2022 Schedule

Abstract: After the first year of compulsory English classes which consist of communicative activities and presentations on general topics, the second-year nursing English course at our university shifts the focus towards healthcare- and nursing-related topics. This culminates in a final project that includes research and a poster presentation about a particular foreign culture. This project aims to improve students’ English and expose these future nurses to several of the foreign cultures present in Japan. It is expected that a better understanding of these cultures will facilitate better communication between nurses and an expanding number of foreign residents and travelers in Japan. This presentation will outline and evaluate the role of this student research and presentation project with attention to how it is implemented in the classroom. Finally, we will share student feedback on the project to give full and balanced insight to teachers who are considering similar projects. 

要旨：本学看護科２年生の必修英語では、学生の学力向上と異文化理解を目的とした研究発表プロジェクトを実施している。本発表では、このプロジェクトの授業内での実施方法に着目し、その役割の概要を示すとともに評価を行う。また、このプロジェクトに対する学生のフィードバックを共有することで、同様のプロジェクトを検討している教員に、十分かつバランスのとれた洞察を示す。

About the Presenters:

Michael Blodgett is a full-time lecturer at Nara Medical University. His research interests include motivation and authentic communication activities enhanced by technology. Currently, he is exploring the use of podcasts in language education and produces a podcast with his students.

Paul Mathieson is an associate professor and coordinator of the nursing English programme at Nara Medical University. He is pursuing a PhD at Kyoto University, exploring his interest in developing language learning materials that engage learners through humour and story-telling. 

Ryoko Kitazawa is a part-time lecturer at Nara Medical University. While working as an interpreter, she has also been teaching company employees as well as children and students to improve their English communication skills. 

Francesco Bolstad is a qualified teacher with 25+ years of experience in subjects as diverse as economics, biology, Japanese, and ESOL. As Professor of Clinical English, he oversees both medical and nursing English programs and is developing English medium and CLIL programs. 

Abstract: As part of an ongoing research project into the state of cross-cultural, or transcultural, nursing (CCN) in Japan, a self-assessment questionnaire instrument was developed, administered, and statistically analyzed. Initially focusing on the four components of CCN attitudes, awareness, knowledge, and behavior, the questionnaire was piloted among nursing faculty at a Japanese nursing university. Once revised based on follow-up interviews and analyses, the questionnaire was administered throughout Japan. The questionnaire instrument was subsequently refined by performing factor analyses, by which the following six CCN components were defined: respect, self-awareness, awareness, attitudes, behavior, and knowledge. This presentation discusses results of both the factor analysis and the self-assessment questionnaire, which found that nurses in Japan, while possessing positive attitudes toward CCN, may perceive themselves as lacking CCN knowledge. It was also found that nurses’ experience and time spent abroad may be related to their CCN perspectives.

要旨：日本における異文化間看護の現状を探るための異文化間看護尺度開発と実施の第一歩として、パイロット調査を開発し、日本の看護教員に実施した後、追跡インタビューへの協力を承諾した対象者とのフォローアップインタビューを行った。その結果に基づいて尺度を修正し、第一段階の全国の看護師への実施を行った。尺度開発と最初の結果に関して発表する。

About the presenter:

Joel Hensley teaches a variety of ESP at the university level in Japan, focusing on cross-cultural nursing, in which he is currently conducting research into the incorporation of intercultural awareness and communication in the classroom.

Abstract: This study charts the English test performance of twenty-eight second year students at a medical school. The subjects undertook a CEFR-based test and a modified Occupational English Test reading test. SPSS was used to analyze the test results using a t-test and a Pearson correlation. In addition to presenting the findings, the presentation also elaborates upon the relevance of the OET test and CEFR-based tests for both nursing and medical students; the process of learning to use SPSS and interpreting the statistical findings it offers; and reflections on the struggles of re-calibrating a research project mid-task to adapt to changes. For those who wish to gain basic familiarity with SPSS, CEFR, or OET, this could be a useful presentation to attend.

要旨：本研究は、ある医学部の2年生28名の英語試験の成績について調べたものである。被験者は、CEFRに基づくテストと修正OETリーディングテストを受けた。テスト結果の分析には、SPSSを使用し、t-testとピアソン相関を用いた。

About the presenter: 

Sean Thornton teaches at Hamamatsu University School of Medicine as an Assistant Professor of English for both nursing and medical students. His current research is concerned with language assessment in the medical context and the suitability of standardized tests therein. 

Abstract: Listening activities in nursing English textbooks are often limited to short, instrumental interactions between patients, often from inner circle countries. However, nurse-patient interactions are characterized by the use of communication that is both instrumental, focusing on the accomplishment of tasks, and affective, expressing feelings and beliefs. As part of a JSPS grant, the presenter has collected 30 first-person, oral accounts from immigrants who have received hospital care in Japan. A sub-section of these eight- to fifteen-minute recorded accounts was used in a new 15-week course for fourth-year students with the intention of providing extensive listening opportunities to students in order to improve students’ listening ability and their understanding of challenges faced by immigrant and foreign patients. The presenter will describe the selected accounts and approach used in the course, share student feedback, and explain improvements for the next iteration of the course. 

要旨：発表者は、日本学術振興会の研究助成事業の一環として、日本で病院診療を受けた移民から30件の一人称の口頭記録を収集しました。このうち、8分から15分程度に録音したものを、4年生を対象とした15週間の新課程で使用し、学生に広く聞く機会を提供することで、学生の聞く力を向上させ、移民・外国人患者が直面する課題に対する理解を深めることを意図している。発表者は、このコースで使用されたアカウントとアプローチについて説明し、学生のフィードバックを共有し、次の反復のための改善点を説明する。

About the presenter: 

Mathew Porter has been teaching at Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Nursing University for eight years. He is a co-founder of the Japan Association for Nursing English Teaching and a current director.

Abstract: Frequent interaction with foreign-born residents and visitors to Japan is a challenging characteristic of healthcare work. With such interactions predicted to increase, the ability to take patient perspectives to achieve cultural understanding and exercise intercultural competence to provide superior service will grow in importance. This presentation outlines an EFL approach to assisting healthcare workers develop intercultural competence through empathy-building exercises centered around pre-recorded video interviews with foreign-born residents of Japan. Building on educational interventions and research in the field of Narrative Medicine, this approach assists learners in developing cognitive empathy (i.e., the ability to understand and assess situations from alternate perspectives) to achieve greater proficiency and competence in providing service to foreign-born patients. A resource developed for this approach (The Database of Immigrant Narratives) will be introduced, and a curricular example provided. 

要旨：外国籍住民や訪日外国人と頻繁に接することは、医療従事者のやりがいの一つです。このような交流は今後ますます増えることが予想され、より良いサービスを提供するために、患者の視点に立って文化的理解を深め、異文化間能力を発揮する能力の重要性が増しています。本発表では、医療従事者の異文化間能力開発を支援するためのEFLアプローチについて概説し、録画された在日外国人へのビデオインタビューを中心とした共感開発のエクササイズを紹介します。このアプローチは、ナラティブ・メディスンの分野における教育的介入と研究を基に、学習者が認知的共感能力（すなわち、状況を別の視点から理解し評価する能力）を開発し、外国生まれの患者へのサービス提供においてより高い能力と熟練度を達成できるように支援するものである。このアプローチのために開発されたリソース（The Database of Immigrant Narratives）とカリキュラムの一例を紹介します。

About the presenter:

David Ostman teaches in the Foreign Languages Department at Kumamoto Gakuen University. His primary research involves the use of video interviews and short, narrative fiction to facilitate intercultural understanding.