Learning in English makes sense

Some Egyptian critics are sceptical about the dominance of English in the medical world. They say that teaching in a foreign language is a remnant of imperial times which should be removed. We are independent and our language should be too. I have also heard people argue that studying in a foreign language prevents a proper understanding and hinders learning.

I do not think that the use of a foreign language is evidence of a country's dependence, unless using this language is humiliating or it destroys the native language. English has official or special status in at least 75 countries with a total population of over two billion, and those countries are independent. As long as using a foreign language is beneficial, the country remains free.

Most medical words in English are combinations of roots and prefixes or suffixes of Latin and Greek, which make them easier to remember. A problem for speakers of Arabic is translating medical language-teaching in English overcomes this.

The effect of a foreign language would be prominent if it continued being "foreign" to students, but it becomes familiar to them with some effort. It is not a miracle; about 750 million people are believed to speak English as a foreign language.

English is the global language. Medical students need it to access about three quarters of the world's electronically stored information. Most medical research and theses are published in or translated into English. These are essential resources for medical students.

Medical students or doctors going to international conferences, attending courses, or undertaking clerkships abroad need English too. More than two thirds of the world's scientists read English. Studying in English is the right choice; using a foreign language within our own countries brings the world to us.

But the situation is not the same for all countries. Some countries which teach medicine in their native language may have no difficulties in translation-their languages may be based on Latin. And some of them are developed countries-the original source of Western medicine.

The origin of a language does not matter when studying medicine. What matters about language is whether students learn well or not, and whether the doctor communicates with patients well or not. As long as a foreign language fulfils those needs better than the native one, it should remain.

A language should be regarded as a tool, not as a goal, and on this basis we can decide about and select the most effective one. It is not the name of the language, but what we do with it, that counts.