Doctor giving instructions in your language rather than English

This question is for those for whom English is not their first language

If your doctor/ nurse is bilingual and speaks English alongwith your language would you feel more embarrassed if she/he casually gives you instructions in your language rather than doing so in English during an examination or procedure?

For example I speak Hindi (an Indian language) as my first language and though I am fluent in English as well but don't use the language in normal talk.

My gastro uses both Hindi and English. In my appointment last month he asked me to raise my top, instructing me to do so in Hindi. Even though the didn't say anything unexpected or out of place and had completely professional tone but momentarily I felt embarrassed hearing the instructions in Hindi, my first language. Maybe because it felt more personal

Am I the only one who feels this way or someone else also feels more embarassed hearing instruction in their anguage rather than in English?

I wanted to ask this question since long

Very interesting question. But I would have to give it a twist since English is my first language and Dutch a close second, but still a second nonetheless.

I have found hearing or using English gives a far more serious and grown-up intent and result. Speaking in English confers authority. Conversely, using Dutch seemed and still seems to be on a lower social rung, a lower status.

Now I've not ever been in a medical situation where English is used since we moved here when I was 13. It's always been Dutch. So in the realm of real-world medicine I couldn't say.

However in the sexual realm, I've found Dutch to be the more sexually arousing language, even though it is a far more linguistically limited language with a far less choice of synonyms and idioms and words in general. One can express far more complicated notions in English. Or at least I can. And yet for sexual matters, English is for me the second choice, maybe even third after French. When it comes to sex and also medfet related matters, Dutch is by far the more arousing and yes, embarrassing (and therefore also sexual) language.

Hi Shruti,

I think this has a lot to do with one's personal perception of what sounds ‘sexy’, which can be very individual… Being a native German speaker I have heard about every single one of the many mixed opinions on the German language and the stereotypes that exist 😁 Although I've had nice experiences and ‘dirty talk’ like situations in English in which I was given a very similar vibe like I would have in German, I think my first language will always be my preferred when it comes to intimate situations. I like the richness of words and many possibilities of expressing my emotions while in English I find myself lacking the right vocabulary sometimes (especially the very specific jargon needed here), but that might simply be due to my language level.

Plus, the sometimes harsh-sounding pronunciation that many people dislike listening to Germans talking suits the medical themed situation pretty well in my opinion… it gives it a very particular severity which I find quite spicy. And yes, also embarrassing… during medical play, the strictness of my doctor's words leave no room for interpretation 🤭

But as I mentioned, English feels similar to me (well, some accents more than others)! (: