I mostly work with medical students and medical specialists, people who extremely need English nowadays. To be a good specialist they should be informed of every new technology, medication, modern diagnosis and treatment approaches. I highly recommend the students to read articles and abstracts on pubmed.com, to listen to some lectures on youtube with and without subtitles and what is even more effective - to prepare a report and actively participate in international conferences or workshops, make new friends and collegues, share professional experience with them and certainly maintain mutual relationship working on international medical projects. To get much pleasure of studying English and be involved in international medical society is what they really need and what I encourage them to do. Realising one's profetional goals one can believe that prefessional development is impossible without English - the more outside English practice they have, the better.
Sasa - 11 years ago
Watching movies with subtitles, than covering subtitles.
Alina-Olimpia Miron - 12 years ago
I constantly tell students to watch movies or listen to songs or watch (certain) YouTube videos because that's where they'll find the "real" English. That's not to say that what we find in coursebooks isn't real English, but other sources such as movies, apps, music gets them even closer to the English spoken in different parts of the world and, I think, it might unwind them a bit. The students I teach (adults) have a tendency of sticking to the coursebook / workbook / audio support and what the teacher says, so I tell them (on and on and on:))) ) and bring them to class certain bits of movies or songs just to get them out of that mood and show them they can find (natural) English outside class and make the classes a delight:)
Great blog, Gary. Keep it up!!
Gary Anderson - 12 years ago
Hi Rachana,
Thanks for your comment and sorry I'm just replying now--but we've have been in midst of moving offices (boxes, computer problems et al).
Yes, watching authentic films and documentaries is an excellent (and motivating!) way for learners to pick up/acquire langauge. But you're eactly right to focus and target the listening with tasks because the challenge of course is to make sure it's not just *passive* but *active viewing*! There's a nice Cambridge handbook on that subject--*Using Authentic Video in the Language Classroom*--but seems you have excellent ideas of your own.
Gary
rachana - 12 years ago
I encourage students to watch films and interesting documentaries. Listening helps language learning so much . I later give them a questionairre that is similar to a reading comprehension sheet, but of course the students should have listened for key words and their usages.
Similar to Listening tests, but it keeps their interest levels at a high and they learn the language the more 'natural' way.
I mostly work with medical students and medical specialists, people who extremely need English nowadays. To be a good specialist they should be informed of every new technology, medication, modern diagnosis and treatment approaches. I highly recommend the students to read articles and abstracts on pubmed.com, to listen to some lectures on youtube with and without subtitles and what is even more effective - to prepare a report and actively participate in international conferences or workshops, make new friends and collegues, share professional experience with them and certainly maintain mutual relationship working on international medical projects. To get much pleasure of studying English and be involved in international medical society is what they really need and what I encourage them to do. Realising one's profetional goals one can believe that prefessional development is impossible without English - the more outside English practice they have, the better.
Watching movies with subtitles, than covering subtitles.
I constantly tell students to watch movies or listen to songs or watch (certain) YouTube videos because that's where they'll find the "real" English. That's not to say that what we find in coursebooks isn't real English, but other sources such as movies, apps, music gets them even closer to the English spoken in different parts of the world and, I think, it might unwind them a bit. The students I teach (adults) have a tendency of sticking to the coursebook / workbook / audio support and what the teacher says, so I tell them (on and on and on:))) ) and bring them to class certain bits of movies or songs just to get them out of that mood and show them they can find (natural) English outside class and make the classes a delight:)
Great blog, Gary. Keep it up!!
Hi Rachana,
Thanks for your comment and sorry I'm just replying now--but we've have been in midst of moving offices (boxes, computer problems et al).
Yes, watching authentic films and documentaries is an excellent (and motivating!) way for learners to pick up/acquire langauge. But you're eactly right to focus and target the listening with tasks because the challenge of course is to make sure it's not just *passive* but *active viewing*! There's a nice Cambridge handbook on that subject--*Using Authentic Video in the Language Classroom*--but seems you have excellent ideas of your own.
Gary
I encourage students to watch films and interesting documentaries. Listening helps language learning so much . I later give them a questionairre that is similar to a reading comprehension sheet, but of course the students should have listened for key words and their usages.
Similar to Listening tests, but it keeps their interest levels at a high and they learn the language the more 'natural' way.