English for Medical Purposes
One 2-day Course in English for Medical Purposes, Level 1
Oslo University College: Course Description
Dates: 13th and 14th February, 2008
Place: OUC (HiO) Course- and conference center, Pilestredet 46, 3. etg. room PA 314
Aims
- To create a congenial English-speaking environment to avoid problems of self-consciousness which inhibit language production.
- To increase staff confidence and skills in interacting in English with international students, patients and/ or colleagues from abroad in the course of their professional activities.
- To use English in a social as well as professional context throughout the course.
- To gain an understanding of the basics of writing letters and emails to colleagues abroad.
- To increase telephoning skills
- To increase confidence in tutoring exchange students and communicating with their home institutions as well as following up home students abroad.
- To create interest in international healthcare issues and internationalisation at home: further courses can be arranged as and when required.
Content
The course may contain some or all of the following topics depending on the participants' needs.
- Introducing oneself and others.
- Cultural, verbal and nonverbal aspects of communicating with people of differing cultures.
- Awareness of the problems of Norwenglish. Common grammatical errors.
- Medical terminology and vocabulary building
- Practice patient/health-care professional interactions, student-clinical supervisor interactions, and other simulations of ‘real’ situations which occur in working life
- Tutoring students and helping with practical concerns they may have
- Telephoning skills
- Writing e-mails and letters and simple presentations
- Meetings: the language of meetings and meetings techniques
- Analysis and discussion of articles from British press on subjects of healthcare relevance, with attention to ethical implications.
- Social aspects: sharing meals, small talk in various situations, visitors
Needs analysis/Application form
The language of the course is English throughout.
This intensive two-day course lasts from 9 am until 4 pm each day, with breaks also taking place in English to promote skills in English for general purposes.
Participants submit a needs analysis form to the course leader at least 15 days before the course dates to enable optimal planning/relevance, to enable the teacher to detect language problems, to assess language needs and levels of English language competence and design the course in alignment with these.
It is an advantage to keep numbers down, eg 8-10 participants per course since small groups enable a more rapid increase in confidence re. language skills and participants speak more freely.
The course is task- based throughout with differing tasks based on work- related situations.
Activities include various written and oral exercises in small groups, with short presentations by the participants underway.
Types of participant
The course is suitable for academic staff in health sciences subjects. This includes teaching staff at the Faculties of Health Sciences, Nursing, and Social Sciences (social welfare section).
More course information is available from the course coordinator Ann Torday Gulden, tel. 22452447 or email: AnnTorday.Gulden@hf.hio.no .
Applications endorsed by your head of dept. may be sent to Hege Skahjem, tel. 22452875, email: Hege.Skahjem@hio.no Application is ongoing, on first come, first served basis.
NB! EMP courses are taught in small groups. Late cancellations will therefore affect course quality and may even necessitate courses having to be cancelled. Latest deadline for cancellation is therefore 3 weeks before the first course day, so we can offer vacancies to people on the waiting lists.