The teaching-learning process of the English subject at the Calixto García General Faculty of Medical Sciences is developed under the premise of creating health professionals capable of communicating in this foreign language. Knowledge of linguistic principles allows the language teacher to promote the ways for the student to become a discoverer and an active protagonist of the teaching-educational process itself. The communicative approach must be present in the different stages of the class to develop oral expression in students. However, in teaching English for specific purposes, the learner must deal with a vocabulary that can only be acquired when dealing with communicative situations typical of a medical career. This is why,that one of the means to achieve that the student is actively and consciously integrated in the discovery and acquisition of the new is the good linguistic preparation of the teacher.
Keywords: Linguistic principles-influence-teaching-foreign languages
Abstract
The teaching learning process of the English Foreign Language discipline at the Faculty of Medical Sciences General Calixto García is developed on the assumption to create health professionals able to communicate in this language. The knowledge of the linguistic principles allows the English teachers to conciliate the ways of making students the discoverer and the main character of the teaching learning process. The communicative approach must be present in the different stages of the classes, in order to develop English speaking abilities in the students. However, Teaching English with Specific Purposes in the Faculty of Medical Sciences make the students to deal with a new vocabulary that can only be acquired in the communicative activities related to medicine. That is why,one of the ways to integrate the students in an active and an aware way in the discovering and acquisition of the new; is the good linguistic preparation of the teacher.
INTRODUCTION
The solidarity principle of our Revolution is essential in the training of health personnel. In our country, the universities of medical sciences train professionals with principles, values and humanistic ethics capable of radiating it based on the human being.
Cuba has health collaborators in many countries of different latitudes, in places as close as Jamaica and as far away as East East Asia, these examples are worth mentioning because Spanish is not the language spoken in several places where the staff of the health performs its solidarity work; That is why they must have knowledge of the most common diseases, culture, religion, language and idiosyncrasies when carrying out their work, so that interpersonal relationships flow better.
When teaching a language, language teachers must take into account the specific characteristics of each country or region, including cultural norms and traditions to be more objective when it comes to performance in the classroom.
Good preparation, the constant search for information and mastery and knowledge of linguistic principles, constitutes an essential tool for strengthening English classes for specific purposes.
The teaching-learning process is a bilateral process, involving educators and students, where as the student learns the teacher also draws on knowledge and has the possibility of enriching himself as a human and professional being.
The teaching of the English language in the universities of medical sciences constitutes a challenge because it gives the possibility of looking for new ways, methods and alternatives that favor performance, since only in this way will it be possible to encourage students to a conscious, formative and creative learning.
DEVELOPING
The foreign language teacher is a mediator between the knowledge of a given language and the student, since he teaches how to communicate, express emotions, feelings, knowledge and ideas from the classroom to society, developing communication skills through language.
It is very important to say that human language is complex, since it is expressed through sound sequences and graphic signs, not to mention the gestures and signs that support communication; in this case extra verbal, which is very important because it helps us in certain contexts.
Language is a structured communication system for which there is a context of use and certain formal combinatorial principles. There are both natural and artificial contexts, that is why in the classroom when a communicative activity is carried out, in which students must put what they have learned into practice, a context must be created as close as possible to real life situations, such as for example, in medical science students, patient-doctor interviews or among colleagues, patient examinations, among others; This is done in the work areas, the guards or using the means that serve to support the activity present in the hospital or polyclinic.
The main objective of the teaching-learning process of foreign languages is to develop communicative competence: the communicative approach leads us to perfect, carry out and apply tasks in classes aimed at creating a professional capable of understanding, communicating and understanding the language taught, in this case English for specific purposes.
Likewise, the methodology of teaching foreign languages as a means of communication (oral and written) facilitates the development in students of the knowledge, habits and skills necessary to communicate, develop their abilities so that they can use foreign languages as a work tool.
The objectives of each year of the career, both in medicine, nursing and in technology, require performing, elaborating and redesigning oral and written exercises where communication skills can be developed based on the assigned work, for example, already the student in the second year of the degree must be able to conduct a patient doctor interview, make a small diagnosis and recommend to the patient what he should and should not do to cure or improve the symptoms.
From the first year of the degree, the bases are created so that the objectives are met in subsequent years. Already in the third year of the degree, one of the extra-class activities includes conducting an interview with a person who has completed an internationalist mission, for this purpose, a questionnaire must be previously prepared that responds to certain aspects of the culture of the country where the work has been completed and your opinion about the mission In this way it becomes clear how important it is for the teacher to also have knowledge and studies of medicine, nursing and health technology in the language he teaches.
To achieve efficient learning of a foreign language there are different factors that influence the process. That is why the principles and laws that govern the teaching of foreign languages must be taken into account, especially the methodological, linguistic and psychological principles, as well as motivation, which encourages the development of a positive attitude towards the language. Therefore, according to the activities that are assigned and carried out, it will be possible to comply with these principles in the classes in order to develop skills in the students:
Functional communication activities and social interaction activities.
The first ones are carried out in the classroom, under the teacher's guidance and, although the student has an active participation in communication, since they can create and develop in a specific context, they cannot be carried out outside the classroom. On the other hand, the second group includes activities that can be carried out inside and outside the classroom, and although they are also carried out under the teacher's guidance, they allow the student to develop communication freely and spontaneously.
In the case of medical science students this has proven to be feasible, effective and necessary because the students feel more motivated towards the language and the knowledge of certain specific terms that apply only in our teaching.
Daniel Cassany (1991) states that the methodological principles to develop language require four skills that students must master to communicate effectively in all possible situations, which due to the code used and the role they play in the process communication are divided into: Receptive (comprehension) - Listen (oral code) - Read (written code) Productive (expression) - Speak (oral code) - Write (written code).²
¹ANTICH DE LEÓN, ROSA (et al). Methodology of teaching foreign languages. City of Havana: Editorial Pueblo y Educación, 1986.
² Cassany, Daniel (et al). Teach language. Barcelona, Spain: Editorial Graó, 1991
Approach to English for specific purposes from a linguistic approach.
Knowledge of a foreign language has been considered a sign of a high general culture, but with the emergence of English as the international language of technology and commerce, a new generation of learners with more specific interests arises and thus begins what is known. known by English for Specific Purposes "ESP" (for its acronym in English) in the teaching of this discipline. Teaching English for specific purposes was not a planned or coherent movement, but rather a phenomenon that grew out of several converging trends, mainly the increasing demand for the language to meet needs and development in the fields of linguistics and psychology. educational ³.
ESP is not a product, but an approach to language teaching in which all decisions regarding content and methods must be based on the students' reasons for learning ³. English is an elementary subject within the study plan of medical science careers in Cuba, it is taught in Medicine for 10 semesters in two cycles: general English and English for specific purposes. In the case of technical nursing and health technicians, it is a primary subject although with the particularities of these teachings. The preparation of English teachers in the last years of the medical career presents a double challenge, since in addition to their linguistic and pedagogical-methodological preparation,he must maintain constant self-preparation and improvement for his efficient performance under the premise that ESP teachers teach English and Medicine. ESP is in the upper branches of the tree of foreign language teaching and is at the same time a branch of English as a foreign language or English as a second language³.
³ Hutchinson T, Waters A. English for specific purposes: the role of the ESP teacher. London. England: Cambridge University Press; 1987.
HG Widdowson in “Communictive language teaching: conceptions and misconceptions” states: “…… It is necessary to bear in mind that in real life communication always takes place in a certain communicative situation, which implies that it takes place in a certain context. But the context is not only the physical environment, but it presupposes shared knowledge …… ”.⁴
This approach is evident in medical classrooms when diseases common to the different systems of the human body are taught, when medical cases are presented and diagnosed, since students and teachers must know what is being discussed and in what context.
Oral and written texts are also part of the means used in this subject, students not only acquire knowledge of English, also to a certain extent of Latin, at the moment they learn to form the plural of words that come from this Such an old and important language, this results from the fact that the texts and situations that are chosen to work in our classrooms are real, extracted from scientific articles that are as up-to-date as possible, complying with the principle of scientificity
⁴ HG Widdowson in “Communicative language teaching: conceptions and misconceptions”. In Approach Magazine, 2006, pp. 7-14)
It is very important to emphasize that the contributions made by DH Hymes ⁵ regarding the connection between speech and human relationships must also be taken into account in our classrooms. Its model to help the identification and classification of the components of linguistic interaction is necessary and feasible in our medical universities, for example, when presenting a medical case, students must take into account the environment or scene, since it must be represented in the classroom in the same way that it is done in the wards and many times the doctors who teach demand the presentation of the cases in English. The participants are the students (and the teacher is always there to guide them in order to achieve a correct presentation of the case with the appropriate vocabulary and steps.The correct tone reflects the intention to give information on the assigned topic.
The communicative approach to teaching foreign languages is based on the contributions made by linguistic knowledge. This is evident in class on a daily basis. Introducing new content to students should teach what is appropriate to say to whom in what place and on what occasion, that is, formally and informally, always on the basis of respect; since it is also teaching forms of behavior in society.
Attention to individual differences is essential, since each student learns differently and, as communication is linked to the community and society, activities should be developed in the classroom that are aimed at teaching students to communicate by linking theory with practice, as an evaluative criterion of truth.
⁵ Hymes Dell, Hathaway. Models of the interaction of language and social life. In J. Gumperz & D. Hymes (Eds.), Directions in sociolinguistics: The ethnography of communication (pp.35-71). New York: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston.
CONCLUSIONS
Linguistics, being the science that studies articulated language, plays a fundamental role in interpersonal relationships and is always linked to the specific historical conditions in each society, responding to the development that has been achieved. It is not a static phenomenon and it always responds to a new theory taking development into account, where subjectivity does not play a determining role but the scientific, the experimental and the controlled does.
The Cuban Revolution, as Martí said and Fidel materialized, has faith in human improvement, and we are the educators of today who, joining forces and wills, have the honorable duty to achieve a spiritually and morally superior person.
Bibliography
Antich by Leon Rosa. (et al). Methodology of teaching foreign languages. Havana. Cuba: Editorial Pueblo y Educación, 1986.
Báez García, Mireya. Towards more effective communication. Havana. Cuba. Editorial Pueblo y Educación. 2006.
Cassany, Daniel. Describe writing. Barcelona: Editorial Graó; 2000.
Curbeira Cancela, A. Introduction to the theory of language. Havana. Cuba: Editorial Félix Varela; 2007.
González Soca, Ana María and Reinoso Cápiro, Carmen: Notions of Sociology, Psychology and Pedagogy. Havana. Cuba: Editorial Pueblo and Education; 2002.
Hymes, Dell Hathaway. Models of the interaction of language and social life. In J. Gumperz & D. Hymes (Eds.), Directions in sociolinguistics: The ethnography of communication. New York. The United States of America; 1972.
Language. 2015.Available at: http: // www.ecured.cu. Accessed May 4, 2016.
Nunan, David . Language Teaching Methodology: A Texbook for Teachers. Sydney Australia: Macquarie University; 1991
Salellas Brínguez, Madelaine. Pedagogical model for the diagnosis of basic communication skills. CD-ROOM Memories of the National Communication Event; 2010.
Authors:
Yamila Galarraga Douglas (1) María Teresa Douglas Campbell (2) Nereida Díaz Ramos (3) Alina L. Caraza Naranjo (⁴) Yamarys Ayllon Estevez (⁵)
(1) Degree in Education in the specialty of English Language. Professor of English at the Faculty of Medical Sciences "General Calixto García". Diploma in Medical Education. Instructor teacher. G and 25 Plaza de la Revolución. [email protected]. 78635138.
(2) Degree in Education specializing in History and Marxism - Leninism. Professor of the Manuel Ascunce Domenech Peasant Labor Faculty. Master in Educational Sciences. San Miguel between Lealtad and Campanario. [email protected]. 54292041
(3) Bachelor of Education in the specialty of Russian Language and English Language. Professor at the Faculty of Medical Sciences "General Calixto García". Instructor teacher. G and 25 Plaza de la Revolución. [email protected].
(4) Degree in Education in the Specialty of English Language. Professor of English at the Faculty of Medical Sciences "General Calixto García". Assistant Professor. G y 25 Plaza de la Revolución [email protected]. 78817883
(⁵) Degree in Education in the Specialty of English Language. Professor of English at the Faculty of Medical Sciences "General Calixto García". Assistant Professor. G and 25 Plaza de la Revolución. [email protected]. 53582183
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