BEYOND LINGUISTIC COMPETENCE IN EAP FOR NURSES

BEYOND LINGUISTIC COMPETENCE
IN EAP FOR NURSES

Beata Piechocinski
beatak@yorku.ca

Yuliya Miakisheva
yuliyam@yorku.ca

Susan Chaiton
szc@yorku.ca

1 York University English Language Institute
035 Founders College, Keele Campus Tel: 416.736.5353 Fax: 416.736.5908 Email: yueli@yorku.ca

OVERVIEW

• English for Specific Purposes
• Theoretical background
• Post-RN BScN for Internationally
Educated Nurses (IENs)
• Survey
• Conclusions


THE NATURE OF ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC
PURPOSES

• To prepare the students to use English
within academic, professional and/or
workplace environments
• ESP/EAP


THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Course design procedure:
• Target situation needs analysis
• Consultation with stakeholders
Team approach
Genre-based approach


THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Course syllabus:
Narrow angle course design
• To reveal subject specific language
• To develop target performance competencies
• To teach underlying knowledge
• To develop strategic competence
• To foster critical awareness


POST-RN BScN FOR INTERNATIONALLY
EDUCATED NURSES (IENs)

• Funds provided by the government of Ontario
• Modified version* of the Post-RN BScN (20
months):
• qualifying Pre-Session (4 months)
• 4 consecutive terms of full-time studying (16
months)
• Up to 60 additional credits awarded for the
“diploma equivalent” status
• Partnership model with external stakeholders

* Regular Post-RN BScN program is 120 credits, 3 -
4 years


EDUCATED NURSES (IENs) –
QUALIFYING PRE-SESSION
1. Individualized Assessments (CELT (Comprehensive
English Language Test), interviews)

2. Program of Instruction
i. Non-credit courses
1. University 100 (York School of Nursing)
2. YUELI (York University English Language Institute)
EAP course (generally overlaps with Professional Writing
for Nurses for 6 – 8 weeks to provide additional help and
support to students)
ii. Credit courses
1. Professional Writing for Nurses (Atkinson College at
York)
2. Providing Culturally Competent Care (York School of
Nursing)
3. Pharmacotherapeutics (York School of Nursing)



Nursing Shortage

• Global nursing shortage
• Canadian shortfall:
• 113,000 RNs by 2016
• 50% of RNs in Canada will retire within 15
years



• Most IENs in Canada come from China, India,
Philippines, Pakistan, USA, UK; however,
Common Barriers for practice include
• Lack of access to high level, professionally
relevant language instruction
• Limited opportunity for Ontario workplace
experience
• Lack of opportunity for professional mentorship
• BScN requirement as entry to practice in Ontario
• Differences in the culture of nursing

YUELI COURSE

• Placement test - CELT
• 3 classes (12 students in each on
average)
• Current textbook: Penn, J.M. and Hanson,
E. (2006) Anatomy and Physiology for
English Language Learners. White Plains,
NY: Pearson Longman
• All skills – focus on listening and speaking


YUELI COURSE

CHALLENGES
• Wide range of proficiency even within classes
• Varied student expectations
• Appropriate textbooks
• Evaluation (CELT, YELT (York English Language
Test), CELBAN (Canadian English Language
Benchmark Assessment for Nurses )
• Information literacy
• Academic honesty
• Materials development: academic vs.
professional preparation

PROFESSIONAL WRITING COURSE

• Professional Writing for Nurses Course
• York University, Atkinson College
• 12 weeks 3 hours/week


COURSE GOALS

• To develop critical thinking skills, reading,
research and writing skills

• To prepare students for further courses in the
Internationally Educated Nurses (IEN) Post – RN
BScN program at York University

• To prepare students for the high levels of
scholarship and information literacy demanded by
the nursing profession


COURSE FOCUS

• Academic skills

• Professional oriented skills


CHARACTERISTICS OF COURSE THEMES

• Derive primarily from the social sciences and
medical/nursing fields
• Utilize integrated skills
• Emphasize a communicative approach with the
use of group discussion and group assignments
• Engage students in areas of concern as
professionals and immigrants in a multicultural
Canadian society


THEMES

• Attitudes to illness and wellness
• Cultural competence and health care
• Natural versus traditional medicine
• Health issues and the media
• Issues surrounding immunization
• Canadian healthcare system-private or
public?
• Domestic violence
• The nursing image


COURSE MATERIALS

Films:
• 60 Minute Documentary on Dr. Andrew Weil,
“Natural versus Traditional Medicine”
• CBC Documentary “Medicare Schmedicare”
• Center for Nursing Advocacy, “The Nursing
Image in Hollywood” (part of PowerPoint
presentation)
• “Patch Adams” (1998)
Music:
• Sounds of Silence, Simon and Garfunkle
• If I had a million dollars, The Barenaked Ladies

COURSE MATERIALS

Fiction:
• Open Secrets, Alice Munro

Textbooks:
• Topics for Today: An Advanced Reading Skills Text,
Lorraine C. Smith & Nancy Nici Mare
• Steps to Writing Well: With Additional Readings,
4th Edition, Jean Wyrick
• Learning English for Academic Purposes, Julia Williams
• Writing Academic English, 3rd Edition, Alice Oshima
& Ann Hogue


COURSE ASSIGNMENTS AND
OBJECTIVES
* group assignments

Basic essay structure: To develop target performance
Cultural competence* competencies and strategic
competence, to foster critical
awareness

Summary and critique: To foster critical awareness, to
Alternative Therapies develop target performance
competencies and strategic
competence, to teach
underlying knowledge


OBJECTIVES

Comparison essay: Medical To teach underlying knowledge,
issues in the media to foster critical awareness

Question and Answer To teach underlying knowledge,
Handout: Immunization to reveal subject specific
language, to foster critical
awareness

Cause and Effect To reveal subject specific
essay/presentation: language, to teach underlying
knowledge, to foster critical
Health care in Canada* awareness


OBJECTIVES

Pamphlet: Domestic To foster critical awareness, to
violence* teach underlying knowledge, to
develop target performance
competencies

Argumentation/Research To foster critical awareness, to
essay: The nursing image teach underlying knowledge


SURVEY

Participants’ needs analysis:
• Oral skills
• Academic writing e.g. research paper, essays
• Professional acculturation


STUDENTS’ COMMENTS

• “The professor use lots of different tools in
her class, such as movies, music. She
give up some group assignment which
really help us to develop cooperation.”
• “This course was very helpful for me, my
English improved. Now I can write
academic essay!”
• “It is an effective course for IEN students. I
think we need more this kind of course to
improve nursing professional.”


CONCLUSIONS

• Access to high level, professionally and
academically relevant English language
instruction
• Opportunities for Ontario workplace
experience through professional
mentorship
• Acculturation to the Canadian health care
milieu
• Achievement of BScN degree


BEYOND LINGUISTIC COMPETENCE IN EAP FOR NURSES

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