Language usage in the field of health care

Abstract

Within the last 15 years, more than 2.5 million “migrants” attended special language courses [so-called integration courses] in Germany. In the last three years “vocational language courses” increased, especially courses in the field of health care. The aim of the article is to show that language analysis in accordance with Edda Weigand’s MGM can help to get a better insight into language usage, needed especially in the field of health care. By means of analysing one specific medical dialogue, the need for seeing language use as intercultural use will be discussed.