The Role of English in Boosting Vaccine Confidence
The ongoing global challenge of vaccine hesitancy has been exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified vaccine skepticism as one of the top ten threats to global health as early as 2019. The organization has since referred to the phenomenon as an 'infodemic,' which encompasses myths, misinformation, and deliberate falsehoods regarding vaccines and viruses.
A potential solution to combat this trend may lie in the concept known as the 'Foreign Language Effect.' This notion suggests that individuals who are non-native English speakers may be more inclined to receive vaccinations when presented with information in English rather than their native language. This insight was discussed by a linguistics professor who leads a research department at a prominent university.
Research indicates that individuals who communicate in English as a second language tend to approach hypothetical dilemmas more rationally and less intuitively when the information is delivered in a foreign language. This effect appears to be particularly pronounced among those with limited proficiency in English. The cognitive effort required to process information in a non-native tongue may serve as a deterrent to impulsive decision-making, promoting a more thoughtful consideration of the information being presented.
In a recent study, a group of 436 participants--whose native languages were either English, French, or German--were recruited. Each participant had studied one of the other two languages in school and had not yet received a Covid-19 vaccination. The participants were divided into two groups: one read vaccine information in their native language, while the other group read the same content in English.
The results revealed that participants who initially held negative views towards the vaccine exhibited a more positive shift in their attitudes after reading the information in English. Interestingly, this effect was not observed among native English speakers, who demonstrated no change in their attitudes after reading the information in either French or German. In fact, their negative sentiments appeared to intensify after exposure to these languages.
English, as a widely spoken second language, holds significant prestige in various fields, including science, culture, and communication. The professor posits that messages conveyed in English may possess enhanced authority and credibility, especially for multilingual individuals. This suggests that the strategic use of language could be a valuable tool in addressing escalating vaccine hesitancy.
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