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Description
Empathy is increasingly recognized as a key component of effective doctor–patient communication because it contributes to patient satisfaction, trust, and treatment adherence. However, for medical students learning English as a foreign language, expressing empathy appropriately in clinical interactions may present additional linguistic and communicative challenges. This study investigated the difficulties encountered by Vietnamese medical students when delivering empathy in English during doctor–patient interactions and explored factors influencing these challenges. A mixed-method approach was employed involving questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with 62 medical students at a medical university in Vietnam. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, independent-samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA, while qualitative data were examined through thematic analysis. The findings revealed moderate levels of difficulty among participants, with major challenges including limited empathetic expressions, communication anxiety, lack of authentic communication opportunities, and uncertainty regarding culturally appropriate responses. English proficiency was found to significantly influence students’ perceptions of communication challenges. The findings suggest that English for Medical Purposes courses should place greater emphasis on empathy-focused communication through role-play activities, simulation-based learning, and technology-supported interaction practices to better prepare students for future healthcare communication contexts.
Keywords: empathy; English for Medical Purposes (EMP); doctor–patient communication; medical students; communication challenges
Biography
Dr. Tran Thi Loan is a lecturer of English at Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam. She teaches General English and English for Medical Purposes to medical students. Her research interests include English for Specific Purposes (ESP), medical English teaching, communication skills in healthcare settings, and learner-centered approaches in language education. She has presented at national and international academic conferences and published research papers in the fields of language teaching and medical education.
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