Learning to see differently

From Japanese to medicine: how language study shapes the mind

In this interview with the Queen’s Translation Exchange, Old Member Christine Guerrini (MSt in Japanese, 2007) reflects on the cross-disciplinary journey that shaped her career and why young people should continue learning languages.

What initially drew you to study Japanese?

My hometown, despite not having a large Japanese population, had a fairly substantial Japanese cultural influence, as the local area had been something of a hub for Japanese Zen Buddhism during the Gilded Age.  At that time, visiting scholars came from Japan to live and work in the area, and a small Zen Buddhist community remains to this day.

When you grow up around different cultures, you quickly pick up on the ways in which those cultures influence our patterns of thought and behaviour.  I can distinctly remember visiting friends’ homes and noticing the different ways in which different families would go about their day, interact with each other, and react to situations as they arose. Then I would read in a book or see something in the media that seemed to imply a universality of behaviour that, even as a child, I knew was not there. 

When you grow up around different cultures, you quickly pick up on the ways in which those cultures influence our patterns of thought and behaviour. 

As a teenager, I had planned to study the intersection of literature and philosophy when I got to university. In preparation, I had been reading widely across cultures, including Japanese. Of course, I was primarily reading texts in translation, but even so, I began to recognise common phrases and patterns of speech. After a while, I learned enough to see that identical phrases were not always translated the same. When it came to reading material translated from Japanese, it became clear that the best course of action would be to learn the language myself. In learning the language, I found that the nuance and richness of the subject also provided an outlet for my long-standing interest in philosophy.

Your career has taken you into medicine. How have your skills and experience as a linguist shaped your work as a radiologist?

For a physician, having a background outside of medical science is a highly underrated advantage, and I think I was extremely lucky to have my background in languages, in particular.

When you learn another language, you’re not just memorising another set of words for the same concepts, you’re learning to look at the concepts differently. The way in which a language develops is a synthesis of so many different factors, from history and geography to philosophy and sociology. Any given language is built on a set of connotations and assumptions, and these influence how you think about things you’re using the language to describe. Learning other languages teaches you to see concepts from another point of view. In English, the word “belief” is related to the word “love” and has a spiritual connotation. The Chinese character for belief is composed of the characters for person and speech, in other words, “taking a person at their word,” a meaning grounded in human relationships.  Even if you never learn the etymology of the words and phrases you use, that history is still built into the language, and with it, assumptions about the term’s meaning. 

When you learn another language, you’re not just memorising another set of words for the same concepts, you’re learning to look at the concepts differently.

The most obvious answer for how this ties into medicine, is of course communication. Doctors have to communicate with patients who come to the conversation with different levels of understanding of medicine and medical terminology. As with translation, doctors have to be able to adapt what we’re saying and how we say it so that our message gets through to the patient. 

There is another, and I think more important, way in which language skills have contributed to my career in medicine. One of the most engaging aspects of medicine is its sheer complexity. I like to think of radiology, in particular, as akin to solving a puzzle or mystery. We’re given pieces of data contributing to a picture of what’s going on with a patient, and we’re tasked with coming up with a diagnosis that synthesises those clues. If you’re a fan of detective stories, you’ll know that some of the most satisfying conclusions come when the detective looks at clues in a new way, cutting through the assumptions bogging down everyone else. In other words, knowing when to see the word “belief” in terms of spirituality, and when to see it in terms of human interaction.

Language study often involves navigating ambiguity and nuance. Has that influenced how you approach complex or uncertain situations in your career?

Absolutely. In order to learn a language and truly communicate in it, you need to learn to tolerate ambiguity. There will be many situations where you don’t have the vocabulary for the precise term you want to use or you encounter a word or phrase you don’t know and have to infer its meaning by the words around it. 

Likewise, we rarely have a full clinical picture in medicine. Sometimes decisions need to be made before comprehensive testing can be done; sometimes tests are inconclusive. The ability to appreciate those limitations while not allowing them to delay patient care is critical in medicine.

Learning a language teaches you to be comfortable pushing forward even when things aren’t perfect.

Learning a language teaches you to be comfortable pushing forward even when things aren’t perfect.

What did you enjoy most about studying Japanese at Queen’s?

The people. Being a part of a community where everyone is excited about ideas and there is something to learn from everyone is a rare and wonderful experience.  

Being a part of a community where everyone is excited about ideas and there is something to learn from everyone is a rare and wonderful experience.  

What would be your advice to young people who are considering whether or not to continue studying languages?

Do it, but don’t think of it as studying languages, because you’re doing so much more than that. You’re learning to look past assumptions, reframe your point of view, and see the world through a lens that most people can’t. Those skills will be invaluable to you, no matter where you apply them. 

You’re learning to look past assumptions, reframe your point of view, and see the world through a lens that most people can’t. Those skills will be invaluable to you, no matter where you apply them. 

Header photo: courtesy of CIRA