N 1 (182) 2023. P. 104–107

INSTITUTIONAL AND PEDAGOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF ENGLISH TEACHING AT MEDICAL SCHOOLS IN FRANCE

V. E. Abramovych, E. M. Mokrienko, N. V. Lazor

Odesa National Medical University, Odesa, Ukraine

DOI 10.32782/2226-2008-2023-1-23

The studies presented by the Erasmus+ Project BWSE FORward, have found out that internationalisation and mobility, among the other four areas, present challenges hampering the advancements in the Bologna Process commitments implementation. In its way to the integration into the European community, one of numerous obstacles that Ukrainian higher medical education faces is the improvement of English language proficiency. The need for medical English courses has seen a remarkable increase over the last ten years in France and other European countries.

Objective is to study institutional and methodological principles of English-language training at French universities in the context of its higher medical education system modernization.

Research materials and methods. The legislative acts of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education of the French Republic and its medical faculties’ curricula were analysed.

Results and discussion. Health professionals’ training at medical faculties in France has been undergoing drastic changes since 2019, which are: 1) the cancellation of PACES and numerus clausus; 2) the reform of the 2nd cycle aimed at the formation of competencies; 3) improvement of theoretical and practical training at the 3rd cycle and changes in the system of admission to internship and distribution of interns. Mandatory teaching of modern foreign languages at medical faculties in France was introduced in 1992 and most of them chose English. Furthermore, the order of 2013 introduced foreign language training at the second cycle. The comparative study of medical schools’ curricula has shown that: 1) within the 1st-year preparatory programs students must complete a general course with medical terminology; 2) the scope of Medical English varies from 2 to 4 ECTS credits per year during the 1st cycle with “Taking a history” and “Mobility” courses; 3) professional studies in English are provided during the clinical stage as a part of the “Article critical reading” and in a form of “Apprenticeship of clinical reasoning” courses.

Conclusions. On the example of the Dijon medical faculty the peculiarities of Medical English curriculum provision are disclosed, namely: the 1st cycle is aimed at the step-by-step development of basic medical and linguistic knowledge and skills in all types of speech activities, as well as preparation for an internship abroad; during the 2nd cycle, future interns receive scientific and practical professional training in English due to the cooperation of language instructors and clinical professors certified in Medical English. Therefore, the institutional and pedagogical principles of the undergraduate English-language training at French medical faculties represent the conditions for ensuring the quality of English-speaking professional competence, student mobility and lay the basis for the continuous development.

Key words: Medical English, higher medical education, institutional and pedagogical principles, internationalization and mobility, France.

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