Les métaphores : du savoir de la mère au savoir médical

Our work describes the transfer of a contextualised knowledge between a group of migrant mothers and a nurse, in marginalized neighbourhood of Paris, during a medical training session. The first step recalls communication difficulties, stereotypes, misunderstanding as well as the phenomenon of "Cross talk" that the women meet within the medical milieu. To bridge that cultural and literacy gap, terminological adaptation by the use of metaphors help the nurse contextualise migrant women’s knowledge. Finally, the women build images and comparisons to illustrate medical knowledge. In this process, the visual scope of the linguist must be one of inter-disciplinarity above the practician versus theorist dichotomy; migrants learn French via "reflexive practicians". It is in understanding and acknowledging these reflexive practician's semi-formal knowledge that the linguist can carry on successful and collaborative action researches. In so doing places, knowledge, and trainings are transformed. And the linguist must consider those transformations in the everyday life.