Using computer-assisted language teaching technologies to develop multiple-levels of medical vocabulary knowledge for second language medical students

Abstract

The role of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) in developing vocabulary knowledge has been investigated extensively in the field of English for Academic Purposes with positive outcomes. However, its implications for medical education, and specifically foreign languages for medical purposes, have not received much attention. This study fills the gap by investigating a cohort (n = 22) of Indian medical students’ descriptions and explanations of their preferred vocabulary learning strategies at a medical university in South China, with specific reference to their engagement with CALL technologies. The results indicate that CALL technologies are reported to support cognitive and metacognitive learning activities but not vocabulary learning in terms of compensation and affective aspects. CALL technologies are also reported to be used significantly more often to learn meaning, rather than form and use of medical vocabulary knowledge. CALL technologies can facilitate the development of more receptive instead of the productive vocabulary knowledge. This study yields pedagogical implications for using CALL applications to develop foreign language medical students’ vocabulary learning strategies in the social, affective and compensational dimensions.