Abstract: Global international mobility and migration of large flows of people lead to the consti-
tution of a new multicultural and multilingual society characterized by intense linguistic and cul-
tural diversity. The health care sector is extremely affected by the dynamics of these processes and

the need to develop and implement an adequate culturally sensitive health policy is imperative.
The article raises the question of the importance of adequate foreign language competences as a
necessary first step for building and developing effective intercultural communication skills - a
key competence for the modern health professional, which directly reflects on the provision of
culturally competent health care and successful professional realization in the field of health care.
The object of the research is scientific literature on the subject and personal observations and
interviews with health professionals, and the results confirm the thesis that the command of foreign
languages is a central factor for effective intercultural competences in health professionals.
Keywords: foreign language, intercultural, communication, healthcare, competences

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