Los objetivos de las tareas del curso son los siguientes:

• Tarea 1: Presenta la terminología básica, despierta la motivación cultural, y facilita la presentación del vocabulario en contextos significativos.
• Tarea 2: Presenta el vocabulario esencial para describir la anatomía del cuerpo humano.
• Tarea 3: Facilita la práctica del lenguaje relativo a la definición de partes y órganos del cuerpo humano.
• Tarea 4: Actividad comunicativa para desarrollar la fluidez con el objetivo de definir términos médicos y facilitar la integración de habilidades lingüísticas.
• Tarea 5: Provee al alumno con una actividad que permite ampliar el vocabulario sobre especialidades y especialistas, y que a la vez refuerza la práctica oral referente a gustos y preferencias. Además presenta rudimentos léxicos sobre la formación de palabras técnicas del inglés médico.
• Tarea 6: Favorece la comprensión y práctica del contenido gramatical referente al uso de los artículos definido e indefinido en el inglés médico.
• Tarea 7: Favorece el seguimiento a la práctica de la descripción de lugares y refuerza habilidades orales y escritas.
• Tarea 8: Presenta las etapas de la consulta médica, a partir de la práctica de la lectura intensiva y el significado implícito de los términos claves del vocabulario a tratar.
• Tarea 9: Centra el interés del estudiante en la precisión gramatical y favorece la práctica en situaciones típicas de la entrevista médico-paciente.
• Tarea 10: Conduce a una actividad comunicativa de cierre del curso y ofrece posibilidades de reforzar el uso de partitivos, preposiciones y el lenguaje esencial para expresar advertencia o precaución respecto al uso de los medicamentos.

Look at this passage. It goes back to the origin of the term medicine.

Medicine is taken almost directly from the Latin medicina, which to the Romans, meant almost the same as "medicine" means to us. This word, in turn, is related to mediri, "to heal". Both in ancient times and now, the same word __ medicina or "medicine"__ serves for both to the science of healing and to the means of healing, i.e., what we also call " drugs".

A more up-to-date and comprehensive view of the term medicine as the science and art of dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation or cure of disease.

1. Read the passage carefully and be ready to discuss about your personal motivation, driving forces, inspiration and/or enthusiasm in relation to the career, then, write your own definition of the word medicine.

b) The words listed below are all connected in some way to the term MEDICINE. Read carefully and arrange them into the following word sets:

Fever Heart Hypertension Cardiovascular

Respiratory Pneumonia Gastrointestinal Lungs

Appendicitis Abdomen Pain Headache

c) Can you add any other words to each group?

d)What about the term disease? What synonyms or near synonyms could be used to designate this category?

Look at the following diagrams, the one on the left shows the outer structure of a human body, which is divided into three main parts; the head, the trunk and the extremities (upper and lower). The others provide you with important internal organs of it.

1. In groups study the diagrams, match the words below to the numbers in the pictures, write the correct words for numbers 16 to 30 and then practice saying these words as your teacher provides you with a pronunciation model.

___shoulder 16________

___forearm 17________

___kidney 18________

___wrist 19________

___thigh 20________

___heel 21 ________

___navel 22 ________

___elbow 23 ________

___liver 24 ________

___sphincter muscle 25 ________

___calf 26 ________

___oesophagus 27 ________

___ chest 28 ________

___bladder 29 ________

___nipple 30 ________



Notice that the definite article the is always used for body parts an organs. E.g. The spleen.

2. The words listed in column A are very much used when doctors need to explain some of these parts or compounds. Could you match them?

1. "tube" ___ for blood, the lymph, secretions.
2. "passage" ___ for junction or articulation of bones.
3. "bag" ___ for chemical compounds like bilirubin, haemoglobin.
4. "lining" ___ for the trachea, the oesophagus, the rectum.
5. "fluid" ___ for the heart.
6. "substance" ___ for the tibia, the fibula.
7. "layers" ___ for the ureter, the urethra.
8. "gland" ___ for the stomach, the bladder.
9. "muscle" ___ for the skin – inner (dermis) outer (epidermis).
10. "bone" ___ for the liver, the pancreas.
11. "joint" ___ for the pleura, the pericardium

1. Work in pairs. Guess what part of the body or body organ is being defined.

1. The pair organs in the lumbar region. They are bean-shaped. They regulate the normal concentrations of the constituents of the blood.
2. The part of the upper limb between the arm and forearm.
3. The region of the junction of the arm and the trunk.
4. It extends from the hip to the toes.
5. It connects the head with the trunk.
6. Any of the digits of the hand.
7. The largest gland of the body, occupying the upper part of the abdomen especially on the right side. It is the central organ of metabolism of carbohydrate, proteins and fat.
8. The muscular organ, which keeps the circulation of the blood by its pumping action.
9. The paired organ of respiration, situated at each side of the mediastinum

2. Write definitions for any two other parts of the human body.

This crossword is not complete; you have only half the words, the other half is on sheet B. Work in groups to find out the words you don’t have. Listen to the other team, they will describe the location of the word in the crossword and build up a possible definition for the term to be guessed. Be ready to do the same when you take turns for defining words. Follow these rules:

• Speak only in English
• Don’t say the word in the crossword
• Don’t show the other team your crossword sheet

E.g. word 1 across: It is the knee cap, a bone found in the knee joint.

word 1 down: These are the main bones found in the digits.

For the study of the different parts of the body and body systems, doctors are specialized into a wide range of specialties.

a) Look at the following word list. There are some words hidden on both sides. Could you help to find them?

Specialties Specialists

1. physiology physiologist
2. ___________ neurologist
3. cardiology _____________
4. ___________ haematologist
5. surgery surgeon
6. nephrology _____________
7. gynaecology gynaecologist
8. bacteriology _____________
9. ___________ dermatologist
10. epidemiology _____________
11. ___________ otorhinolaryngologist (ENT specialist)
12. oncology _____________
13. obstetrics obstetrician
14. ____________ pediatrician
15. General medicine General practitioner

b) Now, write the name of the specialist or specialty that matches the definitions provided.

1. ______________The branch of medical science that is concerned with the lungs and other respiratory organs.
2. ______________The branch of medicine dealing with disorders involving mental life and behaviour.
3. ______________A specialist in the treatment of eye diseases and defects.

3. Work with your partner to write a suitable definition for two other specialties or specialists you know about.

4. What are the specialties you find more appealing. Explain why.
5. The word cardiology means the study of the heart, its actions and diseases. This term is formed by the combination of cardi (which comes from the Greek kardi = heart) and logy which means the study of or the science of. The following exercise provides you with some other major roots, prefixes and suffixes from which medical lexis is formed. Study the two columns and match them accordingly. Then write a full term for each.

1. hepat ____ life
2. derm ____ bone
3. glyc ____ below, insufficient
4. osteo ____ stomach
5. nephr ____ liver
6. bio ____ mechanical recording
7. hypo ____ inflammation
8. itis ____ skin
9. gast ____ sugar
10. gram ____ kidney

As you have seen the/a/an are troublesome areas in medical language. Work in pairs and fill in the blanks only when necessary.

1. As a child he had had ____ scarlet fever and ____ varicella
2. It’s important to immunize ____ children before the age of 5.
3. He works in ____ Faculty of ____ Medicine.
4. The patient presented with pain in ____ left arm.
5. Would you like to be ____ obstetrician?
6. I don’t feel very well this morning. I’ve got ____ sore throat.
7. He couldn’t decide whether to specialize in ____ Paediatrics or in Anaesthesiology.
8. All patients received ____ Amoxicillin 250 mg 6 hourly.
9. The drug was found to cause ____ nausea.
10. ____women live longer than men.

1. The chart presented below describes the anatomy of a Hospital. The structure is arranged according to different fields of specialization. As you can see some important services have been whited out. Work with a partner and using the words from the list below insert them into the heading they belong in. Then listen to the pronunciation of these words and practice saying them with your partner.

2. Is there any difference between the model structure presented in a) and the hospitals you are familiar with? Support your answers.

3. Now you are members of a planning committee for an international conference that is going to be held at your hospital. During the conference, participants will need information about the services available in or near the conference centre. Work in pairs, choose one of the services above and produce a brief description for conference participants in a small paragraph. Be ready to share your ideas in plenary.

Read the following conversation.

I. Greeting the patient: This is done in the conventional way.

II. History Taking or Medical Interview: Relates to the preliminary case history of the patient (Anamnesis) and includes the following:

Date of history.

Identifying Data (ID): age, sex, race, occupation, nationality, marital status, place of birth (some other type of data, such as religion, could be also taken).

Source of referral: General Practitioner (GP), other clinic, hospital, etc.

Source of history: patient, relative, friend, patient’s medical record or a referral letter.

Chief complaint: current problem.

History of the presenting illness (HPI): A clear chronological, narrative account of the problem for which the patient is seeking care.

• Onset of the problem
• Setting in which it developed
• Its manifestations
• Treatments
• Its impact upon the patient’s life and its meaning to the patient.

Symptoms: All important: Depending on the chief complaint consider everything, document the essential (either present or absent). Consider Abdominal, Genitourinary, Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Neurological, Musculoskeletal, and Psychiatric involvement. If you don't ask, they might not tell!

• Location

• Quality
• Quantity or severity
• Timing (i.e. onset, duration and frequency)
• Setting
• Precipitating, aggravating and/or relieving factors
• Associated manifestations

Relevant data from patient’s chart:

• Lab reports (if any)
• Significant negatives; the absence of certain symptoms that will help in differential diagnosis.

Past Medical History: In this stage the doctor asks about any previous illnesses the patient has had, such as:

• Childhood illnesses: e.g. measles, mumps, chicken pox (varicella), scarlet fever, polio.
• Adult illnesses, psychiatric disorders, operations, injuries, hospitalisations, current medications including home remedies, allergies.
• Immunizations.

Family History: The occurrence within the family of any of the following conditions: diabetes, TB, heart disease, high blood pressure (HBP) kidney disease, cancer, anaemia.

Social History: This is the stage in which the doctor asks about such things as the patient’s living environment, work, family relationships, marriage, retirement and habits (dietary and sleeping patterns, exercise, alcohol, coffee, tobacco, etc). These may not only relate to the cause of the patient’s problem, but also to its management.

Review of systems: In the systems review, the doctor finds out if the patient has any other important symptoms by enquiring about the different systems of the body (such as the cardiovascular system) and, if necessary, asking specific questions about them.

III Clinical Examination: The doctor may need to give the patient instructions during this stage. He may also need to inform the patient of the results of his examination. What the doctor finds on examination constitute the signs of the patient’s illness, that is; any objective evidence of disease. As opposed to the symptoms, which are the effects of the illness as reported by the patient. That is; any subjective evidence of disease.

IV Discussing the patient’s problems with him/ her: Recent research has made it clear that the doctor who neglects to determine the patient’s own view of the problem misses an important factor not only in the aetiology of the problem but in its management. In particular, he risks poor patient compliance; in other words, the patient may not follow the doctor’s advice.

V Management: This includes explaining to the patient the nature of the illness and explaining any investigations the doctor feels are necessary, as well as giving instructions about treatment itself.

VI Conclusion: This consists of ending the consultation, making arrangements for follow up, and leave-taking.

• How many stages are usually contained in a typical medical consultation? What are they?
• Which of these are present in the conversation? Which ones are left out?

Now look through all the text again and answer your teacher’s questions. Work in pairs and try to work out the meaning of any vocabulary you don’t know. Then, with the help of your teacher brainstorm on some other questions you would ask to get more information about this patient’s main complaint.

The following questions attempt to recollect to the patient’s mind detailed pieces of information associated with the patient’s main problem. Work with a partner and supply the correct form of the verb take that fits in each sentence.

1. ______you ______any medication in this moment?
2. _____you_______ any regular medication?
3. When_______ you ________the last tablets?
4. How long ______you _________this medication?
5. ________ you ________any other medication before this problem started?

We use the present continuous [be (is, are, am) +…ing] when we talk about things happening in a period around now. (Limited duration)

We use simple present (I do) to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly. (Present habit, or a sequence of events.

Simple past (I did) is used when the past happening is related to a definite time in the past.

Present perfect (I have done) often refers to:

- A recent indefinite past e.g. Have you taken your medication yet?

- Habit in a period leading up to the present time e.g. He has taken his medication regularly.

- Past event with results in the present time (announcing an event) e.g. the patient has been admitted.

- State leading up to the present time (usually with the verb be) e.g. He has been a heavy drinker for a long time.

Past perfect (I had done) indicates past in the past (one event following another in the past) e.g. He had never had this trouble before.

Another important stage of the medical consultation in which doctors also need to deal with language connected to medications is management. Some useful terms include the notions of containers, modes of presentation, purpose, uses, directions and adverse reactions.

1. This activity will allow you to learn some practical vocabulary associated with two of these; containers and modes of presentation. With the help of your teacher and the visual support provided in the picture supply the words missing in both diagrams.

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2. Use the words in exercise a) to complete expressions below. Then compare with a partner. You may use each word more than once.

1. A bottle of Ibuprofen ___________
2. A/an ___________of Nistatine ointment.
3. A bottle of Merthiolate ___________
4. A/an___________ of inhalation powder.
5. A blister of Amoxicillin ___________
6. A/an _________ of Vick’s vaporub.
7. A/an _________ of Penicillin.

c) These are all warning statements taken from different medicine labels. Choose the correct preposition to complete the ideas. Then be ready to discuss your answers in plenary.

1. Do not use __________ (by - for) mouth.
2. Avoid contact _________ (in - with) eyes.
3. It is important not to use this medication __________ (for - during) the last three months of pregnancy.
4. Take 1 tablet every 4 to 6 hours __________ (while- during) symptoms persist.
5. Apply __________ (with – to) minor cuts and scratches 1 to3 times a day.
6. It may interact _________ (in – with) certain prescriptions.
7. Do not use the maximum dosage __________ (for- since) more than 2 weeks.

4. Work in groups, study the notes below, then read the information labelled in the materials provided by your teacher and prepare a brief talk about it. Try to include everything you consider necessary for an accurate understanding of its purposes, uses, directions and adverse reactions. E.g.

• Purpose: antacid, dietary supplement.
• Uses: relieves heartburn and sour stomach, helps promote healthy immune function and general well-being.
• Directions: chew 2-4 tablets as symptoms occur, one tablet daily preferable with a meal.
• Adverse reactions: do not take more than…, … may interact with certain prescription drugs.