Methodological Strategy to Improve the Teaching and Learning of English for Specific Purposes

Abstract

Introduction:

Medical universities have the social responsibility of graduating doctors for the sustainable development of Public Health, this includes communicative competence in English. It is necessary to develop strategies to improve teaching-learning processes, according to the Common European Framework for Languages.

Objective:

Contribute to the improvement of the teaching and learning of English for specific purposes in the medical career.

Methods:

An experimental pedagogical research was carried out at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Mayabeque, from January 2020 to January 2022. The universe was made up of 15 English teachers from the language department and 86 fifth-year medical students. Theoretical methods were applied: historical-logical, analytical-synthetic, inductive-deductive and modeling; Empirical: surveys to teachers and a pedagogical test to students. The percentage was used as a summary unit, the IADOV technique and the Delphi method.

Results:

Once the strategy was implemented, 100% of teachers reported knowing and using the action-oriented approach, the macrofunctional bases and the descriptors of English for specific medical purposes. The pedagogical test showed 100% of students with an independent user level. The application of the IADOV technique revealed satisfactory results and the expert judgment showed the feasibility of the proposal.

Conclusions:

The methodological strategy contributes to the improvement of the teaching and learning of English for specific purposes. The results obtained through the criteria of experts, users and empirical assessment, after its implementation showed its effectiveness, feasibility, validity and relevance.