SCIENTIFIC ENGLISH
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
Recommended entry level: B1 CEFR (Intermediate).
Students below B1 level are encouraged to use self-study materials and consult the recommended textbooks for grammar review.
Final exam: Computer-based written exam
Structure:
• Reading comprehension: Analysis and understanding of a medical-scientific text.
• Listening comprehension: Listening to a short talk or medical-scientific discussion.
• Use of English: Grammar (verb forms, logical connectors, passive voice, modals); medical vocabulary (specialized terminology, frequent collocations).
• Writing task: Simulation of a doctor-patient dialogue.
The course aims to develop linguistic competence in Scientific English, with a particular focus on medical-scientific communication and interaction in professional contexts. By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Reading: Analyze and understand scientific articles, clinical reports, and medical guidelines.
Listening: Follow talks, expert interviews, and videos on medical-scientific topics.
Speaking: Present medical-scientific topics and develop effective communication strategies.
Writing: Write abstracts and short informative texts related to the medical-scientific field.
Interaction: Actively participate in scientific discussions and clinical simulations; handle conversations in professional settings (e.g., doctor-doctor or doctor-patient communication); use communicative strategies to manage clinical situations (clarify information, negotiate, make requests).
Grammar & Vocabulary (B2 CEFR): Deepen knowledge of linguistic structures commonly used in the medical-scientific field.
Reading:
• Analysis of scientific articles, abstracts, case reports, and guidelines.
• Skimming and scanning techniques to extract key information.
Listening:
• Comprehension of talks, interviews, and discussions on medical-scientific topics.
• Identification of key terminology and specific linguistic structures.
Speaking:
• Simulations of doctor-patient interactions and communication among colleagues.
• Presentations on medical-scientific topics supported by slides.
Writing:
• Writing abstracts and scientific reports.
• Structure of academic and scientific texts in English.
Interaction:
• Simulations of professional interactions in medical settings (doctor-patient communication, clinical briefings, peer discussions).
• Strategies for managing interactions in medical contexts (asking questions, clarifying information, expressing uncertainty, explaining to patients).
• Use of non-verbal communication and intonation in conveying clinical information.
Grammar & Vocabulary (B2 CEFR):
• Review of key grammatical structures. For example, the use of the passive voice in medical-scientific contexts; modals and conditionals in academic communication; logical connectors to express cause-effect relationships and concept links.
Didactic approach: Student-centred, interactive, and dialogic.
Course structure:
• 20 hours: Lectures with theoretical explanations, analysis of medical-scientific texts, and guided exercises.
• 10 hours: Practical and collaborative activities.
Main textbooks:
• Glendinning, Eric H., and Ron Howard. Professional English in Use: Medicine. Cambridge University Press, 2007.
• Murphy, Raymond. English Grammar in Use (4th Ed.). Cambridge University Press, 2016.