PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

This article aims to show the importance of multilingualism in academic education on the example of video-recorded interview between a foreign anaesthetist and her patient. As follows from the analysis of the transcript, the anaesthetist’s limited knowledge of German impairs her competence to conduct the conversation appropriately. This perspective on the professional context of app. 55.000 foreign doctors currently working in Germany shows the (medical and legal) relevance of mastering the national language in academic professions – especially in cases in which the communication between experts and laymen occurs on a daily basis.