Application-Based Learning Approach in Medical English Education:

Common Causes of Poor Communication and a Proposed Solution

抄録

As the medical field becomes increasingly globalized, many medical departments and universities have sought better approaches to English for Medical Purposes (EMP) (Lodhi et al. 2018, Kayaoglu & Akabas 2016). In many medical contexts, word-for-word translations from Japanese to English simply do not work. In these cases especially, translation theory offers effective skills for transferring from one language to another for both translation and interpretation. (Baker 2009, 2011, Picken 1989). This study investigates the hypothesis that the fundamental difficulties in EMP are the same as those faced by professional translators and interpreters, and that the application of translation theory could effectively contribute to better medical explanations from Japanese doctors or medical students. To test this hypothesis, we applied Baker’s (2009, 2011) translation theory and compared the effectiveness of application-based learning (ABL) instruction and conventional memory-based learning (MBL) instruction under experimental conditions. ABL instruction was significantly more effective under the conditions of the experiment. Analysis of the subjects’ translations suggested three main reasons for poor translations: inappropriate word-for-word translation, unfamiliarity with common fixed medical expressions, and different thought processes applied to medical discussions in the two languages. These results suggest that the proposed ABL approach could be used in teaching to help overcome these problems.