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Article published In: Language, Culture and Society
Vol. 7:2 (2025) ► pp.170–195

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Breaking language barriers in healthcare

Translanguaging among physicians and patients in a Philippine public hospital

 | Ateneo de Zamboanga University
ORCiD logo with link | Ateneo de Zamboanga University
Published online: 13 January 2026
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/lcs.25011.man
Abstract
Good communication in multilingual healthcare settings is vital to delivering patient-centered care. This study investigated the communication experiences of physicians’ and patients at Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC), a public hospital in a multilingual city in the Philippines, focusing on the linguistic dynamics among Chabacano, Bisaya, and Tausug speakers during medical consultations. Employing a qualitative-ethnographic design, the study utilized direct observations to analyze interactions guided by the Calgary-Cambridge Model. The study showed that the physicians’ and patients’ communication experiences were marked by their multilingual reality through the use of translanguaging — a dynamic use of multiple languages — tailored to accomplish specific communicative tasks during consultations. Physicians and patients used translanguaging, regardless of whether they shared a common language, to facilitate better comprehension and engagement. The study highlights the critical need for integrating multilingual competencies into healthcare and recommends transforming health institutions such as ZCMC into a patient-centered space, by providing policies for inclusive communication. In doing so, health institutions can improve patient communication experiences, advancing health equity and universal healthcare goals in linguistically diverse regions.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Communication in healthcare
  • 3.Linguistic situation in the Philippines
  • 4.The study
    • 4.1Context and setting
    • 4.2Objectives and methodology
      • 4.2.1Participant selection
      • 4.2.2Data collection and analysis
  • 5.Results and discussion
    • 5.1Participants’ language profile
    • 5.2Participants’ language practices
      • 5.2.1Initiating the session
      • 5.2.2Gathering information
      • 5.2.3Physical examination
      • 5.2.4Explanation and planning
      • 5.2.5Closing the session
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Declaration of interest statement
  • Data availability
  • References
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