Abstract:

Facebook (FB) learning was blended for one year with students in Dental Medicine in an attempt to extend and improve their Medical English (ME) communication skills through collaborative writing and reflective speaking.

Observational and non-observational data (i.e. focused group discussion, discourse analysis of students’ self and peer reflection, statistics on production) will be used in order to understand what factors influenced Facebook-integrated learning and what were the students’ perceptions, attitudes and eventually, the impact on their ME speaking.

Specific activities that can be adopted and adapted in ME will be showcased while conducting a SWOT analysis of FB versus other social media (e.g. Edmodo) or collaborative platforms (Wikipedia) for ME communication in terms of skills integration, sharing of different types of audio, visual and textual content, visibility, possible impairments (familiarity with the platform, in/formal communication) and assessment (focus on learning versus grading).

Keywords:

Medical English, Facebook, blended learning.