RESUMEN

Non-native English-speaking physicians often encounter challenges when pursuing job and education opportunities in English-speaking countries. This article focuses on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, which is a requirement for applying to work, study, or obtain a visa in native English-speaking developed countries. The article details how the author, who is a physician from India, employed strategies that resulted in an overall band score of 8, consisting of 8.5 in listening, 9 in reading, 7.5 in writing, and 7.5 in speaking. The author had a moderate level of English proficiency before the 31-day preparation period, which involved one hour of daily practice and four-hour intensive practice for three days. To prepare, the physician used various resources, including Cambridge IELTS 15 and 16 books, two free practice tests from the British Council, a free 14-day course, and two full practice tests from Macquarie University. The author employed diverse strategies to improve their listening skills, such as listening to English content without subtitles, practicing with IELTS-like tests, and listening to tests at faster speeds. To overcome reading challenges, the author completed three reading passages during practice, read medical journals and books, and familiarized themselves with medical terminologies. For the writing section, the author practiced different question types and used language-checking software for feedback. Lastly, for the speaking section, the author practiced various topics, familiarized themselves with the exam format, and recorded themselves to identify and correct errors. This success story demonstrates how non-native English speakers can use a combination of resources and strategies to enhance their skills in all four sections of the IELTS exam at a nominal fee.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Strong writing skills are critical to the pharmacy profession. This paper describes the design, delivery, and impact of a course intended to develop pharmacy students' scientific writing, peer assessment, and critical appraisal skills. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: The course was offered in the final year of an undergraduate pharmacy program with students whose first language is not English. In this course, students write two structured pharmacy review articles (PRA) based on assigned scientific research articles and peer assess each others' written PRAs. Students also critically appraise scientific research articles on a weekly basis, complete one pre-journal club written reflective critique based on a assigned scientific research article, and moderate one journal club session. FINDINGS: Course rubrics were developed and validated by the course coordinators. A survey administered to students enrolled in the course identified that 85% of the students perceived that they gained adequate writing skills in the course. More than 70% of the students indicated they had the necessary skills to evaluate their peers' written assessments, and 93% felt comfortable providing and receiving feedback from peers. More than 90% of the students indicated that writing PRAs and the peer assessment improved their critical and analytical skills. SUMMARY: This course improved students' scientific writing, peer assessment, and critical appraisal skills. Further practice is required to reinforce the skills learned and to strengthen the writing skills of students.

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RESUMEN

There has been limited research on nursing students' (NSs) language problems conducted in non-English speaking countries, especially research focusing on college transfer students. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived needs and challenges of English use by college transfer NSs in a non-English speaking environment. A descriptive study design was adopted. Forty-five college transfer NSs from a university in Hong Kong participated in the study. Sixteen interviews were conducted. A qualitative content analysis was performed. Two main categories were identified: (a) Perceptions about English use (three sub-categories: (i) significance of having a good command of English; (ii) challenges in use of English; and (iii) low motivation and need to learn English), and (b) using English in nursing contexts (two sub-categories: (i) challenges in the use of English in nursing and (ii) improving English proficiency as a second priority in nursing students). In conclusion, college transfer NSs face challenges in general and discipline-specific English use, but their motivation to improve their English proficiency was not strong. Language centers should re-design the language courses to meet NSs' communication needs, while nursing educators should provide opportunities for students to strengthen their English use in research and clinical situations.

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