| Summary: | In France, most doctors have a poor knowledge of professional interpretation, and share the general concern that speaking a foreign language threatens national cohesion. The time needed to listen to patients is denied, despite increased recognition of patients’ rights. Recourse to professional interpreters is unusual. This situation also reflects the issue of welcoming migrants in an indivisible and monolingual Republic. Working with a professional interpreter is not only a deontological and clinical issue, but also a coherent action in view of the French constitution: patients must be provided with professional interpreters because the French Republic is indivisible and because French is its official language.
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