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Needs Analysis in a Nursing English Training Program: A Case Study in Taiwan

The growing international healthcare industry in Taiwan has led to higher occurrences of nurses utilizing English to communicate with international patients, caregivers, and medical teams. The purpose of this study was to investigate the English needs of a group of Taiwanese nurses through needs analysis in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) to develop a prospective Nursing English training program in Taiwan. Nine Taiwanese nurses were recruited for individual semi-structured interviews in qualitative research. The study used Target Situation Analysis to explore nurses' target English topics and target communicative tasks. Meanwhile, Means Analysis was applied to examine the environmental factors of an English for Nursing Purposes (ENP) training program in Taiwan. Findings indicated that course content should incorporate tasks in both written and oral communication in English. Additionally, the ENP course should emphasize multiple communication topics highlighting nursing specialties rather than general nursing fields. Concerning classroom organization, the features of (1) a specialized merit system, (2) a relaxing learning environment, (3) flexible class schedules, (4) convenient class location, (5) affordable course fees, and (6) unit-discrete topics emerged in the study. Consequently, the study advocated that the aforementioned results, derived from the current data, are in line with the FUN PROM model proposed previously. This has teaching implications for the development of a customized ENP curriculum model for Taiwanese nurses, including (1) Financial support, (2) Undemanding course requirements, (3) Neighborhood class location, (4) Point-collection system, (5) Rotational class time, (6) Optional attendance for individual topics, and (7) Multiple class schedules. In that case, nurses can learn Nursing English in a communicative-based, supportive, risk-free, contextually-supported, and time/money/location-friendly learning environment.

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Teaching L2 Argumentative Writing with Computer-Supported Collaborative Argumentation

Argumentation has long been recognized as an important skill across disciplines in higher education. Argumentative writing is not only the most common genre that undergraduates have to write (Wu, 2006), but is also "at the heart of second language writing (SLW) assessment" (Hirvela, 2017, p. 69). However, despite the difficulties L2 students experience in constructing effective or strong arguments (de Oliveira, 2011; Mitchell & Pessoa, 2017), we still know relatively little about argumentation in SLW, particularly how it is taught and learned in the L2 context. Therefore, this study aimed at developing an instructional framework theoretically grounded in both Toulmin's model (1958) and Walton's dialogue theory (1996), examining particularly the effectiveness of engaging students in computer-supported collaborative argumentation on strengthening the quality of their arguments. The one-group pretest-posttest design was implemented. During the six-week argumentative writing instruction, students were instructed with notions of argumentation and engaged in synchronous and asynchronous online collaborative argumentation tasks supported by guided discussion questions. A mixed-method approach was employed for data analysis; quantitative analysis was conducted to examine the overall quality of students' argumentative writing, focusing specifically on improvement in the quality of arguments, while qualitative analysis was conducted on the dialogic exchange of asynchronous argumentation to unveil how collaborative argumentation may contribute to the development of argumentation skills. The results indicated that the incorporation of computer-supported collaborative argumentation helps improve the overall quality of argumentative writing. Most importantly, the quality of argumentation has been greatly enhanced as students demonstrated the ability to construct accurate claims in response to questions, incorporate high-quality evidence in support of claims, and an understanding of the role of counterarguments in strengthening the persuasiveness of argumentation, all of which may result from the opportunity to argue collaboratively with others. This study suggests that teaching L2 argumentative writing with computer-supported collaborative argumentation can be a worthwhile approach given that it addresses the limitation of the Toulmin model while strengthening the quality of argumentation.

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Integrating Language Learning and Physical Education: The Impact of the CLIL Approach in a Taiwanese University

This study examined the integration of learning English language and physical education using the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach in a general education class at a private university in Taiwan. The study aimed to investigate the impact of the CLIL approach on students' learning engagement, perceptions, and the effectiveness of the CLIL approach in terms of English language learning and sport knowledge. The study involved 39 college students from different majors, with language proficiency levels ranging from A2 to B1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. A mixed methods approach was employed, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data through various instruments, including the student learning survey, English pre- and posttests, and student feedback. The data were analyzed using statistical software and were coded and categorized into themes for student feedback. The results showed that the CLIL approach positively impacted students' learning engagement, as they exhibited an increased preference for English and physical education subjects after the class. Moreover, the CLIL approach improved students' learning efficiency, including active learning, effective learning, and love for learning. Furthermore, students' learning results indicated that the CLIL approach positively impacted their English language learning and content knowledge. In addition, the study received positive feedback regarding student learning experience and achievement, teacher engagement and support, and active engagement and skill development. Despite some challenges, the findings of this study can serve as a reference for future implementation of bilingual education in Taiwan, as it provides insights into the effective use of the CLIL approach to integrating language learning with other subjects.