RESUMO
This study explores the application of the concept of communicative competence to the teaching of English for communication purposes in a medical context. This exploration is guided by five research questions. These questions focus on the meaning of communicative competence (RQ1 and 3) and the needs and assessment requirements of learners from the viewpoints of learners and theorists (RQ2 and 4), and ways of developing existing courses in health communication to meet the needs and assessment requirements of learners (RQ5). In investigating these questions, an attempt is made to link the linguistic concept of communicative competence to the pedagogical demands of communicative teaching/learning situation. The study was conducted at the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, and involves a target population of 199 Year 1 students in dentistry, medicine, pharmacy and veterinary medicine who take two courses in health communication. The study draws on six data courses - a focus group interview (n= 8), a questionnaire (n= 93), a series of medical student self-evaluations of communication skills (n=175, n=124, n=73), student examination performance, syllabus documents and literature sources - in combining qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. The findings indicate that for the student population, comprising students of diverse language and cultural backgrounds, a number of linguistics issues emerge. These issues have implications for curriculum development in health communication and for the teaching of communication skills. The study concludes that the learner's perspective, as well as other traditional influences, should be considered in formulating linguistic, curricular and pedagogical policy to meet the needs of health professionals and the persons with whom they interact. Making linkages between Linguistics and Communication appears feasible in the teaching of English for communication purposes in a medical context. (AU)
Assuntos
Humanos , Idioma , Comunicação , Estudantes de Medicina , Currículo/tendências , Estudo de AvaliaçãoRESUMO
Data from the 1991 Belize Family Health Survey show differentials in the use of maternal and child health services between ethnic groups (Creole, Mestizo, Maya/Ketchi and Garifuna). Multivariate analysis is used to explore whether such differentials can truly be attributed to ethnicity or to other characteristics that distinguish the ethnic groups. Health services considered are: family planning, place of delivery (hospital/other), postpartum and newborn check-ups after a birth, and immunisations for children. The language usually spoken in the household is found to be important for interpreting ethnic differentials. Mayan-speaking Maya/Ketchis are significantly less likely to use family planning services or to give birth in a hospital. Spanish-speakers (Mestizos and Maya/Ketchis) are less likely to use newborn and postpartum differentials check-ups, after controlling for other characteristics. There are no ethnic differentials for immunisations. Programmatic implications of these results are discussed(Summary)
Assuntos
Humanos , Recém-Nascido , Lactente , Pré-Escolar , Adolescente , Adulto , Feminino , Serviços de Saúde da Criança/estatística & dados numéricos , Etnicidade/estatística & dados numéricos , Serviços de Saúde Materna/estatística & dados numéricos , Belize , Anticoncepção/estatística & dados numéricos , Serviços de Planejamento Familiar/estatística & dados numéricos , Inquéritos Epidemiológicos , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Idioma , Análise Multivariada , Razão de Chances , Saúde da População RuralRESUMO
We examined the effects of omitting breakfast on the cognitive functions of three groups of children: stunted, nonstunted controls, and previously severely malnourished. They were admitted to a metabolic ward twice. After an overnight fast half the children received breakfast on their first visit and a cup of tea the second time. The treatment order was reversed for the other half. When breakfast was omitted, both the stunted and previously malnourished groups responded similarly. The malnourished groups had lower scores in influency and coding whereas the control group had higher scores in arithmetic. The children were divided into wasted and nonwasted groups. Wasted children were adversely affected in digit span backwards test and wasted members of the malnourished groups were adversely affected on efficiency of problem solving and those control group in digit span forwards. These results indicate that cognitive functions are more vulnerable to missing breakfast in poorly nourished children (AU)
Assuntos
Humanos , Criança , Masculino , Feminino , Cognição , Ingestão de Alimentos , Distúrbios Nutricionais/psicologia , Inteligência , Idioma , Matemática , Memória , Resolução de Problemas , Testes PsicológicosRESUMO
West Indian children were found to be influenced by Creole lexis, syntax, morphology and phonology, even when they had been born in Britain. Although Caribbean-born West Indians showed a higher incidence of Creole interferance on a small number of features, in most cases their performance could not be distinguised from that of their British-born peers. A highly significant correlation was established between extent of Creole interference and performance on comprehension tasks, which suggests very strongly that Creole affects the efficiency of understanding of British English (AU)