Lessons the coronavirus pandemic has taught us: one language is not enough

Abstract

ABSTRACT The rapid spread of the coronavirus has left national economies, educational systems, medical sectors, and social spheres struggling with a new reality. This reality has led to a crisis in multilingual communication, especially in the public health sector. This study describes the communication approaches that took place among a diverse nurse workforce and diverse patient groups during the COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar, which is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Specifically, through Q-methodology, this study examines the communication strategies employed by nurses to communicate with South and Southeast Asian patients, who are largely blue-collar migrant workers and constitute 63.2% of Qatar’s population. The results indicate that patients were given voices, not through their native languages, but rather through different means that included a form of pidgin Arabic, gestures and visual methods, and repetition, mainly in English.