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Language Learning in Higher Education

Journal of the European Confederation of Language Centres in Higher Education (CercleS)

Editor-in-Chief: Szczuka-Dorna, Liliana / O’Rourke, Breffni

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2191-6128
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Medical ethics and the learner-centred approach: Developing materials on organ transplant and euthanasia in an English as a foreign language classroom in higher education

Valéria Jamrichová
  • Corresponding author
  • Institute of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Sasinkova 4/a, 811 08 Bratislava1, Slovak Republic
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  • Other articles by this author:
  • De Gruyter OnlineGoogle Scholar
/ Katarína Zamborová
Published Online: 2016-05-03 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2016-0006

Abstract

A learner-centred approach puts students amidst the learning process and helps them become involved in that process. It provides an opportunity for students to choose and direct the course of the lesson. This approach is especially appropriate when dealing with ethical concerns that might be sensitive issues. When it comes to the sources for the development of teaching materials, the Internet provides numerous possibilities. Not only does it enable students to choose from a wide variety of topics but it also offers, for both teachers and students, a chance to develop their own up-to-date materials through which students improve their language skills. Nonetheless, teachers can help their students to become more autonomous and develop strategies for lifelong learning. The aim of this article is to provide ideas on materials development for teaching English as a foreign language to students of medicine and health studies and to link theory and practice in the Slovak context. Specifically, it focuses on how topics in medical ethics, such as organ transplant and euthanasia, could be taught by emphasizing the learner-centred approach. Involving the student in the learning process and using the Internet as an easily accessible source enables students to develop their skills and strategies, which will help them become more autonomous, and thus develop their confidence in dealing with authentic English outside the classroom.

Keywords: English as a foreign language (EFL); learner-centred approach; medical ethics; organ transplant; euthanasia; autonomous learning; Internet

References

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About the article

Valéria Jamrichová

Valéria Jamrichová graduated from the Faculty of Arts at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. She currently teaches medical English and Slovak as a second language at the Institute of Foreign Languages in the Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University. Her fields of interest include innovative methods for teaching English as a foreign language, which lead to autonomous learning and creativity. She developed the materials on the topic of organ transplants in this article.

Katarína Zamborová

Katarína Zamborová is a PhD graduate from the Faculty of Education, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. She currently teaches medical English and Slovak as a second language at the Institute of Foreign Languages in the Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University. Prior to teaching at the university, she gained invaluable experience at international schools emphasizing autonomous learning and a learner-centred approach. Her field of interest is learner-centred teaching, teaching English for Specific Purposes, and using innovative methods for teaching English as a foreign/second language. She developed the materials on the topic of euthanasia in this article.


Published Online: 2016-05-03

Published in Print: 2016-05-01


Citation Information: Language Learning in Higher Education, Volume 6, Issue 1, Pages 119–144, ISSN (Online) 2191-6128, ISSN (Print) 2191-611X, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2016-0006.

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