An analysis of communication between health-care workers and Xhosa-speaking patients in a Cape Town hospital, from the perspective of language cognition and inter-cultural communication

The investigation seeks to establish whether vital information is lost or not communicated properly due to differences in language between medical practitioners and patients. In particular the thesis is concerned with English-speaking doctors and their Xhosa-speaking patients in Cape Town. This thesis studies interactions between ten Xhosa patients and five English-speaking doctors at the Red Cross hospital in Cape Town. It examines terminological issues, especially the names for illness as understood by doctors and patients. It also examines communication difficulties pertaining to a lack of complete fluency in the respective second languages. Culture-bound assumptions about illness and communication of important information are also studied. The thesis contends that vital information does tend to be minimised or even lost and examines the consequences of this loss, and makes recommendations in order to minimise miscommunication and enhance communication.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Centre for Applied Language and Literacy Studies and Services in Africa

Year dc:date.issued

2005

Author dc:creator

• Nxasana, Nonceba Thandeka Jacqueline

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Mesthrie, Rajend
• Kaschula, Russell

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22392

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/22392