L2 Reading in Healthcare Contexts: Informed Research Methods with Language Diverse Patients

Cindy Brantmeier; Dorothy Pokua Agyepong; Amanda Dube; Michael Strube; Jacaranda Van Rheenen; Jessie Wills; Uma Paithankar; Rachel G.A. Thompson; Lisbeth M. Brevik; Greta Björk Gudmundsdottir; Christi Smith; Thammatat Vorawandthanachai; Fred Ssewamala; Proscovia Nabunya

L2 Reading in Healthcare Contexts: Informed Research Methods with Language Diverse Patients

Cindy Brantmeier
, Dorothy Pokua Agyepong
, Amanda Dube
, Michael Strube
, Jacaranda Van Rheenen
, Jessie Wills
, Uma Paithankar
, Rachel G.A. Thompson
, Lisbeth M. Brevik
, Greta Björk Gudmundsdottir
, Christi Smith
, Thammatat Vorawandthanachai
, Fred Ssewamala
, Proscovia Nabunya

Department of Linguistics

Washington University in St. Louis
University of California, San Diego
University of Oslo
Georgetown University
Maimonides Hospital

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This study is a renewed effort for applying theory and research in Applied Linguistics (ApL) to today’s healthcare needs. Previously, to analyze language use with linguistically diverse patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers bridged self-assessment (SA) research in ApL to Public Health through the development of an instrument used with 338 healthcare workers (Brantmeier et al., 2021). SA was previously researched in second language (L2) studies with a contextualized, criterion-referenced instrument where learners self-diagnose strengths and weaknesses across language abilities. Studies validated the relationship between the SA instrument and language achievement (Brantmeier, 2005; 2006; Brantmeier & Vanderplank, 2008; Brantmeier et al., 2012; Liu & Brantmeier, 2019). The present study uses a subset of data (Brantmeier et al., 2021) to highlight findings related to reading and substantiates the need for research-based understandings of second and foreign language reading in healthcare contexts.

Original language	English
Journal	Reading in a Foreign Language
Volume	37
Issue number	1
Publication status	Published - 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

Applied Linguistics and Public Health
L2 reading
health literacy
language diverse patients
machine translation of health texts
pandemic literacy
reading in healthcare contexts
second language reading research
self-assessment research

Cite this

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title = "L2 Reading in Healthcare Contexts: Informed Research Methods with Language Diverse Patients",

abstract = "This study is a renewed effort for applying theory and research in Applied Linguistics (ApL) to today{\textquoteright}s healthcare needs. Previously, to analyze language use with linguistically diverse patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers bridged self-assessment (SA) research in ApL to Public Health through the development of an instrument used with 338 healthcare workers (Brantmeier et al., 2021). SA was previously researched in second language (L2) studies with a contextualized, criterion-referenced instrument where learners self-diagnose strengths and weaknesses across language abilities. Studies validated the relationship between the SA instrument and language achievement (Brantmeier, 2005; 2006; Brantmeier \& Vanderplank, 2008; Brantmeier et al., 2012; Liu \& Brantmeier, 2019). The present study uses a subset of data (Brantmeier et al., 2021) to highlight findings related to reading and substantiates the need for research-based understandings of second and foreign language reading in healthcare contexts.",

keywords = "Applied Linguistics and Public Health, L2 reading, health literacy, language diverse patients, machine translation of health texts, pandemic literacy, reading in healthcare contexts, second language reading research, self-assessment research",

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year = "2025",

language = "English",

volume = "37",

journal = "Reading in a Foreign Language",

issn = "1539-0578",

publisher = "University of Hawaii Press",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - L2 Reading in Healthcare Contexts

T2 - Informed Research Methods with Language Diverse Patients

AU - Brantmeier, Cindy

AU - Agyepong, Dorothy Pokua

AU - Dube, Amanda

AU - Strube, Michael

AU - Van Rheenen, Jacaranda

AU - Wills, Jessie

AU - Paithankar, Uma

AU - Thompson, Rachel G.A.

AU - Brevik, Lisbeth M.

AU - Gudmundsdottir, Greta Björk

AU - Smith, Christi

AU - Vorawandthanachai, Thammatat

AU - Ssewamala, Fred

AU - Nabunya, Proscovia

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - This study is a renewed effort for applying theory and research in Applied Linguistics (ApL) to today’s healthcare needs. Previously, to analyze language use with linguistically diverse patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers bridged self-assessment (SA) research in ApL to Public Health through the development of an instrument used with 338 healthcare workers (Brantmeier et al., 2021). SA was previously researched in second language (L2) studies with a contextualized, criterion-referenced instrument where learners self-diagnose strengths and weaknesses across language abilities. Studies validated the relationship between the SA instrument and language achievement (Brantmeier, 2005; 2006; Brantmeier & Vanderplank, 2008; Brantmeier et al., 2012; Liu & Brantmeier, 2019). The present study uses a subset of data (Brantmeier et al., 2021) to highlight findings related to reading and substantiates the need for research-based understandings of second and foreign language reading in healthcare contexts.

AB - This study is a renewed effort for applying theory and research in Applied Linguistics (ApL) to today’s healthcare needs. Previously, to analyze language use with linguistically diverse patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers bridged self-assessment (SA) research in ApL to Public Health through the development of an instrument used with 338 healthcare workers (Brantmeier et al., 2021). SA was previously researched in second language (L2) studies with a contextualized, criterion-referenced instrument where learners self-diagnose strengths and weaknesses across language abilities. Studies validated the relationship between the SA instrument and language achievement (Brantmeier, 2005; 2006; Brantmeier & Vanderplank, 2008; Brantmeier et al., 2012; Liu & Brantmeier, 2019). The present study uses a subset of data (Brantmeier et al., 2021) to highlight findings related to reading and substantiates the need for research-based understandings of second and foreign language reading in healthcare contexts.

KW - Applied Linguistics and Public Health

KW - L2 reading

KW - health literacy

KW - language diverse patients

KW - machine translation of health texts

KW - pandemic literacy

KW - reading in healthcare contexts

KW - second language reading research

KW - self-assessment research

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105009440727

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105009440727

SN - 1539-0578

VL - 37

JO - Reading in a Foreign Language

JF - Reading in a Foreign Language

IS - 1

ER -

L2 Reading in Healthcare Contexts: Informed Research Methods with Language Diverse Patients

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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