Background:
In emergency and urgent care, communication errors can jeopardize patient safety. Multilingual educational settings may intensify these risks by complicating teamwork and rapid clinical decision‑making. Kazakhstan’s trilingual higher‑education policy (Kazakh–Russian–English) provides a relevant context to examine how the language of instruction shapes students’ interactions and perceived communication clarity.
Aim:
This study examined how different language tracks influence teamwork, perceived communication barriers, and intergroup integration among emergency medical students.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 248 third- to fifth-year medical students enrolled in English (n=82), Kazakh (n=78), and Russian (n=88) programs at a university emergency care department. A structured questionnaire (10-point Likert items plus one open-ended question) demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α=0.82). Group differences were tested using χ² with Cramer’s V, and relative risks (RRs) were calculated (p<0.05).
Results:
Intergroup interactions differed by language track (χ²=42.90, p<0.001; V=0.416). English‑medium students showed the highest interaction (86.4%) compared with Russian‑medium students (37.5%; RR=2.31, 95% CI: 1.74–3.06). Communication clarity also varied (p<0.001): misunderstandings were more common in English‑ and Kazakh‑medium groups, while Russian‑medium students more often reported none. Barriers differed—language difficulties dominated in English/Kazakh tracks, whereas low motivation was typical for Russian‑medium students. Mixed‑team simulations and project‑based learning were viewed as the most effective integration methods.
Conclusion:
Multilingual emergency medicine education is both a challenge and a resource. Structured intergroup activities—especially mixed‑language simulation training—can improve teamwork, communication accuracy, and intercultural competence, while also reinforcing students’ readiness to work in linguistically diverse clinical settings.
