English for Health

This course provides you with a wide range of authentic health-related speaking and listening situations. You will be able to learn and practise the target language through a range of stimulating communicative tasks and activities. You will also focus on developing the vocabulary and the language you need to function successfully in common everyday health contexts. The course includes 64 hours of online material.

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This course is divided into four levels. Each level in turn is divided into six units making 24 units in total. Each level also contains two review units. Level One presents the survival language skills you require to interact in any English-speaking health context. Levels Two - Four focus on the language required for discussing medical conditions and procedures, understanding diagnosis, and treatments. The levels and units are as follows:

Level 1 – General Communication

At the end of this module, students are expected to be able to:

• introduce themselves and another person.
• use the telephone appropriately.
• ask and give directions.
• express likes and dislikes.
• make generalisations.
• ask for personal information to complete forms.

Level 2 – Taking a History

At the end of this module, students are expected to be able to:

• express certainty.
• ask for clarification.
• ask about a medical complaint.
• inform a patient of what’s going to happen next.
• ask about a patient’s condition.
• ask about general health.
• ask about pain.
• ask about family history and social behaviours.
• ask for and give advice.

Level 3 – Examination and Diagnosis

At the end of this module, students are expected to be able to:

• explain what is going to happen.
• give reassurance.
• explain consequences of action.
• provide background information.
• express degrees of possibility.
• find out information about medical instruments.
• give instructions.
• give advice.
• recognise language used in prescribing medication.

Level 4 – Procedures and Treatments

At the end of this module, students are expected to be able to:

• give a presentation.
• ask for and give an opinion.
• discuss options towards making a decision.
• ask for more detailed information.
• refer a patient to a medical colleague.
• order a procedure.
• emphasise important points.

In each unit you will listen to two conversations based on authentic health-related situations. You will also read a text and complete practice exercises that will help you to understand words and phrases associated with the topic. It is recommended that you complete the levels and units in order, as these become progressively more difficult throughout the course. This course practises the skills of:

Listening:

• recognizing naturally spoken language in a health context
• using grammatical structures
• recognizing phrasal verbs, fixed expressions and collocations
• identifying and understanding idioms

Speaking:

• producing spoken language in a health context
• using grammatical structures
• producing correct word stress
• producing naturally linked spoken English

Reading:

• deducing meaning by using word parts to predict meaning
• understanding factual information
• understanding general meaning and identifying main points
• locating and identifying specific information quickly
• reading for detailed comprehension

There is a tutorial which is designed for self-directed study.

Important:

This course is designed to teach English in a health context. It does not teach you to be a health professional of any kind and cannot be used to claim medical expertise. The writers and distributors exclude all liability to any person or entity for damages in respect of or arising out of any reliance in part or full, upon the contents of this course for any purpose.