Abstract:

The main principle of teaching English for medical purposes (EMP) is to increase students' competence in foreign/second language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Language proficiency, especially in speaking and writing, is a great challenge for advanced English language learners at the tertiary level. One field within English for specific purposes (ESP) is English for academic purposes (EAP). EAP teaching helps students manage the linguistic, professional, and social demands of academic study as well as supports the distribution and exchange of research and scholarship [1]. EAP teaching includes focusing on students’ needs, professional discourse, and developing specific materials [2]. Postgraduates, who are obliged to teach students from abroad in the English language, publish original scientific research articles, and present them at international scientific conferences, have also interest to participate in scholarship programs and international research. Based on the needs analysis of postgraduates studying at Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Slovakia, a guide for doctoral students was developed [3]. The needs analysis included inquiry intostudents' needs, such as teaching and learning preferences, goals, language proficiency, and discipline specificity [4]. The medical background knowledge as a specific discipline presupposed a collaboration with a medical professional who discussed topics and provided the subject expertise. The present study aims to investigate the impact of this handbook on developing specific academic skills in postgraduates studying at Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Slovakia (JFM). The questionnaire, distributed among forty students in first or second year of their doctoral study program, delivered useful data. According to the results, the students consider the topic Writing a Scientific Research Article as the most important for their future professional academic career. Our results partially support the findings presented in the scientific literature.

References:
[1] H. Basturkmen, R. Wette, “English for academic purposes,” in The Routledge Handbook of English Language Teaching. New York: Routledge, 2016, pp. 164-176.
[2] L. Flowerdew. “English for Academic Purposes,” in The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics. 2019: n. pag. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0376.pub2
[3] A. Barnau, J. Bérešová, B. Džuganová. Academic Skills in Medical English: A Guide for Postgraduate Students. Martin: P+M, 2021.
[4] K. Hyland, English for Academic Purposes: An advanced resource book. New York: Routledge, 2006.

Keywords:

English for medical purposes, English for academic purposes, postgraduate medical students, academic skills, course design, questionnaire.