The English of Science in Health Care Research (DN_206)
About Study Course
Objective
To understand and master in depth the writing of health care science articles in English related to the doctoral thesis research and issues, strengthening knowledge of grammar, improving vocabulary, adhering to the scientific English style and thus increasing one’s ability to actively participate with scientific publications and articles in international written and oral communication of science.
Prerequisites
English B2-C1 (according to CEFR [Common European Framework of Reference for Languages])
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, doctoral students will know the principles and techniques of text formation in English, the most important tools (sources, resources) for preparing a manuscript of a scientific text. Doctoral students will know the grammatical, lexical (terminological) and stylistic features of health care science articles, as well as the requirements according to publication guidelines. The doctoral student will be familiar with the linguistic specifics of scientific language expression (terminology, vocabulary of special use, grammar, text formation, pronunciation) and will know which linguistic tools to use to produce an adequate written and oral health care text in a foreign language appropriate for international science communication.
Doctoral students will be able to write the first version of the manuscript of a scientific article, according to the peculiarities of the scientific genre and its sections. Doctoral students will be able to choose appropriate lexicogrammatical devices according to text formation of a health care science article in English. Doctoral students will be able to comment on, justify the structure and organisation of scientific manuscripts and other scientific genres (e.g. poster presentations) in English, as well as compare the content, informative, stylistic and lexicogrammatical features of different health care science texts. Doctoral students will be able to draw independent conclusions on text quality issues from representative examples of health care science texts and provide constructive feedback in discussions on improving text quality, using appropriate terminology to link the research design and its linguistic realisation in the practice of scientific articles. The doctoral student is able to write grammatically correct and scientifically appropriate texts in a foreign language and to improve the quality of the written text by using analogue and digital language resources. The doctoral student is able to use terms relevant to the field of science, is able to explain them in a foreign language, as well as is able to justify the choice of their research topic, describe its content, research process, hypothesis, goal, objectives, main conclusions in a foreign language. The doctoral student is able to produce a logical written text according to the pragmatic aim of the research and the genre of the information science text. The doctoral student is able to orally present their scientific research to the target audience using linguistic and text formation means appropriate to the foreign language of science. The doctoral student is able to structure their oral communication in a foreign language in accordance with the principles of science communication in order to actively engage in international research, both written and oral, respecting scientific and linguistic culture, as well as academic ethics.
Doctoral students will improve their skills and knowledge in planning scientific articles. Doctoral students will observe accuracy in the presentation and processing of scientific articles and will independently and responsibly develop analytical and critical discourse skills for the preparation of a health care science manuscript. By learning the specifics of scientific articles, doctoral students will also strengthen their initiative in the writing process and linguistically informed decision-making, which is geared towards the result of producing a high-quality scientific manuscript and oral presentation in English. The doctoral student evaluates the range of linguistic resources of a scientific foreign language and critically selects grammatical, phonetic, content and text formation resources for written and oral texts, thus continuously improving their linguistic competence for the purpose of international science communication. The doctoral student integrates linguistic skills and knowledge into professional scientific activity, tackling tasks of relevance to the field and research career (e.g. preparation of international publications, presentations at international conferences, participation in scientific seminars and lectures) that require a high level of linguistic competence in global science communication.
Study course planning
| Study programme | Study semester | Program level | Study course category | Lecturers | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Care (subprogramme Pharmacy), DVAf | 3 | Doctoral | Limited choice | Guntars Dreijers | |
| Health Care (subprogramme Medicine), DVAm | 3 | Doctoral | Limited choice | Guntars Dreijers | |
| Health Care (subprogramme Psychology), DVAps | 3 | Doctoral | Limited choice |
| Study programme | Study semester | Program level | Study course category | Lecturers | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Care (subprogramme Pharmacy), DVAfeng | 4 | Doctoral | Limited choice | ||
| Health Care (subprogramme Medicine), DVAmeng | 4 | Doctoral | Limited choice | ||
| Health Care (subprogramme Psychology), DVApseng | 4 | Doctoral | Limited choice |
