Interpretability of English medical discourse into Lubukusu

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Published: Jul 26, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58256/rjah.v4i3.1122
Keywords:
Discourse, Interpretability, Lubukusu, Medical

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Mary Nasambu Masika
Department of Language and Literature Education, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya
David Barasa
Department of Language and Literature Education, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya
Benard Mudogo
Department of Language and Literature Education, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya

Abstract

In this era of massive travel and inevitable migration, many doctors encounter patients with whom they do not share a common language. Whenever doctors encounter patients with whom they have no common language, interpretation is the most solicited solution. This paper examines the interpretability of English - Lubukusu medical discourse in Bungoma County in Kenya. English has unique scientific jargon used in the medical field which have no equivalents in Lubukusu. This study sought to establish the degree to which such terminologies are interpretable from English into Lubukusu in medical consultations. The consultants for the study were two non-native doctors at each of the six selected hospitals in Bungoma County in Kenya, their interpreters and six Standardized Patients (nurses) working at the health facilities and six real patients. The researcher audio recorded two consultation sessions for every doctor with one patient or SP on different appointments and analyzed the data majorly by qualitative methods. The results of this study reveal that there are English medical terms that have no equivalents in Lubukusu hence are non-interpretable. The results suggest ways that can be utilized by governments in ensuring that their citizens benefit most from the presence of the doctors from other countries in their hospitals.

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How to Cite
Masika, M. N., Barasa, D., & Mudogo, B. (2023). Interpretability of English medical discourse into Lubukusu. Research Journal in Advanced Humanities, 4(3), 13-28. https://doi.org/10.58256/rjah.v4i3.1122
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Vol. 4 No. 3 (2023)
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Articles
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Author Biographies

Mary Nasambu Masika, Department of Language and Literature Education, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya

Mary Nasambu Masika is a PhD student at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology currently finalizing on a thesis research in Linguistics. She holds an M.A in Linguistics and a B.Ed. in Arts. She has research interests in all levels of Linguistics and language education. Having done her Masters research in Linguistics at Kenyatta University, her research prowess in the field are sufficiently seasoned.

David Barasa, Department of Language and Literature Education, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya

David Barasa is a Senior Lecturer and Coordinator for Research and Publications at the School of Arts and Social Sciences, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology. He has a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Cape Town and is a graduate of the University of Nairobi and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology. His research is on the fields of Linguistics and Communication Studies, with special reference to phonology, morphology, language documentation, ethnolinguistics, language policy analysis, language contact and variation, and multilingualism

Benard Mudogo, Department of Language and Literature Education, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya

Benard Mudogo is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Communication Skills Sub-Section at the Department of Language and Literature Education. He holds PhD, M.A and B.Ed. degrees in Linguistics.  His research interests are in Translation and Interpretation, Cognitive linguistics, mediated communication, language contact, semantics and language revitalization. He has published extensively in local and international refereed journals and contributed chapters in several university level books besides attending and presenting research papers at conferences, workshops and trainings. He is also an editor and peer reviewer for several international journals.

How to Cite

Masika, M. N., Barasa, D., & Mudogo, B. (2023). Interpretability of English medical discourse into Lubukusu. Research Journal in Advanced Humanities, 4(3), 13-28. https://doi.org/10.58256/rjah.v4i3.1122
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