Liang, Haiying;
(2024)
Enhancing EMP Training for Chinese Medical Students: A Study of a Prestigious
Urban University.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
English has increasingly been used in the field of medical science as one of the common languages of communication in China. Despite the development and provision of many English for Medical Purposes (EMP) courses in Chinese universities, growing concerns have arisen regarding physicians’ ability to use English effectively in medical settings. This raises the question of how well the EMP training in universities in China adequately prepares medical students for their language and communication needs in their future careers, which remains largely unexplored within the context of China. This mixed-methods study aims to explore this issue by investigating the EMP ‘target needs’ and ‘learning needs’ of the undergraduate students in Clinical Medicine at a prestigious Chinese university in China. The investigation employs Hutchinson and Waters (1987)’s needs analysis theoretical framework and compares the identified needs with the existing EMP curriculum to identify misalignment. To achieve this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 47 interviewees, and 294 questionnaires were collected from participants. In addition, three EMP course syllabuses were analysed. This research has uncovered a previously unaddressed target scenario that medical students may encounter in their future careers: communicating with international patients who are non-native English speakers. It also unveiled a specific clinical communication challenge related to conveying information about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to international patients. Comparting the identified EMP needs with current EMP curricula at the case university revealed that these courses inadequately address the ‘target needs’ and ‘learning needs’ of undergraduate medical students, failing to adequately prepare them for their future careers. Moreover, the study revealed varying perceptions on English language learning among students and physicians at different stages of their educational and professional journeys. As students advance, there is a discernible increase in their perceived importance of EMP learning, except for undergraduate students who seem to lack the willingness and motivation to actively engage in EMP learning. Based on the findings, this research not only makes suggestions for enhancing EMP at the case university but also illuminates potential challenges associated with its implementation, which are limited support from the case university, EMP teachers’ lack of motivation in actively engaging in curriculum improvement, and lack of teaching materials on clinical communication in Chinese healthcare context.
Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
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Qualification: | Ph.D |
Title: | Enhancing EMP Training for Chinese Medical Students: A Study of a Prestigious Urban University |
Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
Language: | English |
Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2024. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment |
URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10198163 |
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