English?Sure, but How?

Lingua Summit 2005Trenčín, September 22-23

Pavel Kurfürst

Institute of Foreign Languages

Faculty of Medicine

Palacký University in Olomouc

Institute of Foreign Languages established 1996 languages for specific purposes (LSP)

(medicine, health care management) Latin / Latin for foreigners English German Czech for foreigners

5 members 780 students/semester (2004/05)

Institute of Foreign Languages

Obligatory language choice

74%

26%

English

German

ELF of science

Most of the scientific, technological and academic information in the world is expressed in English and over 80% of all the information stored in electronic retrieval systems is in English.

The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language, 1997

ELF of science of some 100,000 scientific journals published

worldwide, 50% are in English "hard core" of world scientific publishing, composed

of about 4,000 to 5,000 journals, for the most part entirely in English

the US have the greatest concentration of databases, the most influential ones (eg SCI), over 90% of the information in these US databases extracted from articles in English taken mostly from English-language journals

in European databases the position given to other languages is hardly any greater and references in English predominate

Truchot C., Key Aspects of the Use of English in Europe, Council of Europe, Strasbourg 2002

ELF of science

most journals of repute published in other languages resorted to English to secure an international audience

the dominant / the sole language for discussions in symposia, congresses etc.

work in scientific laboratories where there are foreign researchers

in academic circles, networks, programmes and institutions (eg EU's scientific programmes)

Truchot C., Key Aspects of the Use of English in Europe, Council of Europe, Strasbourg 2002

ELF of science disciplines in which German scholars claim English

as their working language physics 98% medical science 72% history 20% law 8%

The spread of English in the Arab world in the field of higher education - the schools of science, engineering, medicine and business teach through the medium of English or a hybrid variety which uses a blend of English and Arabic

Zughoul M. R., Journal of Language and Learning, 2003

ELF of science

doctoral theses in English: Uppsala University, Sweden, 1993-1994:

nearly 100% of theses in exact sciences, engineering and medicine

Switzerland, 1996: especially German-speaking universities Zurich 61% (natural sciences)

Germany: English alone widely used often combined with German

Truchot C., Key Aspects of the Use of English in Europe, Councilof Europe, Strasbourg 2002

Loans from English

From having been one of the most hospitable languages of the world in accepting foreign loans, English has become a most generous donor of words to other languages not only of Europe but also of other continents.

Filipovic R., English as a word donor to other languages of Europe,

In: The English Language in Europe, 1996

Loans from English Over the last 50 years, English has become the best

known source of borrowing and loanwords for other languages in the world.

English has been shown as the most important loaning language

Third World countries: English is the language of "higher communication" in the fields of science and technology

Industrialized countries: English is reserved for special and specialized patterns of communication in science and technology

English is now the "the international currency of science and technology"

Zughoul M. R., Journal of Language and Learning, 2003

Motivation to learn English

language training as a part of compulsory curricula useful for other subjects (reading literature when

preparing for seminars / exams in other subjects) ? study travels abroad (exchange programmes etc.) ? working abroad after graduation ? private use of English (books, films, holiday travels) ?

English for Specific Purposes ?

Study travels abroad

EU programme Erasmus-Socrates3-10 months(Britain, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Germany, Spain, Greece, Estonia, Turkey)2005: 32 students (ie 2 % out of circa 1,600 students)

IFMSAsummer holidays(16 countries all over the world)2004: 28 students

Czech doctors abroad

mostly Britain, Norway, Germany, Austria 200-300 doctors leave CR to work abroad each month Britain

experts can earn 3-10 M CZK / year 5,000 vacant jobs weekend shifts: 500-2,000 £ / weekend

MF Dnes, June 2005

Needs analysis survey project

Section for Medical Education – Medical Students Association, Palacký University

2003/2004 project Medical Students’ Language Needs Analysis Daniela Jelenová (year 6) and

Katherine Růžičková (year 3) supervisor Pavel Kurfürst questionnaires outcomes presented at the students’ conference

(May/June 2004)

Needs analysis survey project

questions on students’ language competence use of English during lectures, seminars recommended literature in English use of English for extracurricular activities

(research, exchange programs, travels etc.) usefulness of English for medical studies and

profession use of other languages

Needs analysis survey project

176 questionnaires processed(year 3: 112, year 6: 64)

English necessary for medical studies (76%) and profession (84%)

English literature recommended for preparation for seminars (69%) and for exams (64%): physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, pathology, pediatrics, internal medicine – (nearly) all subjects

Evaluation

since 1999/2000, ie 11 semesters own questionnaires 2 parts (basic + additional questions) teachers’ qualities, programme, literature,

evaluation, web page etc. results incl. teachers’ comments published on the

internet the future?

question 3

teachers’ pedagogical qualities

question 8

the questionnaire - its usefulness and suitability of the questions

(June 2005)

Lessons learned about evaluation seen as a regular, integral part of the tuition both by

students and teachers not formal, not imposed questionnaires:

decent layout, tailor-made anonymous, well explained carefully processed, with comments outcomes published

Lessons learned about evaluation feedback on different levels

individual teachers head of the department faculty management

valuable suggestions and comments should be taken into consideration and implemented

Evaluation can be time consuming, complex and frustrating.

Hutchinson, T. – Waters, A.: English for Specific Purposes, 1987

Evaluation can be very threatening; it suggests change and change is often resisted. The threat is greatest when evaluation is seen as as imposed external act, over which there is no control. In fact evaluation is a very constructive and powerful activity and a very stimulating one.

Dudley-Evans, T. – St John, M. J.: Developments in English for Specific Purposes, 1998

www.ucjlf.upol.czpavel.kurfurst@upol.cz