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Journal of the Slovene Association of LSP Teachers
ISSN: 1854-
Kirsten Hempkin and Barbara Majcenovič Kline
Vocabulary Acquisition for Future Nursing Staff: authenticity in the classroom
ABSTRACT
Research suggests that many ESL teachers either modify or supplement the set textbooks
they use in class, or develop their own materials for classroom use. Indeed, in recent
years, the internet in particular has opened up a rich and at times perhaps baffling
array of resources for those ESL practitioners who wish to incorporate authentic
materials into their teaching. While the benefits of authentic materials are well-
Keywords: ESL teachers, vocabulary acquisition, authentic materials, trainee nurses, theoretical framework.
1. Introduction
Vocabulary is often described as the cornerstone of language learning (Lewis, 1993). Without vocabulary, learners would be unable to form the simplest of utterances, and therefore unable to communicate at even the most basic level. Vocabulary acquisition is therefore often prioritised in the learning process by students and teachers (Knight, 1994). Those learning English for a specific purpose could be seen as facing a dual challenge: not only are they expected to display a solid command of “general” language, but they must also acquire a set of specific terminology for use in their chosen field. In the case of our students at the Faculty of Health Sciences in Maribor, learners are expected to attain the Common European Framework level B1/B21 and demonstrate a knowledge of professional vocabulary in key areas of nursing. The specific aims of the English course they undertake are discussed later in this paper.
There are a number of well-
As approaches to vocabulary acquisition and language learning in general diversify, in terms of methods and location as described above, the nature of classroom materials designed for that purpose has also changed, with increasing emphasis being placed on the notion of authenticity. This paper addresses some of the main questions relating to authenticity in the language classroom, pinpointing the salient benefits of authentic materials and tasks, highlighting some of the considerations for teachers and, finally, reflecting on our experience of creating and implementing authentic materials for vocabulary acquisition according to Tomlinson's (2010a) framework.
2. Authenticity in meeting learners' needs
A number of factors can be seen as having contributed to the increased focus on authentic
materials (and indeed authentic tasks) within language teaching/learning. Firstly,
the need for authenticity can be seen as a response to two major shifts in recent
teaching practice: authentic materials complement the communicative approach (Byram,
1991) and also help meet the need to equip learners with life-
3. Authenticity: some considerations
Nevertheless, while authentic materials undoubtedly bring the kind of benefits described previously to both second language learner and teacher, their use is not entirely unproblematic, and the teacher who wishes to incorporate them into their teaching repertoire must consider a number of issues.
3.1. How do we define authenticity in the classroom?
First of all, what is authenticity? The notion of what is meant by “authentic” is
open to some interpretation, and its definitions therefore vary widely. Some authors
see authenticity more narrowly, restricting their definition to the source of the
teaching materials: therefore, anything that is not directly intended for pedagogical
purposes. Richards (2001) suggests that authenticity can be brought into the classroom
through realia, basing language learning tasks and materials on videos or photographs,
for example. Tomlinson (2003) argues that, in material development, authentic materials
can provide the learner with exposure to texts in which language is used typically.
Others give broader accounts, incorporating notions of the learner's relationship
to the materials and to the language learning process in general. Breen (1985), for
example, suggests that authenticity can actually be achieved as part of the communication
process within the classroom. According to him, it is the very act of negotiation
itself that is authentic (e.g., learners discussing in pairs or groups how they prefer
to work, which tasks they would like to carry out and in which order). Others see
authenticity as being rooted, especially in textbooks, in the presentation of what
is realistic, and of people who are credible and recognisable as real human beings.
Byram and Esarte-
3.2. Whose authenticity do we adopt?
An increasingly pressing question in considering authenticity is the matter of whose
authenticity we should select. As Crystal (2003) indicates, most English speakers
are not native speakers, and within the native speaker category, there are numerous
varieties. One other commonly cited consideration in using authentic materials is
the level of difficulty they may present to students. The richness of language described
by Tomlinson above is, of course, inherently more challenging than the carefully
edited language of the textbook. Richards (2001) describes how both the students
and teachers in lower-
3.3. Underpinning practice with theory
However, the issues outlined above may be regarded as part of a much broader issue
pertaining to material production in general. Although research indicates that many
teachers already either, as Samuda (2005: 235) puts it, “re-
4. Aims of Tomlinson's framework for material preparation
In order to begin bridging the gap between theory and practice, Tomlinson (2010a) has drawn up a framework for material development that aims to synthesise the most important principles of second language acquisition into practical guidelines. He argues that these principles and guidelines can and should act as a reference for textbook writers and teachers in the preparation of materials (both authentic and created). Specifically, the framework aims to produce better quality materials by focusing on four key questions: the relevance of the language to which the learners are exposed; the meaningfulness of the tasks and activities for the learners they serve; the extent to which the materials engage the learners in the learning process; the presence of opportunities for communication.
In our case, the framework was applied to materials created for use with nursing students at the Faculty of Health Sciences in Maribor. In the first year of study, students are offered English as an elective course; in the second year, language becomes obligatory (a choice is given between English and German). As previously described, our learners are expected to obtain CEF level B1/B2, with an added requirement of specific nursing vocabulary. While these learners' questionnaires display a certain pragmatism in regard to foreign language learning (an understanding that knowledge of a foreign language is just something you have to acquire), the same questionnaires reveal a distinct lack of enthusiasm on the learners' part, a reaction which will be discussed in greater detail later.
4.1. Implementation and effectiveness of the framework
4.1.1. Principle of language acquisition 1
“A pre-
The first principle concerns the language input that materials should contain in
order to be effective. Tomlinson (2010b) elaborates on this issue by suggesting that
learners need to be exposed to and build up experience of variety – of the language
itself and of the purpose of that language. The notions of “meaningful” and “rich”
language described above have been guiding factors in the selection and creation
of the materials for nursing students. Classroom experience and student feedback
indicate that students at the Faculty of Health Sciences tend to regard learning
English as a foreign language (especially English for special purposes) as low on
their list of priorities; many are happy to admit that they enrolled simply to study
nursing and that they view their foreign language learning as something of a burden.
Motivating our learners is therefore challenging at times, and it seems of even more
vital importance for our learners (and perhaps other ESP learners) to feel that the
language tasks and materials we select and prepare for them have some kind of immediate
utility, or in other words, that they are pragmatically meaningful for them. To that
end, the materials and tasks we select and prepare are firmly guided by the real-
· patient-
· doctor/nurse-
· telephone skills (being able to receive and give patient information, check understanding, contact other staff/doctors/patients/family members, refer a patient, etc).
Feedback questionnaires conducted at the end of the course asked students to reflect
on the tasks and activities they had undertaken; many of our learners responded favourably
to the fact that their materials dealt with “real-
The other issue connected to this principle is that of “rich” language. Nursing students seem to have had less exposure to the type of variety of language referred to above. This may be partly a result of their schooling, or it could also be attributed to their reluctance to engage in English language activities outside the classroom. The result of this is perhaps best seen in an informal comparison with students studying English at the Faculty of Arts in Maribor: their humanities counterparts3 are more likely to actively use their English beyond formal learning situations and are better versed in the varieties of language use and purposes previously described. Therefore, the materials and tasks for use in the nursing courses must also address this deficiency, drawing on as wide a variety of Englishes, registers, situations as possible. One of the other hopes is that students will be stimulated by the use of authentic materials from resources and sources they recognize to continue their language development outside the classroom walls.
4.1.2. Principle of Language Acquisition 2
“In order for the learners to maximise their exposure to language in use they need to be engaged both affectively and cognitively in the language experience.” (Tomlinson 2010a: 74)
Tomlinson (2010b) suggests that students need to engage with the materials they are using in the classroom and that, as they carry out activities, they should be thinking and feeling, even if those emotions are negative. In this regard, acquiring vocabulary through watching medical dramas has proven to be extremely effective. The medical drama Nurse Jackie, an American series on Showtime, (where the main heroine, Jackie Peyton, is an emergency room nurse, fighting her own drug addiction, working in the ER, and juggling married and family life with an affair with a pharmacist just to maintain open access to the drugs she needs) serves up a rich diet of moral dilemmas to which our students are extremely responsive. There are three main aims of the exercises described below: a) to acquire target medical vocabulary b) to practice complex grammatical structures, such as the conditional and modals c) to discuss ethical issues and dilemmas.
· Situation One: As nurse Zoey helps a child in respiratory arrest before the doctor arrives, only to save his life, the students are faced with the dilemma of what to do in such situations, how they would react, whether they would do the same in a similar situation, etc.
Target vocabulary: expressions associated with breathing: e.g., respiratory system, respiratory arrest, to intubate, tracheotomy, etc.
Accompanying grammar practice (conditionals): discuss in pairs what you would do in this situation. What should Zoey have done?
· Situation Two: Nurse Jackie suggests the use of illegal drugs (marijuana) to a terminally ill patient who is experiencing extreme nausea, vomiting and pain. None of the acceptable medications has worked (helped) so far. Even though she is warned not to, Nurse Jackie insists on helping the patient outside the hospital, obtaining and helping him ingest marijuana.
Target vocabulary: structures for describing/eliciting symptoms: e.g. nausea, vomiting, How long have you been feeling this way? Where do you have pain?
Accompanying grammar practice (past simple/present perfect/present perfect continuous
and further practice with conditionals): role-
The follow-
4.1.3. Principle of Language Acquisition 3
“Language learners who achieve positive affect are much more likely to achieve communicative competence than those who do not.” (Tomlinson 2010 a: 75).
Tomlinson (2010b) emphasizes the importance of positivity with this principle. In effect, he argues that students need to feel positive about the language they are learning, their learning situation and the materials they are using to achieve their goals. This is rather a challenging issue, since nursing students tend to suffer from low motivation in regard to their language learning; creating “meaningful” materials and tasks is vitally important in engaging them in the learning process. Offering tasks and topics that are of interest to learners is key in achieving positive affect, yet it would be unrealistic to expect to be able to appeal to all learners in such large classes (the average class size is over 80 regular students). However, one step towards addressing this issue is allowing the learners some degree of control over classroom activities. This can be implemented to a smaller degree through suggestions for suitable topics or materials, or to a larger degree in allowing students control over the curriculum through needs assessment.
In our classes, students are given the opportunity to prepare and present short seminar
papers, preferably with Power Point. There are no limits on topic choice, which is
central to the success of the exercise. Although many students are reluctant to carry
out oral presentations in front of their peers (through lack of practice or lack
of motivation), the free choice of topic results in learners selecting a topic they
either simply like, or something of which they have experience, perhaps through a
work situation (titles have included The Role of the Nurse in the Intensive Care
Unit; Scrub Nurses in Orthopaedics; Nurses and Hospital Hygiene), or something they
have first-
Moreover, selecting the topic is empowering in the sense that students have some
control over learning materials, they feel comfortable discussing a familiar topic
while carrying out a task they perceive to be difficult, often performing better
than they expected in the process. This feeling of self-
4.1.4. Principle of Language Acquisition 4
“Language learners can benefit from noticing salient features of the input.”(Tomlinson 2010a: 76)
The emphasis of this principle here is placed on guiding learners to make their own
discoveries and observations about the target vocabulary. The concept of noticing,
according to theories of second language acquisition, is the first step in acquiring
vocabulary: the process of language acquisition involves learners “noticing” or becoming
aware of features of language input that will eventually be synthesized into implicit
knowledge.4 Tomlinson (2010b) argues that incorporating noticing into our materials
will make learners much more aware of language and receptive to its acquisition.
Of particular use in this regard are texts from specialized publications, such as
the Nursing Times, or health/medical related articles from English-
In an example text from the Nursing Times, entitled “Using a Range of Interventions
to Prevent Falls in Hospital”, the students are first asked to respond to the title
of the article and consider what they know of the issue (Who is likely to be discussed?
What is meant by interventions?) and what they expect to read about in the body of
the text. After discussing the content of the article, students are then asked to
reflect on the language, with some guidance from the teacher. The first step of the
vocabulary activities based on this particular text is to ask the students to identify
the terms they recognize. Students usually respond that the language is challenging
but that they do see some lexical items similar to Slovene terms, since the text
contains a rich seam of topic-
4.1.5. Principle of Language Acquisition 5
“Learners need opportunities to use language to try to achieve communicative purposes.” (Tomlinson 2010a: 76)
The focus of this principle is on allowing students to use the language they have
acquired, but with particular emphasis on interacting. By being engaged in communicative
activities, learners must master a variety of micro-
The following task provides an example of such an activity. Students watch an excerpt
from the 2006 series (3.9: Finding Judas). House has suggested a course of treatment
to deal with a six-
At this point, the students are asked to respond to House's statement and to find
more appropriate phrases, which they can then use with their partners in a role-
As with the previous activities featuring Nurse Jackie, the character of House is
an excellent tool in engaging the students. Their in-
5. Conclusion
Our experience of using authentic materials and tasks with students of nursing, in
accordance with the systematic framework developed by Tomlinson, conforms to the
general findings within the wider research on the issue. From the teaching perspective,
we recognize the benefits of introducing and exposing students to the variety of
language and purposes embodied in authentic materials and tasks. While from the students’
point of view, the materials have been evaluated by them in end-
1 For a full description of CEF levels, see http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Source/Framework_EN.pdf
2 See Čebron (2008) for an excellent range of intercultural exercises aimed specifically at Slovene learners.
3 Questionnaires completed by English students at the Faculty of Arts point to
a number of ways in which they use English outside the classroom: they are more likely
to travel to English-
4 For a much more comprehensive account of the noticing concept, see Ellis (1997) and Schmidt (1990).
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Scripta Manent Vol. 7(2)
» Contents
» N. Gajšt
Technical Terminology in Standard Terms and Conditions of Sale: A Corpus-
» K. Hempkin & B. Majcenovič Kline
Vocabulary Acquisition for Future Nursing Staff: authenticity in the classroom
» S. Čepon
English for Business and Economic Studies 2, by Mateja Dostal, Alenka Umek and Danica Čerče
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