Study Guide

Objectives

The core objective of the course is that the student understands the significance of English skills, interaction and communication as part of their professional skills and
recognizes their own role as a communicator in patient situations in the field of Health Care and Biomedical Laboratory Science.

After completion of the course the student:
• understands the significance of English skills, interaction and communication as part of their professional skills
• recognizes their own role as a communicator in patient situations in the field of Health Care and Biomedical Laboratory Science
• is able to ask relevant questions relating to sampling and examinations when conducting a patient interview
• can instruct various patients in most common patient situations and laboratory examinations
• can communicate in English as part of a multiprofessional care team in the typical duties of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists
• understands and utilizes articles and texts in the field of Biomedical Laboratory Science
• can further develop one’s English skills in the field of Biomedical Laboratory Science by fluently utilizing dictionaries and other language learning tools

Content

• Patient interview
• Sampling situations
• Instructing patients prior to sampling and examinations
• Instructing patients during sampling and examinations
• Relevant terminology in the field of Biomedical Laboratory Science
• Relevant medical terminology

Prerequisites

Level: Upper Secondary School studies or equivalent skills. Common European Framework for Languages Level B2.1.
Take the English entry level test and, if necessary, complete the preparatory studies before the course begins.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

The student:
• can communicate in familiar, simple and routine situations in a manner that is mostly understandable
• can provide patients/clients with simple oral and written instructions
• can ask patients/clients basic questions relevant to professional procedures (e.g., obtaining samples)
• can employ basic professional terminology as required by the situation
• understands the main points in relatively easy biomedical laboratory science-related texts when consulting a dictionary
• can communicate in English but has problems with grammar and style
• manages simple conversations provided that the other person talks slowly and clearly, and sometimes repeats the information
• responds to questions in discussions, but pauses, mistakes and reformulations occur
• understands the significance of knowing professional English, and works purposefully to gain linguistic competence in one’s special field
• is aware of some ways to further develop one’s professional language skills and language learning skills by utilizing different tools and strategies
• makes progress in the course, based on one’s individual level and linguistic needs

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

The student:
• communicates clearly in multi-professional and multi-cultural interaction situations
• can provide patients/clients with individual instructions in the most common patient guidance situations (e.g. blood tests, ECG)
• can successfully respond to the questions asked by patients/clients
• can employ relevant biomedical laboratory science terminology
• can search information in publications and professional sources to promote one’s professional growth
• can critically assess the references
• communicates fairly effortlessly, and in a way appropriate to the situation
• responds to questions in discussions fairly successfully
• can pronounce fairly clearly and effortlessly
• employs grammatical structures fairly successfully, and self-corrects potential errors if causing misunderstandings
• can re-formulate one’s sentences if and when needed
• understands and employs field-specific terminology fairly accurately
• can utilize various resources and dictionaries
• expresses oneself and conveys the message to the reader/listener fairly idiomatically without misunderstandings (H4)
• conveys the information to the reader/listener understandably without misunderstandings, but somewhat non-idiomatically, at times with features from the mother tongue (H3).
• works in an active and self-directed manner to improve one’s special field English, based on one’s level, linguistic needs and personal interests

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The student:
• communicates successfully even in demanding multi-professional and multi-cultural interaction situations (e.g. potential extra-curricular activities, such as projects or international collaboration)
• interviews and instructs patients/clients successfully and adapts to the interaction situation, also in challenging and unexpected situations
• employs specific terminology and field-specific concepts
• speaks fluently and idiomatically
• can search for information in scientific publications and other professional sources, interprets it, and uses it with ease to promote one’s professional growth
• can apply and utilize the information obtained
• communicates effortlessly and in a way appropriate to the situation
• responds to questions in discussions appropriately and without delay
• can pronounce clearly and effortlessly
• employs grammatical structures almost flawlessly, and self-corrects potential errors
• understands and employs field-specific terminology accurately
• can utilize a vast variety of resources and dictionaries
• expresses oneself fluently and conveys the message to the reader/listener idiomatically without misunderstandings
• works in an active and self-directed manner to further improve and maintain one’s special field English, based on one’s level, linguistic needs and personal interests