Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Scientific English in Nursing
Teaching staff
Dr Noelia Navarro: nnavarrog@uic.es
Introduction
The aim of this program is primarily to provide students with the necessary academic language required to understand and present nursing research in English. Critical reading and listening skills are particularly emphasized for this purpose, while speaking and writing skills are mainly reinforced to consolidate knowledge and to promote academic communication.
The programme contains 3 elements that include class-based lessons, tutorials and self-study. The teacher-led lessons focus on reading and listening activities related to topics in the field of scientific research and nursing. Such activities are designed to develop comprehension within an academic setting. Speaking and writing activities aim at improving communication common to academic and conference environments as well as to facilitate a solid linguistic base for the elements introduced throughout the subject. Tutorials will focus on student development and interpersonal skills and will include an evaluated group project. The final part being the self-study element which primarily focuses on developing reading, writing and listening skills, consolidating grammar, specific lexis and increasing the autonomy of the learner when learning a foreign language.
All three elements have been specifically designed to provide students with the skills, knowledge and resources that will increase their confidence in reading research and academic texts, understanding research presentations and communicating research topics in English.
Pre-course requirements
Students are asked to be aware of the B2 requirement in general English in order to graduate.
This course will develop your language and communication skills within the range of professional and academic communication skills but does not focus on the progress acquisition of general English. Therefore it is strongly recommended to come to the course prepared with a B1 level in English.
The Department of Nursing in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences has agreed that it is compulsory for all students taking a Bachelor's degree in Nursing, when participating in online classes, to turn on their camera and remain visible to lecturers and professors at all times.
Objectives
Classroom:
- To prepare and equip students with the lexical and grammatical knowledge necessary to understand, synthesize and present basic aspects of nursing research in English.
- To reinforce the receptive skills of reading and listening through practice, using a variety of stimuli and to facilitate the development of the productive skills of speaking and writing.
Tutorial:
- To develop students’ interpersonal skills and ability to work with others in both native and an additional language.
Self Study:
- To develop reading comprehension skills through tasks requiring students to analyze language on a lexical and structural basis, main and supporting ideas, and organizational patterns common in English literature related to nursing; to reinforce listening comprehension skills; to review high-frequency grammatical structures and vocabulary encountered in nursing research.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 21. B - Oral and written communication.
- 23. B - Ability to analyze and synthesize.
- 24. G - Ability to work autonomously.
- 29. B - Know the scientific terminology in another language (English).
Learning outcomes of the subject
Linguistic competencies in English
Students will:
- Be able to present nursing-related information orally (21B)
- Be able to present nursing-related information in writing (21B)
- Be able to read, understand and analyze nursing-related literature (23)
- Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously (24G)
- Be able to plan, organize and manage their work (24G)
- Demonstrate the ability for interpersonal skills.
- Use terminology and linguistic structures related to science (29B)
Syllabus
Topics:
Students will cover topics related to the introduction of research concepts; research genres, academic and scientific literature, scientific theory, history of nursing, and terminology related to anatomy and disease, in particular cardiovascular diseases, infection control and nutrition.
Language knowledge:
Instruction of this component is dependent on the students’ language level, which will be determined on the first day by means of a level test. Students will revise/consolidate knowledge about gerund, participle and infinitive forms, present and past simple tenses, modals, the passive voice, noun phrases, question forms, comparative and superlative forms of adjectives, linking structures, adjective clauses, clinical terminology and high-frequency vocabulary related to health sciences research, sentence analysis, and paragraph organization.
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The framework guiding the methodology of this course is based on English mediated learning. Students will become actively engaged in the process of reading, analyzing and synthesizing information from a variety of academic genres specific to nursing, such as extracts from textbooks and nursing journals. Students will discuss course contents in collaborative tasks. They will give presentations as well as produce some writing assignments. Listening activities will comprise listening for general and specific information given in simulated lectures by a teacher and in presentations by other students.
The Internet will also serve as a source for language tools and material which students can apply throughout their overall learning process. These materials will further form an integral part of the students’ self-study, thus equipping and motivating students for the life-long learning of English related to their field.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
|
Activity |
% final grade |
Learning outcomes |
|
|
Exams |
Midterm (15%) Final (25%)
|
40%
|
Can read, understand and analyze nursing-related literature. (Comp. 23.B)
Can use terminology and linguistic structures related to science (Comp. 29.B) |
|
Progress tests
|
-Listenings: Simulation of lectures -Grammar and vocabulary quizzes |
20%
|
Can use terminology and linguistic structures related to science (Comp. 29.B) Can read, understand and analyze nursing-related literature. (Comp. 23.B) |
|
Cooperative Learning Activities |
In-class activities Discussions of homework and in-class readings. Written work
|
10% |
Can read, understand and analyze nursing-related literature. (Comp. 23.B) Can present nursing-related information in writing. (Comp. 21.B) Can plan, organize and manage their work (Comp. 24.G) Can demonstrate their ability for interpersonal skills. Can use terminology and linguistic structures related to science (Comp. 29.B)
|
|
|
|||
|
Group project: Survey replication study |
-Reading a scientific abstract -Replicate the questionnaire -Collate data -Analyze data -Interpret data -Present the data – oral presentation - abstract - dossier of the work |
30% |
Can read, understand and analyze nursing-related literature. (Comp. 23.B) Can use terminology and linguistic structures related to science (Comp. 29.B) Can present nursing-related information in writing. (Comp. 21.B) Can present nursing-related information orally. (Comp. 21.B) Can demonstrate their ability for interpersonal skills. |
Important information regarding evaluation
- Minimum language level requirement: Students will be required to demonstrate an A2 English level in evaluated coursework in order to pass this course. Therefore, students are strongly recommended to have a minimum global English language level of A2 before the start of the course.
- Attendance and participation: Students are reminded that participation, and consequently, attendance, in class and continuous evaluation are fundamental to passing the course. Furthermore, group work outside of class will also form a major part of the evaluation. Homework assignments and some quizzes will be posted on Moodle for students to consult.
- It will not be possible to pass the course by only taking the final exam in any sitting.
Re-sit exams
Re-sit: Depending on the case, a student may be required to complete a writing component and/ or an oral presentation assignment in addition to the exam. Group work, class work and homework cannot be made up in the second sitting.
Students must confirm their attendance to the second sitting exam with their teacher and course coordinator.
Other tests: Students who miss a midterm exam, and who have a valid justification (i.e. medical certificate) must present it to their teacher the following day of class. At the end of the term, if the student has attended at least 80% of the classes, he or she will be able to sit the midterm on the day of the final exam.
Many small progress tests, or quizzes, will be given throughout the course. No compensatory quizzes will be given, so students who miss a quiz will receive a 0 for that quiz. However, because each quiz bears little weight individually in the course evaluation, missing one will have little effect on the total grade.
Honor Matrix Assignment Procedure (MH)
- The criterion for assigning Honorary Enrolments (MH) is based on the Excellent (9.0).
- The assignment is solely for the teacher and does not have to give it, even if the student has obtained a mark above 9.0.
- In case the teacher decides to award MH, he will not take into account the numerical mark and the highest, but will evaluate other factors. The HM might not match the highest numeric score.
Procedure for Non-presented Assignment (NP)
- To register an NP in the student's file, it must not have been submitted to any of the evaluation tests throughout the assignment.
- If a student has submitted to one of the evaluation tests, the corresponding percentages in the teaching guide will be applied, with a 0 in those not presented.
Procedure for plagiarism or academic fraud
Any assignment or activity (including exams) in which plagiarism, falsification or academic fraud is detected, will result in a failure of the activity and an academic sanction that will entail from the loss of enrolment rights in this subject, to the opening of a file process.
Bibliography and resources
Class-based materials will be provided by the teacher.
Intranet and internet based materials for self study
Evaluation period
- E1 22/04/2025 08:00h
- E2 10/07/2025 08:00h