Abstract:

Introduction:
The University of Vigo (UVigo) has been leading the lecturers and professors to present to Higher Education Lecturing Accreditation (HELA) and consequently offer part of a subject, a complete subject or a Degree in English in order to prepare students to a more competitive and globalized labour market. In the academic year 2015-2016 it was the first academic course the Degree in Physiotherapy at the UVigo offered part of the optional subject “Pilates applied to Physiotherapy”, more specifically the practical content of the subject. In that case, within that date, one of the practical groups of the subject had been given in English by one of the lecturers responsible for the subject.

Objective:
To present two academic courses’ follow-up of students’ assessment on the English practical learning experience with the subject.

Method:
Once the subject finishes, an ad hoc assessment questionnaire was available for students. 27 were the students enrolled in the English practical groups. The practical content of the subject includes 22 hours for mat and machine Pilates. The questionnaire has 8 closed-questions (on classes attendance, learning process, English comprehension, lecturer English level, students English speaking, continuing of the project) and 1 opened-question on the possibility of the continuing of the project.

Results:
24 students completed the questionnaire of 27 possible. 91,7% attended between 75-100% of practical classes and 8,3% between 50-75% of them. Among those who attended less than 75% of practical classes, 77,8% indicate the reason was not related to the fact that classes were in English, 11,1% refer the motive was partially related to it and other 11,1% refer it was the cause. 87,5% believe that classes in English had not been a constraint on learning process and 12,5% refer it had partially been. 91,7% consider it was not difficult to follow the explanations in English and 8,3% consider it was partially difficult. 95,8% consider the Lecturer’s English level was well suited while 8,3% believe it was quite appropriate. Only 16,7% of students refer no difficulties in speaking in English, 54,2% refer partial difficulties, 25% refer quite difficulties and 4,8% refer high difficulties. 100% of students consider they had not learned more if classes were in Spanish or Galician and also 100% of them consider the project should be developed further.

Conclusions:
The experience during the past two academic years in the subject “Pilates applied to physiotherapy” with classes in English have a positive acceptance by students, considering that all of them believe the project should be developed further and that they learn in equal conditions the practical content when compared to the subject given in Spanish. Both lecturers responsible for the subject believe that it could be an opportunity to improve English comprehension of physiotherapy students and an opportunity to receive foreign students in the Faculty.

Keywords:

Higher education, English learning, Pilates, Teaching, Physiotherapy.