Impact of a Spanish for Specific Purposes in Agriculture Curriculum for Animal Science and Veterinary Students on Animal Welfare Knowledge of Spanish-Speaking Livestock Workers

This study evaluates the impact that Spanish for Specific Purposes in Agriculture (SSPA) courses taken by animal science and veterinary medicine students have on animal welfare knowledge among Spanish-speaking livestock workers in Texas. The paper describes an internship experience in which animal science and veterinary students delivered animal welfare presentations in Spanish to Spanish-speaking livestock workers while gaining practical skills with a particular animal species. Guided by a One Welfare and Intercultural Communicative Competence framework and comparing survey data collected before and after the student's intervention, this investigation aimed to identify workers' improvements in understanding animal welfare issues, assess the effectiveness of communication efforts in the Spanish language, and understand livestock workers' attitudes towards the welfare training program. The results were examined using a mixed-method approach, integrating quantitative assessments of knowledge with qualitative insights into farmworkers' perceptions, showing that Spanish competence developed by students through the SSPA curriculum had a positive impact on the self-perceived knowledge of animal welfare practices among Spanish-speaking livestock workers. The most impacted animal welfare areas were acts of abuse and transport.