Event

Recipes for success in teaching medical English

Saturday, October 27th, 2007, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Speaker: James Hobbs (Iwate Medical University)

Even to native English speakers, a medical case report or research paper abstract can seem like a linguistic minefield of tortured grammar and impossibly complex technical terms. Many teachers, doubting their own ability as well as that of their students to cope with such material, may choose to base courses for medical students on doctor/patient conversations, or on texts written for a non-specialist audience, such as newspaper or magazine articles. This is understandable, and ELT publishers offer many titles based on such content. However, such material, despite often containing relatively little language of use to medical students, can actually be more difficult for students to cope with than authentic medical texts. Drawing on his own experience of teaching second- and third-year medical students, the presenter will show how students can be taught to decipher complex technical terms with ease, and to identify the structure and key content of case reports and research paper abstracts. Participants will try out some simple classroom activities, and there will be ample time for questions and discussion. While the presentation will be of particular interest to those who teach medical students, it will also appeal to anyone who wishes to see how a science-oriented ESP class can be taught by a teacher with limited background knowledge, provided the teacher is willing to invest some time and effort in exploring the subject area.

Organization: Akita Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (Akita JALT)

Cost: JALT Members: free
Non-members: 1,000 yen for non-members, 500 yen for students

Venue: Room B103 at AIU (Akita International University)

Location: Akita City, Akita Prefecture, Japan

Contact Akita JALT

Suzuki Takeshi

Work phone: 0184-22-1562