Supplementing the Diet: Developing Communication Skills in Specific Professional Fields

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Supplementing the Diet Developing Communication
Skills in Specific Professional Fields

• Marie McCullagh
• Senior Lecturer in EFL/ESP
• University of Portsmouth
• Ros Wright
• Freelance Editor and Materials Writer Vice
  President, TESOL France

BESIG, BERLIN, 2007
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Second Language Acquisition Research and
Materials Design

• Achieve impact
• Expose learner to authentic language
• Maximise learning potential
• Be perceived as relevant and useful
• Provide opportunities for outcome feedback
• Help learners develop confidence
• Require facilitate learner self-investment

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Materials Development Stages

• Stage 1 Developing Criteria for a Principled
  Framework
• Stage 2 Evaluating Existing Titles
• Stage 3 Defining Course Objectives

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Stage 1 Developing Criteria for a Principled
Framework

• INPUTS e.g. a text from
• The Economist
• PROCESSES activities
• e.g. prediction task, gap filling exercise
  
• OUTCOMES what learners can do after
  using materials

Maley, 2003
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INPUTS
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PROCESSES

• Awareness raising activities
• Defining
• Elicitation
• Noticing activities
• Matching
• Presenting information
• Reflecting
• Summarising
• Visualizing

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Outcomes

• Ability to assess reflect on performance
• Ability to give receive feedback
• Increased awareness of communication skills
• Increased learner independence
• Increased confidence

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Stage 2 Evaluating Existing Texts

• Little focus on developing communication skills
• No treatment of sensitive issues
• Limited cognitive and affective engagement
• Little focus on pragmatic awareness
• Limited feedback and absence of measures of
  progress
• No cultural awareness activities
• Limited guidance for trainers

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Stage 3 Defining course objectives
Verbal Communication
Non-verbal Communication
Cultural Awareness
Active Listening
Voice Management
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Content Based Training

• Baile et al (2000)

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Non-verbal Communication
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Active Listening

• Dr So what brings you here today? rising
  intonation
• Patient Where shall I start? When you get to my
  age, its all downhill they share a laugh
• Dr Why dont you start with whats bothering
  you the most?
• Patient Well, its a bit embarrassing really
  looks down
• Dr Take your time, Mr Whitaker. Can you
  describe whats been happening?
• Patient Ive got problems dribbling, you know
  thats really embarrassing.
• Dr How is this affecting you?
• Patient When my Kathy was alive .we liked the
  good life and boy could she dance smiles
• Dr Good memories? smiles warmly slight
  pause And how does this relate to the problems
  youve been having recently?

Good Practice, Unit 11
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Verbal Communication 1

• Id
• It
• Im going to send off a blood sample,

• just
• just
• Just
• just
• Just

like you to lift your leg. looks like a minor
fracture... relax your leg. in case. one
more examination left.
Good Practice, Unit 5
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Authentic Task

• C
• A
• G
• E

• ut down
• nnoyed
• uilty
• ye opener

Good Practice, Unit 8
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Verbal Communication 2

• Doctor
• Do you have a history of
• cardiac arrest in your
• family?

• Patient
• We never had no trouble
• with the police.
• West and Frankel (1991)

Good Practice, Intro Unit
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Cultural Awareness
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Feedback Evaluation
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References

• Bickley, L., 2005. Bates Guide to Physical
  Examination History Taking. 9th ed. Lippincott
  Williams Wilkins
• Loveday, L., 1982. The Sociolinguistics of
  Learning and Using Non-native Language. Pergamon,
  Oxford
• Maguire, P., and Pitceathly, C., 2002. Key
  communication and how to acquire them. British
  Medical Journal, 325
• Maley, A., 2003. Inputs, Processes Outcomes in
  Materials Development Extending the Range. Folio
  8, 1-2
• Silverman, J., Kurtz S. and Draper J. , 2005.
  Skills for Communicating with Patients. 2nd ed.
• Thompson, N., 2003. Communication and Language,
  Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire.

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