Using innovative technologies in teaching English to medical students

Аннотация

This paper examines how innovative technologies can be leveraged to enhance the teaching and learning of English among medical students. By integrating emerging digital tools such as virtual reality, mobile applications, and synchronous online platforms, medical English instruction can become more interactive, student-centered, and aligned with real-world clinical contexts. A mixed-methods study was conducted at a medical university, involving both qualitative data from instructor interviews and quantitative data from student performance metrics. Results revealed that students exposed to technology-integrated learning modules demonstrated higher levels of engagement, better test scores, and improved confidence in medical communication. The findings underscore the potential of innovative technologies to transform traditional language education for healthcare professionals, with implications for curriculum design, policy, and institutional support. Keywords: Healthcare professionals, curriculum design, policy, and institutional support. and clinical settings. Technological tools, ranging from Introduction: English for Medical Purposes (EMP) has virtual patient simulations to mobile medical gained increasing importance in medical education dictionaries, have the capacity to simulate real-world worldwide, reflecting the global expansion of scientific clinical scenarios, thereby making language learning research, international collaboration, and patient care more engaging and experiential. Moreover, the across linguistic borders. As the lingua franca of integration of online resources and mobile applications medical research and practice, English is a necessary can allow learners to access personalized content at tool for students to read scientific literature, their own pace, reinforcing important vocabulary and communicate with international peers, and improve diagnostic protocols without relying solely on face-to- patient outcomes through clear and accurate face instruction (Kukulska-Hulme & Shield, 2008). interactions (Ali & Salih, 2020). However, many medical students struggle with domain-specific terminology, Despite the growing popularity of digital solutions, complex syntax, and the cultural subtleties that there remain gaps in our understanding of how best to characterize authentic medical discourse (Luo & integrate these tools into medical English curricula. Garner, 2017). To address these challenges, educators There is a need for empirical data that demonstrates are exploring new, technology-enhanced the efficacy of such approaches in improving specific methodologies that cater to both the language language competencies, such as reading development needs and the professional aspirations of comprehension of medical articles, the accuracy of future healthcare practitioners. patient interviews, and the ability to discuss diagnoses with clarity and confidence. This study aims to explore Traditional classroom-based approaches to teaching the effectiveness of innovative technologies in teaching EMP typically involve lectures, textbook readings, and English to medical students by examining changes in limited speaking practice. These methods, while still student performance, engagement, and perceptions of valuable, may not align with the rapid digital learning. It also seeks to identify pedagogical strategies innovations that students encounter in both academic and institutional factors that influence the successful International Journal of Pedagogics 18 https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijp International Journal of Pedagogics (ISSN: 2771-2281) adoption of new tools in the EMP context. improvements within each group over time and independent-sample t-tests to compare results METHODS between the experimental and control groups. A mixed-methods design was employed to capture Qualitative data from the interviews and observations both the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of underwent thematic analysis, with codes derived from technology integration in teaching English to medical the literature on technology-enhanced language students. This approach allowed for a comprehensive learning and refined inductively as transcripts were analysis of educational outcomes and the contextual reviewed (Braun & Clarke, 2006). A triangulation factors that shape them. method was used to integrate the quantitative and A total of 120 first-year and second-year medical qualitative findings for a more robust interpretation of students at a large public university participated in the the effectiveness of technology in teaching EMP. study. Participants were enrolled in a mandatory