The Journey: 7. Why and how English is important for medicine

Sources for practice persuasive essay:

Szmigiera, M. (2021, March 30). The Most Spoken Languages Worldwide. Statistica. Retrieved November 4, 2021, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/266808/the-most-spoken-languages-worldwide/

Ethnologue & SIL International. (n.d.). How many languages are there in the world ? Ethnologue. Retrieved November 4, 2021, from https://www.ethnologue.com/guides/how-many-languages

Baethge C. (2008). The languages of medicine. Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 105(3), 37–40. https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.2008.0037 (Summary: A deep exploration regarding the rise of medical English as a lingua franca through the years. This article talks about how medicine was anglicized and whether it's a sustainable solution for communication. The medical Dutch journal from which this is taken also reflects on why they will now include a bilingual section in their publications.)

 

Jahan, Firdous & Siddiqui, Hiba. (2019). Good Communication between Doctor-Patient Improves Health Outcome. European Journal of Medical and Health Sciences. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336487043_Good_Communication_between_Doctor-Patient_Improves_Health_Outcome (Summary: Patient-doctor communication if primordial and can improve health outcomes. This research explores how good communication benefits trust and reduces misconceptions and miscomprehension. The most interesting aspect is the barriers of communication during which the use of English as a common language is considered. This particular article also takes a look on other forms of communications, such as emotional communication.)

Tweedie, M. G., & Johnson, R. C. (2019). Research directions in medical English as a lingua franca (MELF). Language and Linguistics Compass, 13(3), e12312. https://doi.org/10.1111/lnc3.12312 (Summary: The article researches how medical English as a lingua franca can help protect the wellbeing and standard of care of patients, by not only defining what that language looks like but also in which context it should be used. It also explores some criticisms, especially regarding inclusivity and accessibility of such a language.)

Markides, Markos MA The Importance of Good Communication Between Patient and Health Professionals, Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology: October 2011 - Volume 33 - Issue - p S123-S125 doi: 10.1097/MPH.0b013e318230e1e5  (Summary: Dr. Markides establish through his article the positive impact that communication  between patient and doctor can have. He piggybacks on William Osler's idea that for a doctor to give the best possible care, the practitioner must treat the individual and not the disease. For Markos Markides, that means taking the time to learn directly from the patient and to tailor their care according to what comes out of the discussions. Communication strengthens the relationship and trust and reminds everyone that medicine is not only science but humans.)