Investigating the Use of Politeness Strategies of English-speaking Foreign Medical Doctors in Selected District Hospitals in Limpopo Province

Abstract

Politeness in the form of strategies and the form of address used by doctors in communicating with patients go a long way in dictating the success or otherwise of consultations.  When the language of communication is a second language, various dynamics are involved. The paper investigated the use of politeness strategies by English-speaking foreign medical doctors in selected district hospitals in Limpopo Province. From a conversation analysis of recorded consultations involving nineteen (19) English-speaking foreign medical doctors, thirteen (13) nurses and thirty-five (35) patients, it was evident that the doctors engaged more in the use of positive than negative politeness.  The paper concludes that the overt use of positive politeness by the doctors showed that they concentrated on convergence which may be indicative of the fact that the foreign doctors may feel an overwhelming need to please patients. It was also found that the doctors adopted English as a second language for communication but adhered to the norms of the community where they work. These have implications for the in-service-training of foreign doctors for better communication and a more holistic health care delivery to patients.