7.d Medical Care and Language Diversity
Introduction:
The ease of communication in health care situations is crucial as it is an essential service in society. Recognition of the role of access to adequate language services in the field of health care is increasingly being studied for multilingual settings. However, statistical analysis of the linguistic capacities of medical professions in Saint Lucia has not been extensively pursued. The Saint Lucia Medical and Dental Association encompasses the practicing doctors and dentists on the island (and excludes other medical workers), yet does not conduct surveys to gauge the role that multilingualism plays in their interactions with patients. This survey seeks to provide a much-needed statistical analysis of key individuals in Saint Lucia’s medical field.
Literature Review (brief):
The importance of labor demographic and linguistic data monitoring:
The Saint Lucia Medical and Dental Association has existed for over 35 years and is recognized as a is a ‘locally registered non-government, non-profit organization’ (SLMDA, 2021). Its estimated 193 members consist of ‘locally registered medical practitioners’ such as non-residents’, yet, also ‘includes any medical association or similar body established outside of St. Lucia, locally registered medical students and honorary members who are determined by the executive of the SLMDA’ (SLMDA, 2021; SLMDA, 2021). This includes individuals that are regulated by the local Ministry of Health, and provide Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Healthcare Services within the bounds of the public sector (MH, 2016; Osiya et al., 2017).
Its mission statement indicates the desire to ‘sustain human development in St. Lucia by continually placing the individual and collective health care expertise of our members at the service of the people of St. Lucia’. Its vision entails achieving and promoting ‘excellence in medical care for the betterment of all St. Lucians’, and includes an objective of co-operating with ‘Governments, Universities, Foundations and any organization in any endeavour designed to improve the health standards of St. Lucia’ (SLMDA, 2021; SLMDA, 2021). Its Guiding Principles include Respect (in the form of Physicians paying ‘full respect at all times and in all circumstances to persons they are attending’, and ‘Relevance’ (in the form of Patients having the ‘right to receive relevant information about their own medical condition and its management’) (SLMDA Guiding Principles, n.d.). In contemplating these statements, one can infer that excellence and improvement of the health standard can involve effective patient communications/ interactions. Practical language resource allotment in this industry can ensure that the association’s members are operating effectively in an increasingly multilingual environment.
Notably, the recent establishment of medical schools has also contributed to its increased language diversity on the island. These medical institutions appear to have global appeal and boast of their diverse student body. For example, individuals of Indic backgrounds do appear to be more prominent; the American International Medical University (AIM-U)’s Curriculum ‘is prepared and monitored by experts including the Medical Council of India and Medical School Accreditation” and the student body observes Deepavali/Diwali celebrations (govt.lc, 2015; AIMU, 2016; AIMU, 2018; Morgan et al., 2017). In order to serve the medical demands of the country’s inhabitants, both foreign and domestic in origin, medical professionals need to be able to effectively communicate in emergencies. However, information on the medical field’s capacity to effectively navigate the multilingual environment is unavailable; data on workers’ linguistic capabilities are not readily available.
The country’s medical system’s duties involve monitoring the population’s health status, including navigating potential risks presented by the tourism industry and other forms of immigration. Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Health has been highly effective in mitigating the spread of dangerous and volatile health care situations, including the recent pandemic. In fact, as of August 2020, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reduced Saint Lucia’s COVID-19 rating to the lowest, Level 1; the country was one of only eight countries at the time to receive such a rating. This is partially due to its history of non-hesitation in preemptively interacting with, and halting, potentially hazardous incoming vessels from various origins (Corneille, 2014; Deabler, 2020; Coronavirus: Saint Lucia and Dominica deny entry to ship with sick passengers, n.d.), and publicly providing timely information and protocols (SLU, n.d.; SLU, 2021). It should be noted that the system is not perfect, especially in terms of infrastructure; facility renovations and constructions can take multiple years (bordering on solid decades) (Refugees, 2017; Sharefil, 2021; Sharefil, 2021). However, the presence of crippling bureaucracy should not diminish the efforts and intentions of the healthcare workers to serve and protect the nation from foreign and domestic hazards.
Saint Lucia Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP) data (PM, 2015; Team, 2021; CIP, 2020) and tourism statistics (Gaillard, 2021; CSO, 2021), can also imply that the Saint Lucian public is increasingly being exposed to persons of different nationalities and backgrounds.Tourism increases language diversity within the destination’s environment, and popular attractions tend to facilitate this occurrence. In addition to This may give rise to increased language diversity with these language hotspots. Even a Ministry of Health report acknowledged that ‘the majority of tourists visit Saint Lucia as part of a cruise. Most of their time is likely to be spent in Castries, although Soufriere, Marigot Bay, and Gros Islet are popular locations to visit’ (MH, 2016).
Thoughtful deliberation of linguistics, particularly consideration of language barriers, is increasing in the medical field. As recently as 2019, Sweden conducted a national study on health care professionals’ communications through interpreters; this study occurred after noting that many parents utilizing neonatal care were foreign-born and unable to effectively communicate with the healthcare professionals in the local language (Patriksson et al., 2019). In 2013, an investigation highlighted communications issues between physicians and Spanish-speaking Latin American women with pelvic floor disorders (Sevilla et al., 2013). That study highlighted that apart from a patient’s lack of disease understanding, there was a lack of Spanish proficiency among the participating physicians. Another 2013 qualitative study (conducted on linguistics) centered around the perceptions of patient-provider communication in breast and cervical cancer-related care when dealing with low-income English and Spanish-speaking women (Simon et al., 2013). In 2009, there was similar work done on a competent peer support intervention for Spanish-speaking Latinas with breast cancer (Nápoles-Springer et al., 2009).
Questioning the possible ties of linguistics to various professions is not necessarily new, yet few resources are dedicated to detecting communication issues and improving communication within multilingual countries. One study did investigate Spanish–English bilingual psychotherapists and their personal and professional language development and use (Verdinelli & Biever, 2009). Another study observed instances where nurses double as interpreters (a study of Spanish-speaking patients in an American primary care setting) (Elderkin-Thompson et al., 2001). An interesting pivot would be an investigation of multilingual professionals should their primary language not be the dominant language of the country in which they practice, and note if they have sufficient access to language resources.
It should be noted that Dr. Didacus Jules and Dame Pearlette Louisy are important linguistic contributors in Saint Lucia, and have made strides in considering the link between linguistics and effective medical care. Over the years they have continuously worked towards improving Kwéyòl literacy and the language’s status on the island. During a Kwéyòl language event, Dame Pearlette Louisy acknowledged the efforts of Dr. Edward Cooper, an English pediatrician, that embraced the creole language as part of his medical care on the island (Louisy, 2019).
She also mentioned that a creole discourse and development project was formed to tackle the creation of new Kwéyòl lexical items (in the form of a glossary/vocabulary list), capable of expressing emerging societal concepts (Louisy, 2019). Medical professionals attempted to collaborate on an understanding of health care vocabulary as it relates to the Kwéyòl language. Jude-Marie Alexis led the effort to create a list of medical words to assist communications among medical professionals. It was said that this project was inspired by their many encounters with elderly persons that needed immediate attention and they were likely to be the highest creole speaking demographic of the population (Louisy, 2019). Unfortunately, this vocabulary list has been difficult to locate over time; it does not appear that it was able to get to the stage of being widely shared and fully cemented into the teaching materials of local medical professionals.
Ultimately, effective communication would be essential in these situations where crucial care is provided to a vulnerable group. This is key for the wards of the state; mentally ill patients that already have individual struggles with functioning in society at large. We need to ensure that all patients can express their needs and feel reassured that the on-island medical facilities have the resources necessary to interpret them.
Methodology:
Participation Consent Agreement Design:
The details present on the form are as follows:
By clicking the submit button, I agree to the terms & conditions:
Participation Consent Agreement:
This demographic and linguistic research study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU). This research study is led by Laurel Lord, a Ph. D. candidate in Data Science Department at HU. The faculty advisors for this study are Dr. Kayla Jordan, Assistant Professor of Social Analytics, and Mark Newman, Corporate Faculty of Analytics.
This study is being conducted in compliance with the standards and guidelines given by the HU IRB. The Collaborative Institution Training Initiative (CITI) Programme has certified the researcher, Laurel Lord, for human-subject research.
Purpose of the Study:
The purpose of this research is to gather general demographic data of Saint Lucian medical professionals and identify their patterns of linguistic interactions with the public on the multilingual island of Saint Lucia. There will be a specific focus on the second most prevalent language - Saint Lucian Creole (Kwéyòl, Patois, Patwa). The responses of participants will be run through textual analytical tools to provide insight into the medical environment that Saint Lucians, particularly Kwéyòl speakers, experience.
Participant Tasks:
Each participant is asked to fill out an anonymous online survey to provide their basic demographic details, statements on their multilingual capacities, and statements on the language diversity of patient interactions. The form contains ten (10) questions that each participant should be able to complete in less than twenty minutes.
Participant Risks and Discomforts:
There is no anticipated risk for the participant in this research. All information will be protected, and the confidentiality of the data will be maintained throughout this research.
Survey Benefits: The collection of profession-specific labour statistical data is uncommon in Saint Lucia. Additionally, there appears to be low societal consideration of the increasing multilingual environment; therefore, data collection and analysis of this specific profession could serve as a template for job-specific data collection and improve the medical care offered to the inhabitants of Saint Lucia.
Participation is Voluntary:
Survey participation is voluntary, and individuals may choose not to participate if uncomfortable with answering any of the questions after signing the consent form; this can be done by withdrawing from the survey at any time without penalty. To withdraw, close the form window without hitting the “Submit” button.
Participant Compensation:
There is no compensation for participation as this research will be distributed internally by the St. Lucia Medical and Dental Association.
Privacy/Confidentiality/Data Security:
Based on the survey’s design, there is no overt identifying material being collected; there is no data on one’s exact location, email addresses, phone numbers, or government-issued personal identification numbers. All submitted data will be gathered into a password-protected main document. This data will be saved on a standard thumb drive for three years after the publication of the report.
Non-identifiable data, and a report, will be submitted to the St. Lucia Medical and Dental Association. The Central Statistical Office of Saint Lucia, and the Saint Lucia Folk Research Centre (FRC).
Enquires/Questions:
Any questions may be directed to Laurel Lord at lalord@my.harrisburgu.edu. Questions or concerns regarding your rights as a subject in this study may be directed to HU IRB via 717-901-5100 or their website at harrisburgu.edu/irb.
Question Design:
Demographic questions included questions on Age, Gender (with the option to self-describe), and Ethnicity/Race (with the option to self-describe), as those may add additional context to one’s linguistic background; the list of Ethnicity/Race options was inspired by historical settlement data specific to the region, as well as recent immigration data (PM, 2015; Team, 2021; CIP, 2020). An enquiry is also made about one’s Citizenship, as this may give additional details as to whether locals or foreign nationals are more likely to be exposed to diverse linguistic backgrounds that benefit the medical field.
Questions into the number of years one has been a practicing professional, areas of practice, and current working environment may reflect one’s experiences and one’s likelihood of exposure to multilingual situations; annual income questions may speak to possible future incentives for utilising or acquiring additional language skills (Doctor / Physician Average Salaries in Saint Lucia 2021 - The Complete Guide, 2021). Inquiring into the locations of one’s operations may not be suitable here as persons of this profession may operate island-wide.
Linguistic questions enquired into participant awareness of non-English language assistance programmes in their work environment, if multilinguals’ skills were ever a useful asset, and if they perceived language barriers while executing their required tasks; it is hoped that such data could lead to improved training on currently available resources, or inspire improved resource allocation towards language needs.
Like the list of Ethnicity/Race options, language list options were inspired by historical settlement data specific to the region, and recent immigration and tourism data (PM, 2015; Team, 2021; CIP, 2020). Options were included for survey participants that may have encountered various forms of sign language, languages that were not represented within the scope of the survey, and languages that they could not readily identify (‘unrecognised languages’).
Additionally, linguistic questions focused on gathering details on one’s first language, and if they spoke additional languages. There was also a focus on the frequency with which one encountered various languages; this was an attempt to see if the current language environment truly reflected historical settlement, immigration, and tourism data. It is hoped that the information gathered from these questions may better enable the resource allocation to the language needs of works and the people they serve.
Future Works:
Ultimately, the survey may not be perfect and may have room for improvement in the future. It is hoped that these works will serve as a template for annual assessments moving forward. With the current iteration, the window for describing linguistic experiences was deliberately not rigid; it allowed participants to consider and comment on relevant linguistic experiences encountered throughout the entirety of their professional life. To avoid overlapping data points in the future, the next survey interval will need to be about a year from the last launch; this would allow better annual trend tracking of these professionals’ experiences. Future studies may include the study of other medical workers such as the employees of the OKEU Hospital and mental health workers.
References:
- SLMDA. (2021). Saint Lucia Medical and Dental Association Experience. https://www.slmda.org/About-SLMDA/35-Years-Experience
- SLMDA. (2021). SLMDA Members. https://www.slmda.org/Membership/Member-Listing
- MH, S. L. U. (2016). Saint Lucia’s Biennial Chief Medical Officer’s Report 2012-2014. In Ministry of Health. Ministry of Health and Wellness. https://untobaccocontrol.org/impldb/wp-content/uploads/saint_lucia_2018_annex-1_chief_medical_officer_report_2014.pdf
- Osiya, D. A., Ogaji, D. S., & Onotai, L. (2017). Patients’ satisfaction with healthcare: comparing general practice services in a tertiary and primary healthcare settings. Nigerian Health Journal, 17(1). https://www.ajol.info/index.php/nhj/article/view/154264
- SLMDA. (2021). Saint Lucia Medical and Dental Association Mission and Vision Statement. https://www.slmda.org/About-SLMDA/Mission-and-Vision-Statement
- SLMDA Guiding Principles. https://www.slmda.org/About-SLMDA/Guiding-Principles
- govt.lc. (2015). Venezuela prepares for first cohort of Saint Lucian Alba medical students. In Saint Lucia - Access Government. Government of Saint Lucia. http://www.govt.lc/news/venezuela-prepares-for-first-cohort-of-saint-lucian-alba-medical-students
- AIMU. (2016). Aimu, St. Lucia. In YouTube. AIMU ST. LUCIA. https://youtu.be/d0u_RNPJ0RY
- AIMU. (2018). Study medicine : Affordable MD in the Caribbean. In American International Medical University. American International Medical University. https://www.aimu.us/2015/04/01/study-medicine-affordable-md-in-caribbean-american-international-medical-university/
- Morgan, J., Crooks, V. A., Sampson, C. J., & Snyder, J. (2017). “Location is surprisingly a lot more important than you think”: a critical thematic analysis of push and pull factor messaging used on Caribbean offshore medical school websites. BMC Medical Education, 17(1), 1–13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5457626/
- Corneille, J. (2014). Ministry of Health detains vessel in Vieux Fort. In Saint Lucia - Access Government (GIS). http://www.govt.lc/news/ministry-of-health-detains-vessel-in-vieux-fort
- Deabler, A. (2020). St. Lucia turns away cruise ship due to coronavirus concerns [Text.Article]. In Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/travel/st-lucia-turns-away-cruise-ship-coronavirus
- Coronavirus: Saint Lucia and Dominica deny entry to ship with sick passengers. https://www.ship-technology.com/news/coronavirus-caribbean-deny-entry-cruise-ship/
- SLU, M. H. Home \textbar SAINT LUCIA’S COVID-19 DASHBOARD. https://www.covid19response.lc/
- SLU, P. M. (2021). Adjustments to protocols for fully vaccinated persons. In Saint Lucia - Access Government. http://www.govt.lc/news/adjustments-to-protocols-for-fully-vaccinated-persons
- Refugees, U. N. H. C. for. (2017). Refworld \textbar Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: The rights of citizens in countries belonging to the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Economic Union to residence, employment and education in other OECS Economic Union countries (2013-December 2017). In Refworld. https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a840de54.html
- PM, S. L. U. (2015). Citizenship by Investment starts January. In Saint Lucia - Access Government. http://www.govt.lc/news/citizenship-by-investment-starts-january
- Team, I. M. I. (2021). Saint Lucia Citizenship by Investment Program Statistics. In Investment Migration Insider. Investment Migration Insider. https://www.imidaily.com/datacenter/saint-lucia-citizenship-by-investment-program-statistics/
- CIP, S. L. (2020). CIP FAQs. In Citizenship By Investment. cipsaintlucia.com. https://www.cipsaintlucia.com/faqs
- Gaillard, S. (2021). St Lucia: Woman from Finland charged for breach, indecent language \textbar Loop Barbados. In Loop News. https://barbados.loopnews.com/content/woman-finland-charged-covid-breach-indecent-language-0
- CSO. (2021). Tourism Statistics: Data on key variables in the tourism industry, including arrivals, spending, and cruise ship calls. In Tourism Statistics. The Central Statistical Office of Saint Lucia. https://www.stats.gov.lc/subjects/economy/tourism/
- Patriksson, K., Wigert, H., Berg, M., & Nilsson, S. (2019). Health care professional’s communication through an interpreter where language barriers exist in neonatal care: a national study. BMC Health Services Research, 19(1), 586. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4428-z
- Sevilla, C., Wieslander, C. K., Alas, A. N., Dunivan, G. C., Khan, A. A., Maliski, S. L., Rogers, R. G., & Anger, J. T. (2013). Communication between physicians and Spanish-speaking Latin American women with pelvic floor disorders: a cycle of misunderstanding? Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery, 19(2), 90.
- Simon, M. A., Ragas, D. M., Nonzee, N. J., Phisuthikul, A. M., Luu, T. H., & Dong, X. Q. (2013). Perceptions of patient-provider communication in breast and cervical cancer-related care: a qualitative study of low-income English-and Spanish-speaking women. Journal of Community Health, 38(4), 707–715. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-013-9668-y
- Nápoles-Springer, A. M., Ortı́z Carmen, O’Brien, H., & Dı́az-Méndez Marynieves. (2009). Developing a culturally competent peer support intervention for Spanish-speaking Latinas with breast cancer. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 11(4), 268. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-008-9128-4
- Verdinelli, S., & Biever, J. L. (2009). Spanish–English bilingual psychotherapists: Personal and professional language development and use. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 15(3), 230.
- Elderkin-Thompson, V., Silver, R. C., & Waitzkin, H. (2001). When nurses double as interpreters: a study of Spanish-speaking patients in a US primary care setting. Social Science & Medicine, 52(9), 1343–1358. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(00)00234-3
- Louisy, D. P. (2019). In National Conference on the Kwéyòl language - Keynote. Government of Saint Lucia. https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=939520403094678
- Doctor / Physician Average Salaries in Saint Lucia 2021 - The Complete Guide. (2021). http://www.salaryexplorer.com/salary-survey.php?loc=184&loctype=1&job=13&jobtype=2
Appendix:
Online Survey of Saint Lucian Medical Professionals
Questions:
1. Please indicate which of the following best describe (s) you.
Age:
Less than 18
18-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75 or older
Prefer not to respond
Gender:
Man
Woman
Prefer not to respond
Prefer to self-describe (1. Self-describe gender:)
Citizenship:
By birth (birthplace of Saint Lucia)
By birth (parents)
By birth (other)
By naturalisation (ordinary)
By registration (citizenship by investment)
By registration (adoption, marriage, parental legacy, residency status, administrative discretion)
Non-citizen (OECS national)
Non-citizen (other)
Prefer not to respond
Ethnicity/Race:
Black (African, Afro-Caribbean, etc.)
White/ North European (English, French, German, Irish, Polish, etc.)
Amerindian (Arawak/ Taino, Carib, etc.)
American Indian/ Alaska Native (Aztec, Mayan, Navajo Nation, etc.)
East Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Tibetan, etc.)
Hispanic/ Latino/ Spanish Origin (Cuban, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Central/ South American, etc.)
Indian Subcontinent/ South Asia (Afghan, Bangladeshi, Indian, Jordanian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, etc.)
Middle Eastern/ North African (Algerian, Bahraini, Lebanese, Arab, Moroccan, Syrian, Yemeni, etc.)
Native Hawaiian/ Other Pacific Islander (Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Chamorro, Fijian, Tongan, Marshallese, etc.)
Southeast Asian (Burmese, Filipino, Indonesian, Laotian, Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai, Vietnamese, etc.)
Mixed Parentage (two or more races)
Not known
Some other race, ethnicity, or origin (self-describe) (1. Self-describe ethnicity/race:)
Prefer not to respond
2. Please indicate the number of years you have been a practicing professional in your field.
Less than 1
1-5
6-10
11-15
16-20
21-25
26-30
31 or more
3. Please indicate the option(s) that best describes the district that you work from (base hospital, wellness-center, office location, etc); please check all that apply.
Anse la Raye
Canaries
Castries
Choiseul
Dennery
Gros Islet
Laborie
Micoud
Soufrière
Vieux Fort
Island-wide
4. Please indicate your area(s) of practice; please check all that apply.
Primary Healthcare Services
Secondary Healthcare Services
Tertiary Healthcare Services
Ministry of Health (Administration, Environmental Health, Health Information Management Unit, etc.)
4b. Please indicate the option(s) that best describes your current working environment; please check all that apply.
Public Sector
Private Sector
Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)
Other (Describe)
5. Please indicate your annual income.
Below 30,000 XCD
30,001 XCD - 40,000 XCD
40,001 XCD - 50,000 XCD
50,001 XCD - 60,000 XCD
60,001 XCD - 70,000 XCD
70,001 XCD - 80,000 XCD
80,001 XCD - 90, 000 XCD
100,001 XCD - 110, 000 XCD
110,001 XCD - 120, 000 XCD
Above 120,001 XCD
6. Please indicate if your workplace directly offers patients any formal non-English language assistance programmes.
Yes, internal interpreter services are available to patients.
No, external interpreter services would be recommended.
7. Please indicate if a perceived language barrier has ever limited any of your law enforcement interactions.
Yes
No
7b. If ‘yes’, please indicate the language they used; please select all that apply.
English
Saint Lucian Creole (Kwéyòl, Patois, Patwa)
French
Guadeloupean Creole
Haitian Creole
Spanish
Portuguese (or any Romance language not mentioned)
Papiamento
Amerindian (including Arawakan, Cariban, etc.)
Arabic (or any Afro-Asiatic language not mentioned)
Dutch (including Afrikaans)
Hindi (or any Indo-Iranian/ Dravidian language not mentioned)
German (or any West Germanic language not mentioned)
Greek (or any Hellenic/ Armenian/ Albanian language not mentioned)
Indonesian (or any Austronesian/ Austroasiatic/ Kra-Dai language not mentioned)
Irish (or any Celtic language not mentioned)
Japanese
Korean
Mandarin Chinese (or any Sino-Tibetan language not mentioned)
Russian (Armenian or any Balto-Slavic language not mentioned)
Swahili (or any Niger-Congo/ African language not mentioned)
Swedish (or any North Germanic/ Uralic language not mentioned)
Turkish (or any Turkic/ Altaic language not mentioned)
Any form of sign language
Another language not represented
Unrecognised language(s)
8a. Please indicate the language you use most often to communicate and your proficiency. Note: “Listen/ Understand” can include scenarios where you can comprehend but not converse in a language. (Very well, Well, Not well, Not at all, Not applicable)
English
Saint Lucian Creole (Kwéyòl, Patois, Patwa)
French
Guadeloupean Creole
Haitian Creole
Spanish
Portuguese (or any Romance language not mentioned)
Papiamento
Amerindian (including Arawakan, Cariban, etc.)
Arabic (or any Afro-Asiatic language not mentioned)
Dutch (including Afrikaans)
Hindi (or any Indo-Iranian/ Dravidian language not mentioned)
German (or any West Germanic language not mentioned)
Greek (or any Hellenic/ Armenian/ Albanian language not mentioned)
Indonesian (or any Austronesian/ Austroasiatic/ Kra-Dai language not mentioned)
Irish (or any Celtic language not mentioned)
Japanese
Korean
Mandarin Chinese (or any Sino-Tibetan language not mentioned)
Russian (Armenian or any Balto-Slavic language not mentioned)
Swahili (or any Niger-Congo/ African language not mentioned)
Swedish (or any North Germanic/ Uralic language not mentioned)
Turkish (or any Turkic/ Altaic language not mentioned)
Any form of sign language
Another language not represented (Please manually list language(s):)
8b. Please indicate which technique best describes how you came to learn the aforementioned language; please select all that apply.
First Language [Formal education (requirement/elective); Informal education (hobby); Informal education (family & friends)]
9. Please indicate any secondary languages you use to communicate and your proficiency. Note: “Listen/ Understand” can include scenarios where you can comprehend but not converse in a language. (Very well, Well, Not well, Not at all, Not applicable)
[Second Language (2nd most often used at home & elsewhere)]
[Third Language (3rd most often used at home & elsewhere)]
I do not speak additional languages
I do not speak a third language
English
Saint Lucian Creole (Kwéyòl, Patois, Patwa)
French
Guadeloupean Creole
Haitian Creole
Spanish
Portuguese (or any Romance language not mentioned)
Papiamento
Amerindian (including Arawakan, Cariban, etc.)
Arabic (or any Afro-Asiatic language not mentioned)
Dutch (including Afrikaans)
Hindi (or any Indo-Iranian/ Dravidian language not mentioned)
German (or any West Germanic language not mentioned)
Greek (or any Hellenic/ Armenian/ Albanian language not mentioned)
Indonesian (or any Austronesian/ Austroasiatic/ Kra-Dai language not mentioned)
Irish (or any Celtic language not mentioned)
Japanese
Korean
Mandarin Chinese (or any Sino-Tibetan language not mentioned)
Russian (Armenian or any Balto-Slavic language not mentioned)
Swahili (or any Niger-Congo/ African language not mentioned)
Swedish (or any North Germanic/ Uralic language not mentioned)
Turkish (or any Turkic/ Altaic language not mentioned)
Any form of sign language
Another language not represented
9b. Please indicate which technique best describes how you came to learn each of the aforementioned languages; please select all that apply.
Second Language
[Formal education (requirement/elective); Informal education (hobby); Informal education (family & friends)]
Third Language
[Formal education (requirement/elective); Informal education (hobby); Informal education (family & friends)]
9c. If you do speak more than one language, please indicate if your multilingual skill was ever a useful asset to interacting with patients.
Yes
No
10. Please indicate how often you encounter each of the following languages during typical student interactions. This question requires one response per row.
English
Saint Lucian Creole (Kwéyòl, Patois, Patwa)
French
Guadeloupean Creole
Haitian Creole
Spanish
Portuguese (or any Romance language not mentioned)
Papiamento
Amerindian (including Arawakan, Cariban, etc.)
Arabic (or any Afro-Asiatic language not mentioned)
Dutch (including Afrikaans)
Hindi (or any Indo-Iranian/ Dravidian language not mentioned)
(Continued)10. Please indicate how often you encounter each of the following languages during typical student interactions. This question requires one response per row.
German (or any West Germanic language not mentioned)
Greek (or any Hellenic/ Armenian/ Albanian language not mentioned)
Indonesian (or any Austronesian/ Austroasiatic/ Kra-Dai language not mentioned)
Irish (or any Celtic language not mentioned)
Japanese
Korean
Mandarin Chinese (or any Sino-Tibetan language not mentioned)
Russian (Armenian or any Balto-Slavic language not mentioned)
Swahili (or any Niger-Congo/ African language not mentioned)
Swedish (or any North Germanic/ Uralic language not mentioned)
Turkish (or any Turkic/ Altaic language not mentioned)
Any form of sign language
Unrecognised language(s)