Professional English for Physiotherapists (3 cr)

Objectives (course unit)

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.
• recognizes their own role as a communicator in patient situations in the field of Health Care and Physiotherapy.

After completion of the course the student

• when conducting a client interview, is capable of asking relevant questions relating to one’s previous functional capacity and wellbeing.
• can instruct various clients in most common therapeutic exercises.
• can communicate in spoken and written English as part of a multiprofessional team.
• understands and can utilize articles and research reports in the field of Physiotherapy.
• can further develop one’s English skills in the field of Physiotherapy by fluently utilizing dictionaries and other language learning tools.

Content (course unit)

• patient/client interview
• guidance and instruction sessions
• relevant terminology in the field of Physiotherapy
• relevant terminology in anatomy
• relevant medical terminology

Prerequisites (course unit)

Prerequisites
Level: Upper Secondary School studies or equivalent skills
Common European Framework for Languages Level B2.1

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2) (course unit)

The student

• communicates clearly in simple, routine-like interactions.
• is capable of giving simple oral and written instructions to the patient/client.
• is capable of asking the client about the necessary information regarding their medical history and present status.
• can use key terminology of physiotherapy.
• understands the key points of literature regarding their work using a dictionary.

Additional Information:
• understands the significance of knowing professional English, and works purposefully to gain linguistic competence in one’s special field.
• makes progress in the course, based on one’s individual level and linguistic needs.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4) (course unit)

The student

• communicates clearly in multiprofessional and multicultural interactions.
• can provide personalized guidance to the patient/client.
• gathers information about the patient’s/client's present and past health condition and habits, asking additional questions about details, if needed.
• uses key terminology of physiotherapy.
• gathers information from different physioterapy references in order to improve their competence.
• understands key points and most details from the literature without additional help.
• can evaluate references critically and apply the newly acquired knowledge.
• 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).

Additional information:
• 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) (course unit)

The student

• communicates skillfully also in demanding multiprofessional and multicultural interactions (i.e. reports, documentation, meetings, conferences and feedback discussions).
• can instruct the client even in demanding and unexpected situations, altering their way of communicating for each situation.
• uses advanced physiotherapy terminology.
• can utilize physiotherapy articles and other publications to improve their professional competence.
• can read advanced physiotherapy literature and is able to evaluate them critically.
• understands both the key points as well as the details from the text and is able to apply and explain the newly acquired information.
• communicates effortlessly and in a way appropriate to the situation.
• communicates fluently and idiomatically.

Additional information:
• 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.
• further develop their language skills during the course.

Assessment scale

0-5