Medical Spanish Methodology at Linc

Medical Spanish focuses on developing the vocabulary related to the systems of the body.

Everything is greared toward developing the skill necessary for the student to carry out a patient interview without the assistance of an interpreter.

There is no grammar focus in the Medical Spanish component, as this is generally dealt with in the morning general classes.

Medical Spanish Methodology at Linc

Students practice brainstorming possible symptoms, discuss and debate symptoms and diseases together, as well as take the part of both patient and doctor in role-play situations which are recorded.

Students then analyze their produced language and correct with the guidance of the teacher.

Students will also read texts from univeristy medical journals to strengthen bottom-up and top-down processing skills. For speaking skills, sensitivity, intonation, discussions, debates, personalization, negotiation of meaning and lexis are a primary focus.

In order to develop writing skills, students will analyze case studies of specific situations and decide how best to cope with each one by writing the questions they would ask and the actions they would take.

Medical Spanish Class Procedures

Linc teachers believe negotiation is very important in the course.

They try to pay attention to any specific interests or special needs you may have for your present or future specialization. To read what previous Medical Spanish students want you to know about the course.

1. The first two classes are devoted to vocabulary, so we create the foundation for successful communication. You will have to study and work at home in order to memorize a considerable number of words in a short period of time.

This vocabulary is exercised in class in different ways: through the use of images, matching, labeling, synonyms, antonyms, grouping, and personalizing.

Vocabulary is then reviewed every day by means of cards and strategic games which require you to retrieve and utilise it as quickly and naturally as possible.

2. A system of pictures is introduced which will allow you to see the parts of the body and the names dealing with them.

3. You are given a list of questions. Our teachers feel this is very important. We have lists of questions you will go through with your teacher's help and you will discuss which questions you usually ask and which ones you do not ask.

Questions are added to the list every time because from one state to another, from one hospital to another, there is often a wide range of unique questions.

4. Specific focus is put on the instructions you need to give to patients in order to examine them successfully.

5. We propose a certain number of diseases to discuss. We discuss the causes and symptoms. New new words appear constantly and we add them to our master list. Then we talk about the necessary tests and possible treatments, always paying attention to how you would talk about this to your patient.

6. Every day, two students do a role play of an interiew, which is recorded in order to assist students in correcting themselves and with the guidance of the teacher finding the specific areas in need of attention.

7. At the end of each system we give you casos prácticos (case studies) you must complete individually so that you have time to reflect on all you have learned and to utilise as much vocabulary as possible in order to build a complete "bateria" of questions for an interview.

8. The final focus is on reading articles in spanish and answering questions about them.

9. When we consider the systems of the body finished, we keep reviewing them every by way of our strategic games.

This is a breakdown of procedure in our Medical Spanish classes. They work the four skills (listening and speaking is constant, but specially in the role plays. Writing in the casos prácticos and when answering the questions about the articles and reading). It has proven to be an exceptionally powerful procedure according to our previous Medical Spanish students.