Abstract
Although language assessments for medical professionals in the UK are changing, there is still a need for them to demonstrate their proficiency in English before working in the National Health Service (NHS). When providing English for specific purposes (ESP) courses for retraining refugee doctors, we need to consider all the potential barriers that every language learner faces, as well as professional barriers that may challenge them as a specific group. The following article examines the linguistic (and psycholinguistic) barriers that confront this intelligent, motivated and diligent group of people, and puts forward a model that teachers, course planners and material designers may use for their English language training.
Highlights
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test is an assessment of a learner’s English to establish whether they are able to cope with the rigours of entry intoHigher Education, it has been used for other purposes for which it is not intended
In Phase One, the findings showed that attempting to pass the English language assessment represented a hiatus in professional practice but that there did not seem to be a link between age and success
A further point that arose from the data was that the majority of the questionnaire respondents had achieved the level of English required by the General Medical Council (GMC)
Summary
Higher Education, it has been used for other purposes for which it is not intended. One such example is its use in assessing a doctor’s English as a step towards registering with the General Medical Council (GMC). IELTS was considered a ‘best fit’ as a screening device for doctors, its use in this context was sometimes considered inappropriate. In response to such criticisms, an announcement from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in 2017, the GMC announced in 2018 that they too would accept the Occupational. The subsequent step would be for doctors to take the Professional Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) exams 1 and 2 (GMC, 2018a)
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