Publication date: Dec 01, 2025

Language is a fundamental means of human communication. However, the values of linguistic theories in designing effective public health messages are often overlooked. To address this gap, this commentary essay illustrates the applications of two linguistic theories in persuasive vaccination communications. The first theory is linguistic agency assignment, which refers to the ascription of action or change to different entities in a sentence. Studies have shown that strategic assignments of linguistic agency can effectively improve people’s risk perceptions of the human papillomavirus (HPV) and intentions to get vaccinated among native speakers of Chinese and English. The second theory is the foreign language effect, which refers to the varying perceptions of bilingual speakers when processing the same information in their first or second language. Studies have shown that a strategic choice of language varieties can improve bilingual speakers’ self-control, trust in the COVID-19 vaccine, and intentions to receive the vaccine. These studies point to the utilities of applying linguistic theories to improve people’s perceived risk of HPV and perceived effectiveness of the HPV vaccine. Public health researchers and practitioners in Hong Kong should consider integrating these linguistics theories in their health messaging designs and further testing them in experimental studies.

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Semantics

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