Courtesies, Conventions, and Medicine 2.0 in the Development of the Genre of Medical Case Reports

This paper focuses on the evolution of the genre of medical case reports, examining how different contextual aspects influenced its formation. Specifically, it analyzes (1) the use of courtesies in the 19th-century reports, (2) the role of conventionalized language in the 20th-century reports, and (3) the impact of the Medicine 2.0 movement on on-line reports during the last several years. The analysis demonstrates that the genre does not remain fixed over time but is shaped by the socio-historical contexts in which the authors live

Academic Writing Pedagogies: Adopting Best Practices for Mastering Research Genres in English

This paper investigates the main approaches to teaching academic writing to university students of English as a foreign language. The investigation takes as its points of departure the text (the end-product of writing), the process (the stages of writing), and practice (the social dimension of writing). Several recommendations are offered for the effective implementation of these approaches in learning to write research genres

Teaching English to Nutritional Therapists: Using Authentic Materials for the Cultivation of Language Skills

The paper deals with practical aspects of teaching English for Specific Purposes in the Nutritional Therapy bachelor degree program at the Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University in Brno. Within the IMPACT project, new study materials and teaching methods are being developed to better prepare the students to make use of the attained language knowledge and skills in their future practice or follow-up studies. The paper will discuss: (1) the value of including field-specific articles and presentations in the lessons, (2) possibilities of the effective use of controversial topics for the purpose of practicing discussion skills, and (3) benefits of e-learning implementation for the lessons. These points will be illustrated by specific examples.Příspěvek se věnuje specifickým aspektům výuky odborného anglického jazyka v bakalářském oboru Nutriční terapeut na Lékařské fakultě Masarykovy univerzity v Brně. V rámci projektu Impact dochází v tomto kurzu k inovaci učebních materiálů a výukových metod, které by lépe připravily absolventy k využití dosažených jazykových znalostí a dovedností v budoucí praxi či následném studiu. V příspěvku budou diskutovány: (1) důvody pro zahrnutí oborových odborných článků a prezentací do výuky, (2) možnosti efektivního využití kontroverzních témat z oboru pro účely nácviku diskuzí a (3) klady implementace elearningové podpory pro výuku. Jednotlivé body budou doloženy na konkrétních ukázkách

Facilitating Academic Writing in Postgraduate Medical Education: Tips for Instructors

The article summarizes the contents of a workshop prepared for and delivered during the 2nd English for Healthcare Conference in Bern, Switzerland. It demonstrates three approaches to teaching academic writing in English in the context of postgraduate medical education, focusing on the author, the text, and the reader

Helping Medical Students Write: Genre Analysis of Medical Case Reports

This study uses structural move analysis method of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) genre research in order to examine medical case reports published in on-line medical journals. Specific textual aspects deemed important for the investigation have been selected such as biomedical rhetorical features and conventionalized lexis characteristic of this written medical discourse. The study also explains the key differences between the three established genre research traditions. In addition, important pedagogical applications are briefly discussed

Disciplinary Writing for Publication in English: Empowering and Equipping EFL Doctoral Students with Writing Skills and Tools

The paper presents two approaches to teaching disciplinary writing, namely a corpus-based and process-based approach. In the former, the distinction is made between large general corpora, used for grammatical, lexical, and stylistic questions, and small genre- and journal-specific corpora, suitable for conventionalized use of discipline-specific language. In the latter approach, specific techniques for generating ideas within the prewriting phase are discussed such as free writing, mind/concept mapping, and skeleton/patch writing

Using Tools of Corpus Linguistics for Investigating and Teaching Language for Medical Purposes

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the implementation of a corpus linguistics approach in researching and teaching Latin and English languages for medical purposes. In the former, a corpus of authentic Latin clinical diagnoses was created from healthcare documentation, providing the instructors with valuable data concerning the actual use of Latin in professional medical writing. In the latter, a corpus of English published medical case reports was collected from two online journals, enabling structural and textual analyses of the genre, which were then used pedagogically in academic writing courses. Both corpora were uploaded to Sketch Engine, a tool creating summaries of a word’s grammatical and collocational behaviour. It can be claimed that this approach, in which authentic and published materials are used as a basis for the development of teaching materials, greatly enhances the quality and relevance of language education in medical contexts

The Use of Media Literacy Knowledge in Teaching Specific Language Skills

The paper analyzes the benefits of using media literacy knowledge in teaching foreign languages at the tertiary level of education. Lending themselves well to the reading, writing, and discussion skills, media literacy competencies can help language instructors uncover the often hidden layers of meaning both on the textual and audiovisual level. The applicability of this approach will be demonstrated on specific examples

Media Literacy in English Language Teaching at University Level: Necessity or Luxury?

The paper weighs the merits of incorporating media literacy concepts, strategies, and activities into English language teaching at the tertiary level of education. In today’s media-rich world, it is common practice for foreign language educators and students to draw on mass media as an invaluable source of authentic language use. However, problems arise when students in particular take the mediated information contained in the language at face value. This is where the awareness and knowledge of media literacy can play a crucial role in distinguishing mediated from real images of people, places, and cultures. In addition, employing aspects of media literacy approach in language teaching can lead to students’ enhanced argumentative, analytical and interpretative skills. It is proposed in this study that the sole mastery of lexico-grammar is insufficient and that helping our students become successful language learners means helping them become media literate. To be able to achieve this aim, an overview of the most important media literacy concepts and strategies will be discussed applicable to language teaching. Furthermore, their applicability will be demonstrated on specific examples

Textual Representation of the Doctor-Patient Relationship: A Comparative Analysis of 19th-Century and Present-Day Medical Case Reports

The study compares the genre of medical case reports (MCRs) written in the 21st century with its 19th-century counterpart. Specifically, it focuses on the textual representation of the doctor-patient relationship in this genre, particularly in the case presentation section. A two-million-word corpus of present-day MCRs was built from two online journals from 2007 to 2010, with a concordance program being used to analyze them. For the analysis of 19th-century MCRs, twelve randomly selected reports from 1840 to 1895 were collected and carefully read. The results demonstrate a relatively equal position of patients in the doctor-patient relationship in the personalized rhetoric of 19th-century MCRs. Conversely, the analysis of present-day MCRs points to a biased representation of patients, owing to the rhetoric of biomedicine. The study finishes by discussing the concept of Medicine 2.0, which has the potential to bring the ‘voice’ of the patient back into the genre