your Patients/Clients serves as a good refresher for RDs who have some Spanish knowledge, and it is also helpful for non-Spanish speakers who may need help communicating simple phrases. I highly recommend this course for learning how to confidently communicate with Spanish-speaking patients! - Meghan Donnelly, MS, RDN, CDN

Your Instructor


Ilene Cohen & Alenka Ravnik-List
Ilene Cohen & Alenka Ravnik-List

Ilene Cohen, MS, RDN, CDE, C-IAYT & Alenka Ravnik-List, MS, RDN, CDE are excited to be your instructors for this course.


Ilene Cohen, MS, RDN, CDE, C-IAYT Ilene is a nationally recognized Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, and IAYT-certified yoga therapist. For years Ilene has used her platform and background to educate, becoming a regular feature in national conferences, radio, television, and popular publications (Self Magazine and Yoga Journal to name a few).

With years of medical nutrition therapy, education classes, and insulin pump trainings conducted in Spanish, Ilene has used her fluency to communicate with over 85% of her patient population. Ilene also has years of experience in both pediatric outpatient and school based health clinics; providing MNT and weight management counseling to Spanish speaking children, teens and parents.

As a Certified Spanish tutor, Ilene has presented various webinars and live presentations on Spanish for RDNs across the country, and is passionate about sharing her Spanish teaching skills with nutrition professionals inall practice settings.

Alenka Ravnik-List, MS, RDN, CDE Alenka is a multilingual Registered Dietitian and a Certified Diabetes Educator, committed to improving the quality of life of others by sharing her knowledge and expertise. An Argentinian native, Alenka obtained her Bachelor in dietetics and Master’s in Nutrition at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). After moving to the States and becoming a Registered Dietitian and a Certified Diabetes Educator, Alenka spent the next 2 decades at Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC, as a Diabetes Program Coordinator.

Besides her extensive experience as a Program Coordinator, Alenka has also worked as a Field-based Clinical Educator representing the AstraZeneca Steady Start Educator Network. She has helped initiate patients on injectable therapy, and provided ongoing support to build patient confidence and retention on prescribed therapy.

As a non-native English speaker, Alenka knows first hand the challenges of learning a new language, but most importantly, the benefits speaking a new language can provide. Alenka knows she can help dietitians to better communicate with their Latino patients, by offering insights through language, customs, and culture.

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund. We do ask that you show us proof of completion all of the quizzes from each module to qualify for a refund.
I have never studied Spanish before. Is it OK to enroll in the course without a knowledge of basic Spanish?
Yes! Our course is designed for beginner level students, and we will start from the very beginning with vocabulary and phrases so you don’t need to come with any prior knowledge of the language.
Will I attain a certain level of fluency through taking this course?
Yes, to a degree. While you may not be completely fluent in terms of everyday conversation right after taking this level 1 course, you will be able to fluently communicate within the topics covered in the course. For example, you will be able to conduct a basic 24-hour food recall and know what questions to ask and do it in such a way that your client will understand you. We have designed the course to provide feedback and track your progress with our interactive quizzes. Once you complete these, you’ll have the confidence to move on to the next module.
Will this course involve homework?
We have designed this course to help you study the language smarter, not harder. Your only homework will be to watch the course, practice with the modules and take the interactive quizzes
How much time should I expect to spend studying?
We recommend that you study in practical ways, for example, when you have patients who are Spanish speaking, start using the course material. Of course you are welcome to repeat modules and re-listen/watch -- in fact, the course will be even more beneficial to do so. while there is no specific time we recommend to take the course, we can suggest at least 10-15 minutes every day or every other day for retention. So, even listening to one module a day can work within most schedules.

Course Curriculum


  Introduction
Available in days
days after you enroll

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