This project (2020-1-PT01-KA226-HE-094809) has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Select language  >  EN ES HU IT LT PT RO
Login
Register

Database of Teaching Sources

A database of selected, reviewed, tested, assessed and validated e-learning based language teaching sources addressed to Higher education students for the learning of 18 different European languages.

Back to Teaching Sources

At the cardiologist’s

Date of Publication

© 2014-2015

Target Group

Lecturers
Students

Domain Area

Medicine & Nursing

Learning Scenario

Autonomous learning
Classroom Context

Target Language

Romanian

Language of Instruction

Any language

CEFR level

B2
C1

Type of Material

Activity/task
Picture/Graphics
Video

Linguistic Features

Vocabulary
Grammar
Pragmatics
Prosody

Skills

Listening
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Reading

Description

The video and additional worksheet is part of a larger set of materials created by a team at the Babes Bolayi University of Cluj for learning Romanian as native language on various topics. The unites are graded according to CEFR from A1 to B2 (between 10 and 20 units per level). Not all topics are specialized, but those that are can be easily adaptable to LSP teaching. Each unit consists of a video (with no subtitles) presenting a short scene between 2-3 characters conversing on various topics, using genuine language; the dialogues sound rather natural and can be useful in terms of Pragmatics and Prosody. The work files contain various activities to practice the vocabulary in the videos, as well as tasks focusing on grammar elements to be found in the dialogues. It also includes writing tasks and speaking tasks tailored for each topic. The unit presented there (At the Cardiologist’s) – 8 min 43 secs – presents a dialogue between a doctor and a patient, while the worksheet introduces specialized vocabulary (cardiology, the anatomy of the heart), a matching exercise matching pictures and medical terms, a listening comprehension task (at the end of the file!) a task meant for critical thinking and reading ( a tabulated from presents the medical principle and suggestions for procedures and the students is required to indicate the test best suited) and some grammar exercises (articles) and writing tasks (writing new sentences according to a given model, writing a medical letter following a given model). Speaking activities include a simulation dialogue between a doctor and patient during anamnesis and another one, where the students are given hints of what to present in the role).

Case study

The case study I designed according to the unit described above, was destined for two groups of students of Romanian language in Charles University in Prague. All the students have taken 3 semesters of optional Practical Romanian classes, their level of competence being A 2+ to B1. The first step consisted in a listening activity of the two short videos included in the material I received, without any references, so no dictionaries were allowed. After having listened the videos, the first group was asked to name as many new, unknown words they managed to grasp from the raw listening of the video. The second group was asked to try to „guess” or put into context the words that their colleagues uttered. The same process was reiterated with the second group naming the words. I have found this activity extremely proactive for the students, as they really got into the competition spirit and it also helped me assess their vocabulary and their ability to grasp the meaning of words from contextual instances. The second part of the case study, was a „work with the dictionary” activity. The students were given 20 minutes to consult the dictionary and come up with the definitions and explanations for the words related to cardiology, and make up sentences illustrating their meaning in different contexts. This was highly effective, as I realised the students were pretty handy with the dictionaries and their sentences brought me up to date with the vocabulary they have available in their interlanguage. The third step of the case study, was speech production which I consider one of the most important parts for B1 students learning a foreign language as a second language. Based on the 8 minute video I was given, I asked the students to build up two dialogues using at least ten of the new words they had learned. They had 20 minutes to write the dialogue as a group activity with everyone being actively involved. After that, the students became „ actors”, in the sense they were asked to read and act the dialogues they had produced. This was an activity full of fun and I was surprised to notice how involved and competitive they got. The last part of the case study, text production, consisted of a homework assignment. Students were asked to write a 200-300 words argumentative essay on the topic ” Are health campaigns effective tools in disease prevention and control?”. The main aim in choosing this topic, was to broaden their perspective, and allow them to look up new words in relation with cardiology- medicine-prevention-health policies. All in all, I consider the topic above as a proper way to introduce new, specific purposes vocabulary for the B1 level students of Romanian Language in Charles University in Prague

Guidelines

The various activities in the worksheet can be paired in various sequences with the video, depending on the students’ need.
Medical terminology may be introduced with the first activity on the worksheet. Watching the video can pe preceded by questions eliciting the students’ knowledge of the heart’s anatomy, pathology, the type of tests and procedures required to diagnose cardiological diseases etc.

Review

Category
Rate
Comprehensive approach
Capacity to match the needs of lecturers and students

5

Added value
The provided tangible improvements

4

Motivation enhancement
The capacity to motivate students to improve their language skills

4

Innovation
Effectiveness in introducing innovative, creative and previously unknown approaches to LSP learning

3

Transferability
Measurement of the transferable potential and possibility to be a source of further capitalisation/application for other language projects in different countries

3

Skills assessment and validation
Availability of appropriate tools for lecturers to monitor students’ progress and for students to assess own progress and to reflect on learning

4

Adaptability
Flexibility of the contents and possibilities for the LSP lecturers to adapt the contents to their and to students’ need

4

Usability
Assess the technical usability from the point of view of the lecturer and the student

5

Accessibility
Assess the accessibility from the point of view of the lecturer and the student

5

Comments:
The resource meets the needs of the lecturers and students, covering all skills and having a higher degree of specialization (B2). Its dialogue form and the use of genuine spoken Romanian language, along with some elements of humour, offers motivation to the learners. Its value lies less in its creativity, but rather in the comprehensiveness with which all skills it addresses. Many of the tasks can be used as/converted into assessment instruments. Its adaptability consists in the types of activities that can be remodelled for other topics. The resource is technically easy to use and downloadable, so it can be use both online and offline.
Website of the Teaching Source:
Visit