An Account of Systematic Review of English for Medical Purposes (EMP) Vocabulary Memorization

Abstract

A high volume of global medical information exchanges has escalated due to the recent pandemic that has hit the world. In addressing international demands of sorts, it is imperative that students improve their English language proficiency, especially for medical purposes. Sufficient vocabulary knowledge is vital for language skills to be employed effectively. However, in China, limited attention has been given to vocabulary learning over the years, especially English for Medical Purposes (EMP) vocabulary since it is very large, complex and filled with jargon. Research shows that students perceive the difficulty of EMP to lie in the learning of vocabulary itself. Faced with problems and challenges in the process of EMP vocabulary learning through memorization technique, theoretical research is urgently required to comprehensively reveal the research status of EMP vocabulary memorization. Therefore, this study adopts the systematic literature review method to evaluate related research on EMP vocabulary memorization in China and abroad from 2011 to 2021. The main characteristics of EMP vocabulary memorization research, the factors that affect EMP vocabulary memorization, and the most popular memory strategies are elaborated in detail in order to integrate the existing fragmented knowledge and demonstrate the development of EMP vocabulary memorization technique(s).