Developing a micro-curriculum model of ESP teaching and learning on COVID-19 and Pulmonary resources for nursing junior college students

Abstract

This study shares a micro-curriculum development that aims at proposing an implementation of a new strategical model for improving reading comprehension in an EMI program designed for English Specific Purposes process at a nursing junior college. Theme Based Learning and Task-Based Language Learning were put into binary considerations. Theme and content were adopted from the didactic text in the online course regarding COVID-19 pulmonary, ARDS and ventilator resources by American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) (https://www.aacn.org/). The task-based approach covered the broad spectrum with three aspects, including the mastery of target language (English), the learning of specific terminology, and the development of updated knowledge related to nursing intervention priorities on pulmonary acute illness of COVID-19. Accordingly, the three main objectives were to (a) examine students’ English level competence immediately after the course; (b) survey learners’ satisfaction with the task-based approach in enhancing their understanding the comprehensive text, and (c) investigate learners’ completion of the AACN online resource assignments. 24 nursing-majored students participated in the reading tasks while guided with two learning strategies, which are “Deep Defining on Terminology”, and “Quest for Reading”. With peer working activities and direct/indirect teacher/TA guidance, the micro-course was conducted for three weeks. External examiners included two nursing professional (local and international). The data-collection instruments included Pearson English Level Test, a course satisfaction questionnaire, and the AACN Course Completion Ratio Certificate. The results showed that the learners’ English competence slightly improved after the course. Students demonstrated a fair level of satisfaction toward the course. 60% of the learners agreed on the two strategies in helping their understanding of the text. The learners also indicated they perceived their elevated capability in learning the terminology vocabulary, but they urged more time required to review. They advised an EMI-strategy-integrated approach be implemented in the nursing syllabi.

Keywords

nursing education, ESP, EMI, EFL, nursing terminology curriculum design