Should Medicine be Taught in Leading Medical Languages or the Mother Tongue?

In non-English speaking developing countries, several debates have arisen over choosing the language of instruction in medical education, whether it should be one of the leading medical languages, such as English, or the mother tongue. In this article, we discuss this debate and provide a brief revi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current medical issues 2024-04, Vol.22 (2), p.110-113
Main Authors: Hamad, Abdullah Ashraf, Amer, Basma Ehab
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
english
language of instruction
medical education
medicine
mother tongue
native language
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In non-English speaking developing countries, several debates have arisen over choosing the language of instruction in medical education, whether it should be one of the leading medical languages, such as English, or the mother tongue. In this article, we discuss this debate and provide a brief review of the pedagogical evidence supporting the superiority of the mother tongue as a language of instruction. We also highlight the academic challenges associated with second-language-based medical education and emphasize the impact of language of instruction on the doctor–patient relationship and health care. Finally, we examine the reasons or arguments for not including the mother tongue in medical education. In conclusion, the importance of English as a leading scientific and medical language should not overshadow the crucial role of the native language as the language of instruction in non-English speaking countries. Each country should develop strategies to include the mother tongue in medical education, following the example of developed countries.
ISSN:0973-4651
2666-4054
DOI:10.4103/cmi.cmi_123_23