Formation of English professionally oriented communication in the context of future doctors’ functional competence

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Formation of English professionally oriented communication in the context of future doctors' functional competence

I.A. Prokop, H.Ya. Kitura, I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University

Abstract

The article deals with substantiation of developing medical students' English language professional communication. The core of foreign language communication as an essential concept of future Health Care worker profile is revealed. Formation of medical students' foreign language communication is emphasized to be an integral aspect of the professional training in higher education medical establishments and is realized by mastering the peculiarities of language competence at its phonetic, lexical, and grammatical level. The attention is focused on the necessity of developing medical students' English language professional communication as a core component of the English Language and English for Specific Purposes (ESP). The issues of ESP substantive content, selection of teaching materials, and development of students' communicative component in mastering English language professional skills are considered.

Basic training peculiarities of a competent English-speaking specialist are described; evidence-based pedagogical conditions necessary for the formation of communicative competence are considered; the need for lexical mastering in order to speak properly is emphasized. A list of pedagogical principles for the implementation of professional speech activities of medical students is suggested. The use of authentic texts and different exercises has been found to develop professional speech skills and abilities, thus making possible to evaluate and to express one's opinion, as well as to promote self-development and self-actualization of medical students.

Key words: English-language professionally oriented communication; professional competence; communicative culture; teaching.

Анотація

Формування англомовної професійно зорієнтованої комунікації в контексті фахової компетентності майбутніх лікарів

І.А. Прокоп, Г.Я. Кітура, Тернопільський національний медичний університет імені І.Я. Горбачевського МОЗ України

Стаття присвячена обґрунтуванню доцільності формування фахової комунікації у студентів медичних закладів вищої освіти. З'ясовано суть іншомовної комунікації, що є важливим концептом професіограми майбутнього працівника охорони здоров'я. Наголошується, що формування іншомовного фахового мовлення студента-медика є невід'ємним аспектом професійно орієнтованого навчання у медичному закладі вищої освіти і здійснюється шляхом опанування особливостей мовної компетенції на її фонетичному, лексичному та граматичному рівнях вивчення. Увага акцентується на необхідності формування англомовної професійно зорієнтованої комунікації як фундаментальної основи курсів англійської мови та англійської мови за професійним спрямуванням.

Розглядаються питання змістового наповнення англійської мови за професійним спрямуванням, відбору навчального лексичного матеріалу, розвитку комунікативного компонента в процесі оволодіння студентом іншомовними фаховими вміннями. Охарактеризовано головні особливості підготовки англомовного компетентного фахівця, розглянуто науково обґрунтовані педагогічні умови, необхідні для формування комунікативної компетенції; наголошено на необхідності засвоєння лексики для правильного оформлення висловлювання. Запропоновано перелік педагогічних принципів, які необхідні для здійснення фахової мовленнєвої діяльності студентів-медиків. З'ясовано, що використання фахових автентичних текстів і різноманітних завдань на заняттях англійської мови та англійської мови за професійним спрямуванням розвиває фахові англомовні комунікативні навички і вміння, які надають можливість оцінювати, висловлювати власну думку та сприяють саморозвитку й самоактуалізації студентів-медиків.

Ключові слова: англомовна професійно зорієнтована комунікація; фахова компетентність; комунікативна культура; навчання.

Introduction

The issue of forming individual communicative culture is regarded as one of the most important in cultural, psychological, pedagogical, and sociological literature. Nowadays, direct relationship between the possibility and quality of a person's existence in the social world and his/her readiness, abilities, and skills to communicate with other people determine particular attention of scientists to the foreign language communicative competence of an individual.

Foreign language professional communication as an activity scope promotes information exchange in the process of communication, awareness of concepts and phenomena inherent in a particular professional area, ability to participate in cultural dialogue, using skills to apply acquired professional knowledge in speech properly. Professional activity of the medical workers requires impeccable professional skills as well as professional foreign language competence, which they need for studying original literature as well as for working with colleagues world-wide for increasing their professional competitiveness alongside with creative and purposeful development of skills.

Any professional culture is based on the idea of “competence” and “proficiency”. Being a significant component of the professional culture in pedagogical, managerial, economic, engineering and medical fields, communication competence is “an integral part of an individual's professional activity, since it reflects personal characteristics and specialist's skills which enable him/her to implement the tasks of professional activity independently and effectively, including those related to the activities of the other people” [5, c. 151].

Based on the interpretation of “competence” by prominent figures in different fields of science, communication competence should be regarded in the context of professional activity as a combination of different competences reflecting the level of future specialist's readiness in mastering particular skills.

The aim

Development of science requires professional English language communicative skills for performing occupational duties by experts in different fields. The objective of this research is to substantiate the practicability of developing English language professional speech competence of medical students in the ESP course.

Theoretical framework

A number of papers dealing with the issues of developing communicative skills have been published recently. The research aspects encompass the process of developing interpersonal communication skills (H. Ball, S. Vdovych, A. Koval, V. Krainiuk, S. Maksymenko, M. Korolchuk, I. Saitarli, I. Yushchuk), improving future teachers' (O. Andrieiev, O. Bodalov, N. Zavinychenko, I. Ziaziun, A. Moskalenko, L. Savenkova) and technical students' (L. Bondarenko, N. Saienko, N. Sharkova) communication culture as well as forming verbal and non-verbal communication style of government employees, social workers, managers (A. Bychok, N. Gorbunov, L. Litvynova, O. Pehota) and others.

Ye. Artsyshevska, L. Bohdanov, Ye. Bozhovych, M. Lisovyi, N. Lytvynenko, I. Zymnia, M. Kabardov and others researched individual components of the future doctors' communication culture, the pedagogical aspects of the formation of students' communicative skills being focused on.

A specialist's communicative culture is considered to be a complex formation involving his/her professional speech training; fluency in oral and written monologue and dialogue English; the ability to select and use the most appropriate language means in relevant professional situations; awareness of communication ethics, etc.

The ability and readiness of future specialists to communicate in the professional sphere are formed on the basis of a certain set of interrelated competences that form the structure of foreign language communication skills.

Hierarchically, the structure is built in this way:

(1) language or linguistic competence, which involves mastering necessary knowledge, abilities, and skills of using English language in educational, professional, and cultural spheres of communication;

(2) socio-cultural competence, which includes a certain amount of background knowledge as a set of information about socio-cultural ethnic features and generally accepted standards of communicative behaviour in a particular cultural community;

(3) professional competence, which encompasses knowledge of English-language professional vocabulary and the formation of the appropriate conceptual apparatus.

The development of professionally oriented communication competence includes language mastering, attitudes towards individuals' professional orientation and life stance and is implemented in professional activities through the use of training forms and methods which are the most suitable for a specific activity and meet the tasks of developing students' functional communication. Meanwhile, the importance of this problem as a special activity and a complete system of personal communication in any profession is pointed out. Thus, doctors possess communicative culture in case they reveal effective communication skills. Formation of future doctors' communication culture should focus on developing their ability to communicate in a multicultural environment.

According to the All-European Recommendations on Language Education, teaching a foreign language, which is based on general didactic principles, differs in that it is not aimed at the accumulation of knowledge merely, as is typical for other disciplines, but at “students' acquisition of foreign language communication activities” [2, p. 48].

The objective of academic disciplines “Foreign Language” and “Foreign Language for Specific Purposes”, which are included in the list of compulsory subjects at all non-linguistic higher educational institutions, can be defined as follows: to form foreign language communication competence of non-linguistic departments when implementing the algorithm of teaching foreign language professional discourse that implies capacity and readiness to communicate on professional matters, both indirectly and directly, with native speakers within a standard/program-specified limits, as well as to develop independent and teamwork skills, tolerance towards foreign language culture, and ability to use culturology for increasing the efficacy of foreign language communication [2, 6].

According to the latest concept of foreign language education for non-linguistic higher education institutions, a foreign language is underlined as an integral component of training specialists of any profile and is regarded as a means of increasing future specialists' creative activity and their level of general culture. Mastering foreign language at a non-linguistic higher educational institution performs almost all the functions of general educational and socio-cultural training that is of great educational importance.

Teaching English at the non-linguistic departments of higher educational establishments should be regarded as a means of transferring essential information, both social and professional, to students, as well as of practising the use of English sources in the professional activity and of making a future specialist ready for continuous education. This can be accomplished under conditions of job-oriented foreign language study. Today's approach to teaching foreign languages includes development of students' ability to communicate in particular professional, business and scientific situations, based on the specifics of professional thinking in motivational and research activity [11, p. 85].

The University course of studying English is supposed to be of communication-oriented and profession- directed type, its tasks therefore being determined by communication and cognitive needs of relevant specialists. Ability to communicate in English on one's speciality as well as to maintain communication regarding the specifics of foreign language culture are integral components of competent specialist's training.

Language proficiency and acquired linguistic skills (language competence) as well as ability to use linguistic means appropriate to the aim of communication (speech competence) are the basic indicators and criteria of future doctors' communication competence [7, p. 190-191].

Accordingly, the objective of the foreign language training of medical students may be formulated as follows:

- formation of relevant competences for all types of language activity (reading, audition, speaking, writing) which are basic for the foreign language communication competence;

- formation of students' professional competence through foreign language on the basis of modelling professionally oriented teaching content;

- formation of foreign language professional communication skills (business communication including) by teaching foreign language professional discourse;

- formation of competences contributing to the development of ability for the independent foreign language study;

- formation of positive attitude (motivation) for studying a foreign language in the context of the practical use of the knowledge and skills acquired.

In this regard, of considerable importance is qualitative improvement of students' training that would meet current requirements and would, therefore, focus on the education of an individual capable of creative thinking and of solving non-typical tasks in the cognitive and creative activity.

Two parties are involved in educational process: the teacher and students. Accordingly, teaching and learning are the two constituents of the process. Teaching is regarded as a professional activity aimed at controlling students' educational and cognitive activities, objective and subjective regularities as well as principles, methods, organization forms and educational means taken into account. In the process of teaching, educational and creative students' activity is encouraged, and their progress is assessed on the basis of control results.

Learning is defined as a purposeful process during which students acquire knowledge, skills, and abilities stipulated by syllabi and curricula. In the process of learning students receive new information and build up the knowledge base necessary for their future professional activity.

A teacher's personality and his/her professional qualification are directly related to students realizing their creative potential and, eventually, to study results within the framework of introducing new teaching methods. It should be kept in mind that the teacher can affect authoritatively on the development of the student's personality and is capable of supporting, inspiring, and stimulating an interest for a particular activity, or, on the contrary, to induce involuntary strong negative attitude to the subject studied. In this context, it is essential for a teacher to organize a lesson in the way that “would enable the student to experience the feeling of joy and success (even though minor) in achieving his/her goals” [1, p. 85].

Thus, the process of forming a creative way of mind in the framework of educational relations can be defined as a purposeful teacher-student interaction, including their common creative activity in specially designed conditions with the use of specific mechanisms and methods of training organization.

As mentioned above, providing of favourable psychological climate during educational and cognitive activity is essential for the formation of the English language communication competence in medical students. Psychological climate is a unique state of interpersonal relations that are revealed in the whole of psychological conditions which favour or hamper productive activity. vourable atmosphere in the class-room increases efficacy of forming students' communication abilities and is helpful for them to express themselves freely.

Communication competence formation is a defining characteristic of foreign language lessons. Communication-oriented foreign language teaching finds its reflection within the framework of humanistic approach to the educational process. Correspondingly, its proper organization creates favourable conditions for both student's active development and revealing of his/her individuality in the creative activity.

Based on the analysis of methodical literature, the following conditions may be distinguished:

- students are given opportunity to express themselves in the process of communication activity (within the framework of educational process);

- students are free from fear to err and fell protected against criticism or disapproval;

- humanistic approach to the educational process provides blurring of cognitive barriers capable of decreasing students' motivation for educational and cognitive activity [3, 4].

New objectives and trends in teaching a foreign language include revision and renewal of exercises and methods theory, especially if viewed through the prism of communication-oriented activation of a language material.

Formation of students' English language communication competence should be regarded as an individual's comprehensive development and his/her capacity and readiness to participate in the Foreign language communication, based on the principles of cooperation, mutual respect, tolerance towards cultural differences and overcoming cultural barriers.

Knowledge of English alone is not enough for effective communication with those who represent other cultures, each foreign word reflecting another word and another culture. Therefore, continuous acquaintance of students with the history and today's life, traditions and culture of a particular country is a must throughout the course of teaching foreign speech activity. Accordingly, the cultural components having typical ethnic features, such as traditions, customs, rituals, specifics of behaviour and thinking are essential in English language communication.

The change of approach to the organization of teaching English language communication competence is determined by the following pedagogical principles:

- formation of students' acquaintance with nationally coloured vocabulary and peculiarities of word combinations use in specific situations;

- development of students' ability to perceive an interlocutor with the help of learned speech symbols;

- development of the ability to answer to an interlocutor's questions correctly;

- studying language etiquette and linguistic behaviour of the representatives of different ethnic groups;

- students' knowledge of communication norms and rules in a particular social and age environment of interlocutors;

- readiness and ability for the tolerant dialogue of cultures [3, 4].

Knowledge and understanding of cultural, historical, and social processes are crucial from the standpoint of determining the range of emotional attitude to a people - native speaker and for the intellectual penetration into a foreign culture, each foreign language having at the background the cultural specifics of the world image, consisting of elements and phenomena, integral and essential for a particular nation. Based on the above, it can be concluded that the subject “Foreign language” contributes to the formation of cultural dialogue ability in students.

In our opinion, selection of authentic training material is an important condition of studying a foreign language in a higher educational institution, the relevance of the problem for students taken into account.

L. Fiorito focuses on the fact that the study of English for professional purposes should be a part of the professional subject area, essential enough for students and an important basis for their interest in mastering the language [10]. J. Allen also argues that students' interest in learning professional English is supported by a true sense of the value of association between English lessons and the processes that take place in a physics laboratory, engineer's workshop or at surgeon's operating table [8, p. 9]. It is important that students' interest in their specialization encourages them for cooperation with colleagues and for studying world's professional achievements through specialized literature that contributes to development of foreign language skills.

N. O. Fedchyshyn stresses on the fact that different types of texts and test tasks should be offered for the processing of language material and training of students' receptive, reproductive and productive skills and at the same time to control formation of their speaking competence. Educational materials include a vocabulary minimum, grammar help, and lists of basic language formulas to express different communicative intentions [9, p. 34].

Observations and practical experience are suggestive of the possibility of students taking an interest in the sources from journals, newspapers, and English Internet version covering the aspects of studying at the Universities abroad. This content motivates cognitive and communicative activity at the lessons as well as students' independent research work.

Conclusions and Prospects for Research

Thus, it can be stated that the efficacy of formation and development of English language communication competence in medical students is directly related to ensuring necessary pedagogical conditions which contribute to efficient study, in particular to the use of sociolinguistic and culture linguistic methods in teaching English. The influence of national and cultural aspect of English language subjects on the formation of personality at a higher medical educational institution suggests formation of tolerant attitude towards the representatives of other cultures, as well as development of internal readiness for the active performance of professional duties and of confidence in one's abilities in the conditions of multicultural society that is indispensable for enhancing a future specialist's competitiveness. Thus, realization of the idea of multicultural education through a foreign language is helpful for achieving essential results in the education of highly qualified and competitive world-class specialists. Teaching of communication competence for future specialists being a global problem, it requires close attention of philologists and specialists in different fields of scientific knowledge.

Analysis of the suitability of different tasks on the basis of authentic texts for development of foreign language professional communication in students during classes of English for professional purposes at medical universities confirms that proficiency in professional English is impossible without perfect mastering of authentic lexical structures. The suggested samples of lexical exercises for ESP classes at medical universities are not a theoretical structure, but an integral aspect of development of professional foreign language communication in medical students and are used in teaching English for professional purposes. A communicative orientation of professional English contributes to optimization of educational process, training of future doctors, and maintenance of international professional speech activities.

Obviously, the above reviewed theoretical and practical aspects of forming professionally oriented English language communication in medical specialists are not exhaustive and comprehensive, many issues of introduction and improvement of professional communication trends into the higher education system still waiting for the further research both theoretical and practical.

english-speaking communicative competence lexical

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