Twelve tips for teaching medical communication skills in a second language

As healthcare becomes increasingly globalized, language barriers between international medical professionals and local patients pose significant threats to patient safety and care quality. Most medical curricula lack structured approaches to developing second language (L2) communication competencies. This article provides 12 practical tips for integrating medical L2 communication teaching in health professions education. Combining experiential learning theory with research informed strategies, these tips address a critical gap and are essential for educators teaching international medical students or healthcare workforce. The tips are organized into three key phases: Course Design (Tips 1–3) focuses on incorporating whole-task learning to replicate real-world medical interactions, establishing patient-centered intended learning outcomes (ILOs), and designing performance assessments that include self-assessment tools. Course Delivery (Tips 4–8) emphasizes interactive teaching strategies such as simulation-based learning, role-playing exercises, collaborative learning, and integrating multiple feedback sources including peer, instructor, and simulated patient feedback. Steering Learning and Continuous Improvement (Tips 9–12) targets fostering a positive learning environment through reflection and feedback, balancing student confidence with stress management, and facilitating the transfer of learning from simulated tasks to real-world practice. Implementing these 12 practical tips can help educators take steps toward addressing the needs in second language (L2) medical communication training. By integrating experiential learning and research informed strategies into health professions education, these tips provide a structured approach to developing the communication skills of international medical students. This can lead to more effective patient-doctor interactions in multilingual medical settings, contributing to improved patient safety and care quality.