Browse Hierarchy LIN6060: Language and Health Communication

Health communication is becoming increasingly important in a world faced with new health challenges from obesity to Ebola, anxiety to diabetes. This module considers the role of language in our experience of and beliefs about health and illness. Students will learn how health communication differs among various communities, both monolingual and multilingual, from the grassroots level, such as in families, to broader groups, for example, between health professionals and patients. It also considers the effects of social diversity, such as the age, gender and ethnicity of patients and healthcare professionals. Students will become proficient in analysing a range of relevant uses of language, including narratives about health and illness, the representation of health and illness in the media, computer-mediated communication about illness, and public health information, persuasion and campaigns.