Overcoming language barriers: the Language Kit for everyday hospital life

The recurring language barriers plaguing hospitals due to the different backgrounds of patients and clinical staff gave us the idea to develop this Language Kit for everyday hospital life.

In May 2015, EnssnerZeitgeist presented the specially developed Language Kit at the dialysis symposium in Erfurt. In addition to the dictionaries, which are available in the language combinations DE-EN and DE-AR, this kit is intended to simplify the everyday life of doctors and hospital staff. The kit contains 400 important questions and statements to help hospital staff communicate with Arabic-speaking patients. In addition to topics such as patient admission, medical history or treatment, questions about everyday life on the wards, surgery and mental health are also covered.

The individual questions are printed in German and Arabic on individual foil-laminated and punched cards, so that the patient only has to read the questions. This means that even clinical staff without any knowledge of Arabic can communicate with patients. If there are answers, these are provided on the back, where the patient can point to the correct statement. Two stainless steel rings, which the required questions can be attached to, complete the kit.

Put together your patient-related questions with possible answers from 400 index cards!

The first edition of the Language Kit includes the German and Arabic languages. Our aim is to build on this and, with your help, produce an improved and expanded new edition. Languages such as Turkish and Russian are possible in further editions and on request.

We would be delighted to receive any suggestions and proposals for expansion. Up-to-date information on new editions as well as online access to our specialist dictionaries for everyday hospital life are available on request.

Please send us your ideas, preferably by email to christian.enssner@enssner.de

Christian Enssner,
Enssner Zeitgeist Translations GmbH