paraprofesional
/paɾapɾofesjonal/from spelling rules
The English phrase paraprofessional is translated into Spanish as paraprofesional.
The term describes a person who is trained to assist a professional in a specialized field but does not hold a full professional license.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you may hear auxiliar educativo/a or ayudante de maestro/a to mean paraprofessional. In Spain, you might come across asistente educativo/a to mean paraprofessional.
How do you pronounce it?
/paɾapɾofesjonal/
Did you know?
- In many Latin American countries, calling someone a 'paraprofesional' might sound like you are describing a person who is 'semi-professional' or 'not quite a pro' in a slightly derogatory way. Using 'auxiliar' is much safer to maintain a respectful tone.
- The suffix -profesional comes from the Latin professio, meaning a public declaration, which originally referred to the act of professing one's faith.
- In Spanish, auxiliar can describe a person in a support role or a tool, such as un libro auxiliar meaning 'a helper book'.
Examples in context
- En nuestra escuela, los asistentes de profesor/a brindan apoyo a los docentes en el aula.In our school, paraprofessionals provide support to teachers in the classroom.
- Voy a solicitar el trabajo de auxiliar docente en la universidad.I am going to apply for the job of paraprofessional at the university.
- Mi amiga trabaja como asistente educativa en el jardín de infancia.My friend works as a paraprofessional in kindergarten.
- En mi escuela, los auxiliares de maestro/a ayudan con las tareas administrativas.In my school, paraprofessionals help with administrative tasks.
- Ella trabaja como paraprofesional en la escuela.She works as a paraprofessional in the school.
- El paraprofesional ayuda al profesor en el aula.The paraprofessional helps the teacher in the classroom.
- Necesitamos contratar a un nuevo paraprofesional para el centro.We need to hire a new paraprofessional for the center.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are discussing a new job opening at the local school.
- Daniel¿Sabes si buscan a un paraprofesional?Do you know if they are looking for a paraprofessional?
- SofíaSí, Daniel, hay una vacante disponible.Yes, Daniel, there is a vacancy available.
- DanielSofía, ¿crees que soy apto para el puesto?Sofía, do you think I am suitable for the position?
- SofíaTienes mucha experiencia en ese sector.You have a lot of experience in that field.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
