Exploring ways to use medical-themed films in English classes: An ESP approach based upon the use of the film “Awakenings”

Abstract

This study reports on the use and effects of a medical-themed film in English classes for pharmaceutical science and nursing majors. The selection of a film is a critical issue in film-based language classes, and the use of a film closely related to learners’ major has the potential to motivate them further in their study of both language and their chosen field. Thus, in order to explore such a possibility, a variety of medical-themed films were examined and course materials were developed based upon one such film, “Awakenings,” in which a doctor uses a then-experimental drug to “awaken” patients who have been catatonic for decades as a result of an encephalitis epidemic. The film was deemed potentially useful for these classes, not only in that it portrays the excitement and the heartbreak of clinical research, but also in that nurses and pharmacists play important roles in the film. An experiment was conducted utilizing an ESP (English for Specific Purposes) approach, to verify the effectiveness of the course material. The results revealed that the use of a medical-themed film was effective in helping improve the listening abilities of learners as well as motivate them. The implications of the findings are also discussed.