Professional Content-Based Courses for Novice Language Learning

Abstract

Most language programs at colleges and universities across the United States have their greatest impact through the general education degree components of beginning and intermediate language study. The prerequisites for professional language courses generally require a few years of previous study and/or several courses in the language. The current curriculum structure can present a barrier to accessible and large-scale language study for professional purposes. One solution is to offer content-based courses for professional communication at the beginning language level. Some suggested courses, with Spanish as an example, include Medical Spanish, Police Spanish, Business Spanish, Media Spanish, and Spanish for Social Work. Other languages, such as French, German, and Chinese, can offer similarly themed courses. Students can enroll in these courses with no or little previous language study. Departments can examine the highly enrolled majors to develop new special course topics, so they can maximize the number of new students and grow enrollment. This chapter outlines the recommended steps to design new courses and illustrates how Delaware State University has implemented a beginning Medical Spanish course.

Appendix A

1.1 Student Learning Outcomes

• 1. Students will assimilate and integrate Spanish medical vocabulary and expressions related to greetings, anatomy, doctor visits and examinations, diet, family, symptoms, medical advice, and empathy.

• 2. Students will practice and master basic Spanish grammar for use in medical settings including present and past tense verbs, pronouns, reflexive verbs, and prepositions into the incorporation of elementary sentence structures.

• 3. Students will develop their four language skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking in Spanish related to the health professions:

  • a. Students will construct elementary medical-setting conversations of five minutes or fewer with generally accurate pronunciation in Spanish.

  • b. Students will write medical dialogues of complete sentences and short paragraphs of fifty words or fewer in Spanish.

  • c. Students will read elementary Spanish texts related to health and medicine of three paragraphs or fewer and will utilize active reading strategies.

  • d. Students will grasp Spanish conversations of one to two minutes related to medical settings and terminology.

• 4. Students will acquire a basic appreciation of Hispanic culture and language as well as cultural competencies for working with Hispanic clients in the medical field.