An English needs analysis of doctors and nurses in rural Japan

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K02518
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Linguistics
• Research Institution: Kagawa University
• Principal Investigator: Willey Ian David 香川大学, 大学教育基盤センター, 准教授 (90403774)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 谷本 公重 香川大学, 医学部, 教授 (10314923) ; G・M McCrohan 香川大学, 大学教育基盤センター, 講師 (20448351) ; 西屋 克己 関西医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (60526838)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: ESP / EMP / needs analysis / questionnaire / interview

Outline of Final Research Achievements

English skills are claimed to be important to medical professionals in Japan; however, surprisingly few English needs analyses of Japanese doctors and nurses have been conducted. This study used questionnaires and interviews to ascertain the English needs of doctors and nurses at hospitals in Kagawa and Okayama Prefectures. Over 2,000 questionnaires were collected, and 20 interviews were conducted. It was revealed that doctors use English primarily for reading, whereas nurses use it mainly for speaking. Encounters with foreign patients, especially native English speakers, are relatively rare. However, both doctors and nurses feel medical/nursing students need greater training in English speaking. Also, doctors are interested in in-service English learning programs, though nurses expressed greater ambivalence. Findings from this study will help improve English curricula for medical and nursing students and extablish in-service programs for doctors and nurses.

Free Research Field

English for specific purposes