Abstract:

In Japan, there has been an increase in foreign tourists and residents in recent years.  In addition, with the upcoming 2020 Olympics, the need for healthcare professionals to communicate with foreign patients has also increased.   However, there are no commercially available textbooks written for Radiological Technologists (RT). Japanese RTs are involved in consultations with patients, treatment planning and carrying out treatment plans.  Therefore, they need good communication skills in order to do their jobs effectively. University students in Japan have typically studied English for 6 years in junior and high school, but English Education has traditionally been using the Grammar Translation Method. This means that students are familiar with the grammar rules, but their listening and speaking skills are not developed. At Kyushu University's Department of Health Sciences, a course in Medical English for Radiological Technologists was created using iBooks Author for iPads and taught to 11 Master's Course RT students.  The course focused on practical English needed in the radiology field. The students showed significant gains in vocabulary and pronunciation of medical terms.  This presentation will outline the process of creating the course as well as suggestions for expanding the course. 

Keywords:

Radiology, Medical English, Radiology English, English for Specific Purposes, English for Medical Purposes, English for Radiological Technologists.