Teaching and Clinical Languages

Dentistry is a clinical profession: you talk to patients, take histories, explain consent and give instructions. Language therefore matters twice. The language in which a program is taught is not always the language in which its students treat patients, and neither is automatically the language of the country where a graduate hopes to practise. This guide separates those three layers and explains how to investigate each.

Three different languages

1. Language of instruction. Lectures, textbooks, written examinations and seminars.
2. Clinical language. The language used with patients in the teaching clinic, in case notes and in supervision. In many countries this is the local language, whatever the lecture language is.
3. Practice language. The language you will be expected to use in your intended practice country, which regulators may test.

"English-taught" on a program page generally describes the first layer only. A program may be taught in English in the classroom and then require students to treat local-language-speaking patients, or to learn the local language by a certain year. That is a plain feature of the program, not a defect, but you should know it before you commit. See the English-taught section for programs that state English as a teaching language.

What regulators say

Regulators of dentists usually require evidence of English or the local language, independent of where you studied.

• United Kingdom. The General Dental Council says that dental professionals who qualified outside the UK must demonstrate the necessary knowledge of English as part of the assessment of qualifications, knowledge and skills. Examples of evidence it lists as routinely accepted include a recent primary dental qualification taught and examined entirely in English, a recent pass in a language test for registration with a regulatory authority in a country where English is the first language, recent continuous practice in such a country, or an IELTS result meeting its guidance. It also notes that its English-language guidance is under review.
• Australia. Ahpra states that every applicant for registration, whether Australian-trained or overseas-qualified, must meet the relevant National Board's English language skills standard, and that the standard does not apply to students but does to graduates and anyone seeking registration for the first time.
• Ireland. The Dental Council states that applicants must be proficient in English to obtain registration, and describes ways of showing it: a primary or later postgraduate dental qualification undertaken in English, practice in a country where English is an official language for three of the preceding five years, or a qualifying OET or academic IELTS result obtained within two years before applying.
• New Zealand. The Dental Council lists being fit for registration and competent to practise within a scope of practice as criteria; read its pages for language requirements that apply to your pathway.

Notice that the same course taught in English may satisfy one regulator's evidence rules, partially satisfy another's, or be treated differently depending on whether the full course was taught and examined in English. Do not assume. Ask the school to state, in writing, the language in which each year is taught and assessed, and check the regulator's evidence rules against that statement.

Language in the clinic

For students, clinical language affects:

• When clinical work starts. If patient contact begins in an early year, language ability matters early.
• Supervision. Whether supervisors can supervise and assess in English.
• Patient mix. A school in a non-English-speaking country will treat mostly local-language patients.
• Language support. Whether the school provides language courses, interpreters or clinical language assessment.
• Assessment. Whether the licensing examination or final assessment is conducted in the local language.

The Graduating European Dentist curriculum published by the Association for Dental Education in Europe lists patient-centred care among its domains. Whatever the framework, patient care is delivered in a language, which is why the language of the clinic cannot be treated as a footnote.

Checking claims

Be careful with phrases such as "fully in English" or "international program".

Also check whether English proficiency is an admission requirement, which tests the school accepts and whether they are recognized by the regulator in your intended country; tests accepted for admission are not always those accepted for registration.

Language and registration

If you plan to practise in a different country from where you study, language proficiency may be a registration condition separate from your degree. A regulator may accept your degree and still require a language test. Equally, a regulator may accept the language of instruction as evidence without asking for another test. See Registration in Your Intended Practice Country and Studying Dentistry Abroad.

Questions to ask

• In which language is each year of the dental program taught and assessed?
• In which language is patient treatment delivered, and from which year?
• Is there a local-language requirement for admission, progression or graduation?
• What language certificates does the regulator in my intended practice country require, and how recent must they be?
• What language support does the school offer for patient communication?

Use programs and countries pages to see what each school states, and treat unstated language information as unknown.

Practical steps

Before applying, list the languages you can use at clinical level, and be honest about the difference between conversational ability and the ability to take a history, explain a risk and obtain consent. If the clinic uses a language you do not yet speak well, ask the school how the first clinical years are supported and whether students have been refused progression for language reasons.

Look at the school's curriculum documents for language courses; some programs teach clinical vocabulary in the local language from the first year, and others expect it to be acquired informally. Keep your own certificates current, because regulators typically set a maximum age for language test results. If you plan to move between countries after graduation, check the regulator's evidence rules in each, so that a test taken at the wrong time or in the wrong format does not have to be repeated.

A note on interpreters

Some clinics use interpreters or bilingual supervisors. That can help, but it changes the learning experience, and regulators may ask whether you consulted patients directly. Ask the school how interpreters are used, whether students are expected to communicate unaided in later years, and whether any language assessment is part of progression.