Background:An alarming proportion of healthcare workers from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) migrate to foreign countries, especially to high-income countries (HICs), to seek employment. The aim of this study was to explore the role of language capability in migration choice of China-educated international medical students (IMSs), mainly from LMICs in Asia and Africa. Methods:A questionnaire was delivered electronically to final-year IMSs at 4 universities in China from June, 2019 to July, 2019. The questionnaire comprised questions on language capability and migration choices of IMSs. Chi-square test was used to determine whether participants’ English language proficiency, Chinese language proficiency, and capability of speaking multi-languages were associated with their migration choices. Results:A total of 202 valid responses were obtained and 91 (45%) participants showed intention of choosing a foreign country. The intention of staying outside the home country was associated with the capability of speaking multi-languages (speaking at least another non-English foreign language apart from Chinese) by IMSs. Higher-level Chinese proficiency certificate holders were more likely to choose China as the destination country. The capability of speaking a non-English/non-Chinese foreign language did not correspond to the intention of migrating to the country where this language is spoken. Furthermore, the intention of migrating to a non-English/non-Chinese speaking foreign country did not correspond to the capability in the language spoken in this foreign country. Conclusion:The effect of language capability on migration choice of China-educated IMSs was explored in this study. The findings indicate that language capability has played some role in IMSs’ migration choice. However, migration decision-making process is complex and is affected by various factors. Therefore, further studies should be conducted to explore correlations among factors affecting migration choice of IMSs.
