2015 Volume 10 Issue 2 Pages 183-193
This study reports on the use and effects of a medical-themed film in English classes for low proficiency nursing majors. Many low proficiency EFL learners lack motivation to study English, so it is highly desirable that teachers in charge of those students develop ways to successfully motivate them. In view of the great interest that nursing students show in their chosen field, the use of a medical-themed film was deemed potentially useful to motivate them further in their study of both language and nursing. 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. The film was considered suitable for them in that nurses play substantial roles in it. An experiment was conducted utilizing an ESP approach, to verify the effectiveness of the course material. The results revealed that the use of a medical-themed film was highly effective in motivating learners, but no significant improvement was observed in regard to their listening abilities. The implications of the findings are also discussed.
