Florida Drivers Test for Foreign Language Speakers

[NavarreMan 10]

OK - I have searched VJ and half the internet and have not found an answer to my question so I will put it to you learned people:

Does Florida offer a "picture test" for the driver’s license exam?

Just spoke with a friend who is also married to a Russian speaking woman and they live in Nebraska. Apparently they went to the DMV today and she was given a test with a bunch of photo based scenarios and had to identify if what was happening in the photo was correct (in the driving sense) or not. My wife has mastered the sign portion of the test but the poorly worded and often misleading questions are kicking her behind.

Do any of you out there have any experience with this problem or know if there is either a "picture test" or if the test is offered in Russian? My local office swears that it is offered only in English or Spanish (methinks this be discrimination!)

Please help if you can...

Any help would be greatly appreciated

[Kar98 0]

I took the test for my German drivers' license in Germany in German.

I did the test for my Texas drivers' license, in the US, in English.

Passed all tests the first time around. What appears to be the problem?

You will notice that the road signs around these parts are in English.

The "poorly worded and often misleading questions"? Didn't give me a problem. They are supposed to make you think about them, rather than just parroting from a study book. Sometimes they are phrased this way around, sometimes the other way around.

Edited May 23, 2009 by Kar98

[trillium13 84]

I have to be honest here, I don't think that it is in any way unreasonable to expect people to take their driver's test in English, if they want to live here in the US.

[NavarreMan 10]

Helpful answers are what was requested. If you can't supply one, I don't need you. Plain and simple. I bet you can understand that English now can'tcha?

[Kar98 0]

Helpful answers are what was requested. If you can't supply one, I don't need you. Plain and simple. I bet you can understand that English now can'tcha?

да, Това́рищ.

Also, that WAS my helpful answer. Is she gonna have a translator with her anytime she's driving, to read the road signs to her?

Further, "I bet you can understand that English now can'tcha?", is really craptacular syntax, and I'm not talking about the "can'tcha" part.

Edited May 23, 2009 by Kar98

[Neonred 3,562]

A friends wife in Ft Lauderdale was allowed to bring a Russian interpreter.

Know what you mean as my wife did fine with the "signs" part of the exam, but had to take the second written part a couple of times even though her English is great. We came up with a Russian/English version of a driving test somewhere and studied that a lot.

[NavarreMan 10]

Helpful answers are what was requested. If you can't supply one, I don't need you. Plain and simple. I bet you can understand that English now can'tcha?

да, Това́рищ.

Also, that WAS my helpful answer. Is she gonna have a translator with her anytime she's driving, to read the road signs to her?

Further, "I bet you can understand that English now can'tcha?", is really craptacular syntax, and I'm not talking about the "can'tcha" part.

It was intentional Einstein!

A helpful answer might include something about the availability of picture tests or Russian language tests in the State of Florida. Your answer was in no way helpful other than making you feel somehow superior. It involved Texas & German situations and is in no way related to Florida Statutes or law.

She won't need a translator to understand roadsigns but it is highly probable that she would have difficulty with "Which way should you turn your wheels when parking facing uphill where there is a curb? Which way should you turn them where there is not a curb?" Now I'm just guessing here, but I'm thinking she is not going to see that printed on a road sign.

Stick to what you know. Stay away from things you know nothing about.

Я не ваш друг, я не ваш товарищ, вы тщеславный свинья

A friends wife in Ft Lauderdale was allowed to bring a Russian interpreter.

Know what you mean as my wife did fine with the "signs" part of the exam, but had to take the second written part a couple of times even though her English is great. We came up with a Russian/English version of a driving test somewhere and studied that a lot.

Thank you very much. I will check with the DMV next week to see if they will allow me to be there with her.

(Now that was a helpful answer!)

[Kar98 0]

Я не ваш друг

And I'm not your buddy, guy!

[Kar98 0]

Sorry, rest of my Russian is mostly rookie verkh, ivan and rabotta davai! But I could take a Russian driver's test

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

A quick check of this site: http://www.flhsmv.gov/ shows they have Spanish online, and further, the Driver's Handbooks are available in English, Spanish, and Creole. Other than that, you are on your own. Drop a dime, and call the local office.

[sj5 4]

I'm in California. Picture test is a lot easier than Written Test. They gave me a sheet of paper with large image of the Road Signs after failing my first test. However, have you taught your wife about road rules?

As I remember, one of my test questions "your light is Green and there's pedestrian crossing your path. Who have the right of way?" I answered. Me. ( I asked my SIL, why I'm wrong? My light is green. She laughed real hard.) She said, " They have the right of way. No matter what. Don't run them over." She kindly told me, she doesn't know what I know so I have to ask her. She then taught me about road rules but traffic SIGNS.

I don't think, they will allow you if they do then your wife is fortunate.

Edited May 23, 2009 by sj5

[daboyz 36]

Nice to see Russia and Germany still going at it.

[NavarreMan 10]

Nice to see Russia and Germany still going at it.

I will invest the dime. I missed my chance Friday and will now wait 'til Tuesday. The German's lost the last two also - why should this be any different. Apparently this particular German and it looks like an American too, still hold some concept of a master race. Some people just don't learn from history.

Thanks to those who have offered up good and helpful advice. I guess those that have been at this awhile have learned a little etiquette while the noobs still blunder forth looking like the rude rookies they often are. I figure in a year or two and several boxes of band-aids later this one will have calmed down a little.

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

Nice to see Russia and Germany still going at it.

[NavarreMan 10]

I'm in California. Picture test is a lot easier than Written Test. They gave me a sheet of paper with large image of the Road Signs after failing my first test. However, have you taught your wife about road rules?

As I remember, one of my test questions "your light is Green and there's pedestrian crossing your path. Who have the right of way?" I answered. Me. ( I asked my SIL, why I'm wrong? My light is green. She laughed real hard.) She said, " They have the right of way. No matter what. Don't run them over." She kindly told me, she doesn't know what I know so I have to ask her. She then taught me about road rules but traffic SIGNS.

I don't think, they will allow you if they do then your wife is fortunate.

Yes, she has learned the rules. If she is asked in Russian she gets them all right. The problem is the switch from the Cyrillic to the Arabic alphabets. Same problem I have learning Russian. Learning Spanish was a breeze. I told her that pedestrians always have the right-of-way but they should remember that tonnage wins every time! We'll find out Tuesday if it is possible for me to be there with her. Thanks for sharing your story. I always find peoples experiences with the immigration process interesting.

Cheers!