About us
The principles of teaching foreign languages to medical students were established at Kharkiv University back in the middle of the 19th century, but the Foreign Languages Department was established only in 1927. Now the department teaches English and German as sub-languages of medicine to the 1st and 2nd year students (compulsory subject), 1st-6th year students (optional subject), to PhD students, as well as to the teachers of KhNMU as a teacher training course for English medium instruction. The students and faculty of KhNMU are provided with assistance in preparing for participation in international scientific conferences and research projects held in Ukraine and abroad.
Distinctive features of the teaching at the department are communicative-cognitive approach to teaching foreign languages, syllabus development, creation of educational materials; teaching within the concept of language for specific purpose (the main ideas of which are needs analysis, genre approach, focusing on language material -vocabulary and grammar – characteristic of certain communicative genres); conducting scientific research in the field of methodology of foreign language teaching.
The research interests of the department include linguopragmatic peculiarities of the language of medicine, problems of bilingual terminography and translation of specialized literature, teaching languages for specific purpose (in particular, pedagogical and methodical aspects of teaching a foreign language to future doctors, aspects of forming the professional culture of the future doctors), peculiarities of motivating students when teaching languages for specific purpose, as well as various linguistic aspects of English medium instruction. The teachers of the department constantly participate in various scientific events, including international conferences, forums and congresses.
A number of the department members have translator’s qualification, which makes it possible to take an active part in translation of medical literature, as well as linguistic review and editing the materials of international conferences, research journals and educational literature published in English.
- History of the department
- The department today
- Educational process
- Scientific work
- International Activity
Philological disciplines have been studied by medical students of the Kharkiv University since the first days of the medical faculty. Originally these subjects were taught by the Department of Pharmacy and Medical Literature, later they were combined with the main discipline at the Department of Forensic Medicine. It was not until 1850 that a decision was made to remove Russian, Latin and German languages from the curriculum.
Teaching of foreign languages was resumed in the first third of the twentieth century. According to the KhNMU archives, the Department of Foreign Languages was founded in 1927. Its first head was a teacher of German Yevtikhieva O.G. Initially, the curriculum included only German language teaching.
The department teaches English and German as sublanguages of medicine for students of 1-2 courses, 1-6 courses within the elective course, graduate students and applicants, as well as teachers of KhNMU. Students and young scientists are assisted in preparing to participate in international scientific conferences held in Ukraine and abroad.
In recent years, the following educational and methodological literature has been published: manuals and workshops for 1st and 2nd year students of medical and dental faculties; methodical developments for teachers and graduate students; textbooks for students studying in English, guidelines for preparing to take English language exams for medical students, lexical minimums for reading literature in the specialty in English. Teachers of the department translate medical literature from English, German and French into Ukrainian and Ukrainian, respectively. Methodical meetings of the department, scientific and methodical seminars of English and German language sections are systematically held. Scientific seminars and meetings of the student scientific circle are held monthly. Since 2010, 5 candidate dissertations have been defended at the department. The department organizes competitions in English and German, holds student scientific conferences and sectional meetings within the university scientific conferences.
The department of foreign languages offers study programs in several languages: English, German and French for undergraduate Ukrainian-medium students of the first and second year of education, elective courses for the students of the 1st – 6th years of education, postgraduate students and tutors of different departments of KhNMU. Students and young researchers are assisted in participation in the international conferences held in Ukraine and abroad.
In the recent years, the following educational-methodical literature has been issued: practice books and workbooks for the 1st and 2nd year students of medical and dental faculties, methodological guides for tutors and postgraduate students, educational workbooks for English-medium students. The tutors of the department of foreign languages are involved in the medical literature translations from English, German and French into Ukrainian language and from Ukrainian respectively. Methodical workshops, methodology seminars for English, German and French tutors are regularly held. The department organizes competitions in English and German languages. Students’ scientific conferences, poster, wallpaper contests, section meetings, scientific seminars and English Speaking Club are organized in the frame of University scientific conferences and covered on the official Facebook page “KNMU English Chat Area”. Annual students’ conference “The World of English” is organized by the department.
The department is represented on the KhNMU Moodle platform with a number of educational courses, tests, activities. From 2020 online classes are held on different platforms such as Google Meet, Zoom, Moodle classrooms on demand.
The department trains students on the educational and professional programs of the first bachelor’s degree: “Nursing”, “Laboratory Diagnostics”, “Social Work”, “Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy”, the second master’s degree “Higher School Pedagogy”, “Laboratory Diagnostics” , “Dentistry”, “Medicine”, “Nursing”, “Physical Therapy”, “Pediatrics”, “Public Health”, Doctor of Philosophy: “Medicine”, “Pediatrics”, “Dentistry”, “Technology of medical diagnosis and treatment” and educational components (disciplines) are studied:” Foreign language for professional purposes”, “English language”, “Foreign language”, “Professional foreign language”, “Foreign language (second)” and different optional components.
In the training of students at the department modern teaching methods are widely used: communicative methods (communicative approaches), student-centered approach, the focus on the social interaction (doctor-patient), language integration and language acquisition through medical sciences. Modern communicative methods offer a wide introduction into the educational process of active non-standard methods and forms of work for better conscious assimilation of material: individual, pair, group and team work – pair interviews, brainstorming, exchange of ideas.
The department offers elective courses: “Business English”, “English language”, “Foreign language (second)”, “Foreign language for academic purposes (English)”, “Foreign language for professional purposes (English)” for students of the 1st – 5th years of study.
At the department 11 textbooks, 55 guidelines, etc. have been created.
Academic staff is trained according to the educational and scientific program “Doctor of Philosophy”.
Fields of scientific interests of the department: Analysis of language needs of PhD students; specific nature of minor genres in the field of medicine.
Topics of research, scientific and research work of the department: “Analysis of language needs of PhD students”; linguistic features of a clinical case description: genre and analytical approach; genres in teaching a language to medical students; methods of teaching in English: language competence of academic disciplines teachers; cognitive and creative approaches in the course of professional English for PhD students.
The tutors of the department of foreign languages participate in a various scientific events such as international conferences TESOL, XI International Symposium “Humanities and Social Sciences in Europe: Achievements and Prospects” (Vienna, 2016), scientific and practical conference with international participation “System of professional development of pedagogical staff in higher educational institutions of Uzbekistan: experience, priorities and development prospects” (Tashkent, 2018), III International scientific-practical conference” Foreign languages: innovations, prospects for research and teaching “(Minsk, 2020), X International scientific and practical conference “Scientific achievements of modern society” (Liverpool, Great Britain, 2020); the 5th International USERN Congress & Prize Awarding Festival (Tehran, Iran, 2020); conferences, seminars and webinars Pearson, Oxford, Cambridge, IATEFL, Elsevier, Macmillan Education, 2019 International Conference on Information Technology and Education Technology (ITET 2019) (25th to 27th November 2019, Singapore), VII International National Scientific and Practical Conference “Science and Education: Problems, Prospects and Innovations”, (Kyoto, Japan, April 2021), IInd International Scientific and Practical Conference “Science and Education: Problems, Prospects and Innovations”, (Buenos Aires, January 2021) and others.
Four teachers of the department have completed internships abroad:
1) Korneyko I.V. – United Kingdom (Hertford College, Oxford)
2) Kalnytska V.B. – USA (University of Michigan, Department of Literature)
3) Gusak O.G. – Germany (Teacher training courses, Weimar)
4) Timonova G.V. – France (School “Euro Provence”, Marseille)
The activity of the scientific circle is aimed at the gaining of professional competence by students for the English language use in the professional sphere, as well as the knowledge and skills experience obtaining through research.
Students attending the scientific circle have the opportunity to:
- get acquainted with the principles, methods, tools of scientific and research work;
- participate in the scientific life of the university (writing articles, abstracts), published in various scientific journals;
- develop skills of working with English-language professional literature, have the opportunity to form skills of scientific reports and articles writing in a foreign language, acquaint with features of scientific style;
- develop their creative abilities, speaking at scientific conferences devoted to the study of the most actual problems in the field of medicine.
- Scientific sessions are held in the face-to-face or distance format.
- Head of the student scientific circle: Kulikova O.V.
