Abstract:

Appropriate use of Latin terminology in medical case reports is conditio sine qua non for successful sharing of one’s clinical discoveries with colleagues-researchers from around the world. Gaining knowledge in practical medicine (biology, anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, clinical sciences, and so forth) is not the only task medical students face – they also need to learn how to read and write medical texts. “Latin terms constitute an ever-present and timeless lexical layer of medical terminology, and their appropriate use adds to the overall scholarly value and educational intentions of medical case report” (Lysanets, Bieliaieva, 2018). For this reason, the teaching and learning of Latin medical terminology is an important part of the education and training of medical students. This report is based on the approach that the environment of language studies is an important component in the process of teaching medical Latin to international students (Artimová J., et al., 2016; Gudaitytė D., et al., 2014; Lysanets, Bieliaieva, 2018).

According to P. Ramsden (2003), one should begin with what the students actually think rather than with what one believes they think. One needs to clarify what the students understand, how they perceive the educational material... It is relevant to apply methods that would help clarify how students perceive teaching...

The aim of this study – to clarify the students’ attitude towards the learning of the subject “Basics of Latin Professional Terminology” on the grounds of the results of the analysis of students’ essays.

The participants of the study were 88 out of 161 1st-year medical students from the English-speaking (international) students groups (2018-2019). The essay contents were processed by applying content analysis (Weft QDA software).

The students were asked to evaluate the study subject according to a 5-point scale and to give a short essay explaining why they gave such rating. The analysis of students’ essays revealed the following main categories (in descending order according to the number of statements): Critical - about the course/teaching; Positive - about the course/teaching; Useful/unnecessary - about the subject: Latin is useful for the profession, Latin is useful in general, Latin is not necessary; Negative - about the course/teaching; Personal approach to Latin: I like learning Latin, Latin is interesting, Latin is difficult.

The research on the students’ attitudes revealed that first year students evaluated the study subject mostly from the perspective of their future profession, but their previous educational experience had a significant impact on their judgement. The category with the greatest number of statements indicates that the evaluation of the study process was related to the process participants' critical thinking.

The essay content analysis showed that, since the students arrive with a variety of learning and cultural experiences, very special studying environment and sensitive communication are required for the successful teaching and learning.

Keywords:

Studying environment, the environment of language studies, learning of Latin terms, medical terminology.