Language barriers to studying medicine in English: perceptions of final-year medical students at the Arabian Gulf University

Abstract

Background: English is the language of instructions in many medical schools in the Arab world. Its use may create a language barrier and adversely affect an individual's learning and later professional life. Aims: This study examined the views of final-year Arab medical students of a language barrier and its effect on their learning and academic performance, and their language preference for medial education. Methods: All final-year medical students (n = 142, 62% females) at the Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain, were invited to respond to a self-completed questionnaire. Differences in responses according to English proficiency and sex were assessed. Results: Of the 142 students, 99 (70%) responded. Most students did not feel a language barrier irrespective of their proficiency in English (P = 0.088). Most respondents did not think that language issues made studying more difficult, although there was a significant difference in responses between students considered proficient in English and those less proficient (P = 0.005). Most students (82%) were not aware or were not sure of medical terms in Arabic, but 66% were confident that they would be able to communicate with patients in Arabic. About half of the students (51%) supported medicine being taught only in English and 36% supported teaching in Arabic and English. Conclusions: Most students thought that learning in English did not affect their academic learning and performance. However, a good proportion supported being taught medicine in Arabic and English.

Percepton of Medical Students on Influence of Language Barrier in Bedside Teaching

“…9 Moreover, an Arabic study conducted among final year medical students reports that 72% of the students felt confident in taking medical history in Arabic and 66% felt easier to communicate with the patients in Arabic. 10 However, another study, shows that students were less confident in taking patient history in their local language than in English. 5 In another Arabic study, 72.2% of students said they felt confident in taking a medical history in English, while 27.8% of students expressed confidence in taking medical history in Arabic 11 .…”

The impact of the English medical curriculum on medical history taking from Arabic speaking patients by medical students

“…[ 4 ] Moreover, a Bahraini study explored language barriers in final year medical students found that only two-thirds of students were confident in communicating with patients in Arabic, evidently noting that this issue is still detectable in senior medical students. [ 16 ]…”

“…[ 22 ] In Bahrain, another study further showed that even though students reported that learning medicine in a second language did not alter their academic performance, over one-third of students thought that combining English and Arabic in their medical curriculum could be of benefit, which according to the author indicates that students believed and held into the importance of Arabic language in medical education. [ 16 ] Furthermore, a Saudi study also showed that medical students found that Arabic-English code-switching in the classroom was, in fact, more desirable for course content comprehensibility. [ 23 ]…”

One decade of “English as a medium of instruction” (EMI) in healthcare education

“…Matthews and Van Wyk ( 17 ) observed an enhancement in communicative competence in students, but they also identified an ongoing need for additional linguistic support. Tayem et al ( 57 ) reported varied responses related to the perceived language barrier in medical studies; while many students did not view language as an obstacle, there was a clear distinction between those proficient in English and those who were not. Interestingly, a significant majority of students were unsure of medical terms in Arabic, yet confident in their ability to communicate with patients in Arabic, revealing a dichotomy in language use and preference.…”