국내 지방대 의예과 영어프로그램 평가 및 개선방안

Medical English program evaluation and improvement at a local university in Korea

The present study investigates a medical English program in Korea in order to enhance the curriculum. Sixty-nine students completed a closed-ended questionnaire in seven areas: (a) program’s goals; (b) program’s strengths; (c) student needs; (d) teaching; (e) suggestions for improvement; (f) materials; and (g) assessment. Five professors completed an open-ended survey with the same categories. Students reported strengths as giving opportunities to communicate with the professors in the speaking courses and the chance to write in English for the writing courses, whereas professors indicated strengths as students’ high grammar and vocabulary levels. For learner needs, students indicated improving general and academic speaking for the speaking courses, and academic writing skills for the writing courses, whereas professors felt the students needed more practical speaking and writing-related skills. Regarding teaching, students reported they did small group activities, listening activities, and games in the speaking courses, and paragraph and essay writing in the writing courses. Concerning textbooks, both students and professors reported that the speaking and the intermediate-level writing textbooks were inappropriate. Regarding assessment, students preferred to be evaluated according to a variety of criteria in addition to midterms and finals. A written curriculum for the medical English program was devised based on these findings. (202 words)