Understanding Nursing-Specific Polysemous Terms: An Exploration with Hong Kong L2 Nursing Students

Mei Yung Vanliza Chow

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The Future of Education 16th Edition 2026

Understanding Nursing-Specific Polysemous Terms: An Exploration with Hong Kong L2 Nursing Students

Mei Yung Vanliza Chow

Abstract

Extensive research has been conducted on the discipline-specific vocabulary required by students across different fields. In nursing, certain general English words are polysemous, such as the term ‘line(s)’ may acquire specialized meanings through figurative extensions to convey nursing knowledge. For L2 English learners (learning English as a second language), recognizing and understanding these ordinary yet polysemous nursing-specific terms can be challenging. Investigating how these terms convey nursing knowledge and identifying the difficulties faced by L2 nursing students contribute to improving the teaching and learning of nursing-specific vocabulary, thereby enhancing their expertise and the provision of healthcare.

To this end, a two-phase study was conducted. The first phase involved investigating the knowledge embedded in the general English polysemous term, ‘line(s)’, as found in the Oncology Corpus compiled for this study. The second phase consisted of a survey aimed at exploring the challenges Hong Kong L2 nursing students when interpreting the figurative meanings of the term ‘line(s)’ within the nursing context.

The first phase of the study reveals that the term ‘line(s)’, an ordinary English word, frequently has its multiple meanings extended through metaphor and metonymy. The findings indicate that ‘line(s)’ commonly appears in universal metaphors such as the pathway to convey nursing knowledge. Furthermore, the term occurs in many general English idiomatic expressions and functions as an important nursing-relevant linguistics resource in nursing workplace spoken communication. The survey with ninety nursing students indicates that their awareness of the figurative extensions of this polysemous term needs to be strengthened. Some participants underinterpreted or misinterpreted its nuanced meanings. The findings also reveal cultural variations and first language influence in participants’ interpretation of the term when it is extended figuratively.

It is recommended that seemingly general but figurative polysemous terms, such as the term ‘line(s), be explicitly addressed in nursing curricula. Instruction should focus on detailed metaphorical mappings to support nuanced understanding of nursing knowledge. Teachers should also attend to cultural differences and first-language influences among L2 learners, which may shape their interpretation of these figurative extensions. In sum, these measures can promote greater precision in healthcare practice and enhance patient safety.

Keywords: Discipline-specific polysemous terms, nursing-specific terms, idiomatic expressions, figurative expressions, health-care communication

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Publication date: 2026/06/19
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