Schedule

Session 1. 10:10 - 11:00 

• A. Simpson, Y. Hirai, J. Hensley, & M. Porter: "Development and Calibration of English OSCE Checklists for C-Section and Chemotherapy Nursing Simulations"

Abstract: Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) require reliable and linguistically clear checklists to assess clinical competence. While Japanese nursing OSCE research has explored communication skill development and checklist reliability, and medical education projects have investigated English-speaking OSCE scenarios, integration of English communication ability into nursing OSCE evaluation remains an emerging area. Within a KAKEN-funded project, C-section and chemotherapy simulations were developed in English for English-Speaking Simulated Patients using nursing care plans and multi-step role-plays. Initial checklist revisions were informed by analysis of student performance, identification of recurrent gaps, and structured discussions among co-researchers. The grading scale was revised from 0–3 to 0–2 with explicit behavioral anchors. Structured norming sessions with three evaluators are underway using video review and independent scoring. Structured norming and inter-rater agreement analysis will guide ongoing checklist refinement. The evaluator’s checklist and feedback also complement the students’ e-portfolio self-reflections. This iterative process strengthens reliability, validity, and assessment transparency.

• E. Iwasaki: "Australia’s 2025 Nursing Registration—New English Standards and the Impact on Japanese Applicants: A strategic and Educational Evaluation"

Abstract: Following the Kruk Review, AHPRA’s English standards underwent revisions through 2025–2026, reflecting a strategic shift: while writing benchmarks were moderated, overall clinical communication proficiency is increasingly prioritised. This presentation examines 2025 OET statistical data by synthesising results from Japanese candidates and the nursing profession to identify linguistic challenges likely faced by Japanese nurses. By analysing the gap between candidate performance and evolving regulatory requirements, this study explores how nursing English curricula should adapt. Rather than merely reacting to eased standards, the discussion advocates for an educational framework prioritising comprehensive communication skills. The objective is to provide evidence-based instructional strategies that empower Japanese nurses to overcome linguistic barriers, ensuring effective integration of their clinical expertise within the global healthcare community. Ultimately, this analysis aims to redefine nursing English education in supporting international professional mobility.

Session 2. 11:15-12:05

• C. Murray & P. Mathieson: "Using AI Chatbots in Nursing English Classrooms"

Abstract: AI tools are increasingly being used in classrooms to support personalized learning, student engagement, adaptive feedback, and communication practice (Younas et al, 2025). This classroom-practice presentation reports on an ongoing project of using AI chatbots to support fluency in a nursing English course. As class sizes grow, students often have limited opportunities for one-on-one interaction on topics that interest them. To address this, first-year nursing students at a public medical university in Kansai were given in-class opportunities to chat with AI chatbots. The chatbots were programmed to respond at an appropriate language level and to encourage continued interaction by asking follow-up questions. Students completed a short anonymous survey about their experiences, which showed that overall the chatbot conversations were both enjoyable and useful for practicing English. The presentation introduces the chatbot setup, student feedback, and discusses the potential role of AI chatbots in supporting interaction opportunities in nursing English education.

• C. Noda: "Co-Constructing Professional Communication in Nursing through Role-Play"

Abstract: This study reports on an English communication course designed to facilitate nursing students in developing their understanding of professional communication. Although role-play is widely used in nursing English education, students’ performances are often evaluated according to predetermined standards of fluency and clarity, obscuring the socially constructed nature of professional interaction. In this course, second-year nursing students in Japan engaged in repeated role-play with instructor guidance on prosodic features (sentence stress, word stress, and chunking) and embodied resources including body orientation, gaze, and gestures. Students video-recorded their role-plays and used structured peer feedback to reflect on linguistic and interactional dimensions, including active listening and the display of uptake. Analysis of pre- and post-questionnaires suggests increased awareness of how prosodic and embodied resources and interactional practices shape professional communication, along with greater confidence in performing such interactions. This presentation introduces the materials and strategies supporting this student-driven process.

Session 3. 13:05 - 14:45

• J. Dennisson: "AI-Powered Platform for Cultural Competency: Interactive Learning Utilizing CALD Patient Narratives"

Abstract: How do we prepare nursing students in Japan for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) interactions while reducing instructional design burden? This presentation introduces an AI-powered interactive learning platform using Porter’s CALD patient narrative corpus (2025) to support cultural competency (CC) development. The platform provides customizable task templates, such as interview practice, guided reflective writing, and communication style analysis, which instructors can adapt for coursework or students can access independently. The embedded AI tutor guides learners through CC dimensions (awareness, knowledge, skill, and desire; Campinha-Bacote, 2002), helping transform challenging clinical encounters into improved patient care. This platform can be incorporated in current nursing education curriculum, used as resources for new international nursing curriculum or offered as supplemental self-access materials to students. This presentation will demonstrate how to build a task from a real patient narrative using platform templates, and then discuss classroom implementation strategies for education about CALD patient care.

• I. Dryden, T. Miyazaki, A. Koike, M. Tanahashi, & L.M. Dryden: "Training in Psychological Inference and Characterization of Pediatric Patients in Nursing English Language Classes"

Abstract: This presentation proposes an integrated nursing English approach combining psychological inference training through films and literary works that feature children with simplified cognitive function assessment tasks. Nursing students analyze narrative scenes to infer children’s emotional states and unspoken needs, then engage in English role-plays incorporating age-appropriate cognitive and orientation questions. During pediatric clinical practice, students may encounter children learning Japanese as an additional language and, through college community outreach program, might need to support children with disabilities and their siblings. Similarly, because the children may not always be Japanese, students must learn to quickly remember individual characteristics and respond with appropriate English expressions. Consequently, students need training that sharpens their own cognitive functions—such as memory, attention, and situational judgment. By learning to interpret both psychological cues and cognitive responses, nursing students can strengthen their medical English proficiency and clinical reasoning, and improve their abilities to deliver culturally sensitive, patient-centered pediatric care in diverse healthcare settings.

• J. Huffman & N. Kitamura: "Guided AI Use in an English Academic Writing Course for Nursing Students"

Abstract: AI tools are now widely used by university students, presenting both opportunities and challenges in nursing English education. Students need guidance on how to use this powerful technology in ways that strengthen their thinking and writing skills while also helping them produce highly-polished writing. We developed a three-part AI-assisted writing workshop series for undergraduate nursing students. The three workshops cover paragraphs, introductions and conclusions, and 5-paragraph essays, and the topics are nursing focused but do not require technical knowledge/language. Each workshop is structured as follows: 1) unaided writing; 2) explanation and demonstration of ethical/effective AI use (including appropriate prompts); and 3) student revision of unaided writing using AI. Concurrently, we are conducting a research study examining the relationship between patterns of AI engagement (based on analysis of screen recordings) and unaided writing performance (pre-post writing sample). This presentation outlines the background, workshop design, and research methodology of this educational/research initiative.

• J. Kelly: "Medical Vocabulary and the First-Year Nursing Student: Nouns, Grammar, Games and Retention."

Abstract: At the beginning of their second semester, a first-year Japanese nursing student’s course of study gains momentum towards more focused and specialized academic medical theory and basic practical exercises. Concurrent cross-pollination and buttressing of basic medical English vocabulary and the grammar necessary for communication with English-speaking patients in the future is optimal. In this practice-oriented presentation, an evaluation of the instruction, practice, and retention by first-year students of this fundamental vocabulary and the grammar used to communicate it effectively will be provided. The evaluation will highlight beneficial strategies of group games as well as avoidable pitfalls to further support student improvement. 

Poster Session 15:00 - 15:30 

• W. Davies, S. Fraser, & M. Higa: "Designing Vocabulary-Based Healthcare Materials for First-Year Students at Hiroshima University"

Abstract: At Hiroshima University, first-year students study general English as part of their humanities-based studies. This presentation outlines a project introducing a healthcare English component in a first-year course on the university’s medical campus. The materials are designed for self-study, with a focus on a pedagogic word list of approximately 600 terms embedded in them. There are two key challenges in creating the materials: (1) They must be of interest to a variety of students preparing for a range of healthcare professions, such as doctors, nurses, physical therapists, dentists, and pharmacists; and (2) they must also be accessible to first-year students who do not yet have specialist background knowledge. To address these challenges, the materials are primarily designed around a core of specialist–patient dialogues, offering a more accessible register for learners at their current stage of both language and disciplinary development. To achieve coherence, the dialogues are generated through a set of carefully selected simulated cases. The presentation illustrates one practical approach to delivering word lists through coherent, context-rich units of material.  

• Y. Tsutsumi, A. O. Batty, & N. Sugimoto: "Toward a “Simple English” for Nursing Care in Japan"

Abstract: As the number of foreign patients seeking medical treatment in Japan increases due to tourism and immigration, the need for nurses capable of communicating with patients in English is becoming more apparent. In most of these cases, English is the native language of neither the patient nor the nurse, presenting unique communication challenges arising from the intersection between low-frequency, technical medical terminology and the lower general English proficiency of both interlocutors. The present research reviews the relevant English for Nursing Purposes (ENP) and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) literatures seeking a workable framework by which Japanese nursing programs can address this critical issue in English education. The researchers conclude by drawing upon international programs, such as the UK’s Plain Language initiative, to propose an agenda for research and practice aiming for the development of a “Simple English” framework for providing nursing care to non-Japanese patients in Japan.

• M. Sando: "The History of katakana Healthcare-Related Loanword and Adaptation from Their Original English Models"

Abstract: Katakana is mostly used for representing loanwords, and the healthcare field employsa wide range of katakana terms. Although katakana is useful for Japanese speakers, it can occasionally lead to misunderstandings. These misunderstandings can result from combinations of English words that do not appear together in English, such as the term enzerukea (エンゼルケア, angel care). Another example of unique a katakana term is komedikaru (コメディカル, co-medical), which was created from the term paramedical to avoid using the prefix para-, due to its a negative connotation of “subsidiary” or “secondary.” However, the term “co-medical” also implies a subsidiary or peripheral meaning among health professionals, and thus many academic societies discourage its use due to its controversial nature. This poster presentation will trace the history of this Japanese-English term and consider how health professionals need to think about appropriate terms when building interprofessional teams that can offer better patient care.

Session 4. 15:45 - 17:00

• Y. Atsumi: "Invisible Difficulties in Nursing English Research in the Age of AI: A Practical Teaching Report"

Abstract: Approximately 90–95% of nursing research articles are published in English, making language proficiency essential for accessing international literature. As research literacy remains a vital competency throughout a nursing career, most four-year nursing universities in Japan require students to complete a graduation research project. This presentation explores the gap between difficulties anticipated by the instructor and those actually experienced by students in the 2025 research seminar. The discussion draws on individual research consultations and students’ submitted assignments, focusing on challenges such as literature selection, narrowing research scope, and formulating research questions. In the age of AI, students can produce superficially well-structured writing with technological support, which may make underlying difficulties less visible to instructors. To address these issues, Nursing Research Navi, an AI-assisted web application currently under development, will be introduced as a tool to support both the research process and English article reading while making students’ struggles more visible.

• Perceptia (Sponsor Presentation): S. Capper: "An Introduction to Perceptia Press’s Nursing English and Healthcare Publications"

Abstract: This presentation introduces Perceptia Press’s suite of nursing and healthcare publications, with a particular focus on the Bedside Manner series. Bedside Manner Beginner was developed specifically for large, mixed ability classes, providing extensive opportunities for learners to develop their spoken fluency while also raising their awareness of nurse-patient English communication. The course provides a gentle introduction to nursing English by limiting the linguistic burden and focusing on practical, pragmatic aspects of speech. Bedside Manner Intermediate builds on this solid foundation by focusing on area-specific communication (such as elderly care, psychiatric nursing, perioperative care and midwifery), while broadening the learner’s basic medical vocabulary through comprehension of medical affixes and roots. Finally, the author will share his favourite and most successful communication activity, so no-one goes away empty-handed!

• JALT DAC Conference Speaker: Jim Ronald: "Pragmatics and Nursing: A Patient's Perspective"

Abstract: For the past 15 years, I have been working to bring the practical insights of pragmatics to the classroom, in class and through JALT'S Pragmatic SIG publications. Over the past five years, together with Pragmatics class graduate students at Hiroshima Shudo University and at Hokusei Gakuen University in Hokkaido, I have been making a point of noticing "pragmatic incidents" in our everyday lives, sharing them on a Google document, and reflecting on these incidents together. This year, I have had the opportunity to experience the services of Japanese healthcare in various places and ways, including hospitalization, and I brought this noticing habit with me. I will share various interactions and reflections that have been part of my experiences with medical professionals. It is my hope that this focus on pragmatics may bring some useful insights for teachers of prospective nurses, or at least a smile to their faces.

Plenary Session 17:15 - 17:55

• R. Wright: " Clinical Communication Models: A Solution to Teaching at Lower Level?"

Abstract: Internationally educated nurses with lower levels of English proficiency face a dual challenge: acquiring linguistic competence while simultaneously demonstrating safe, patient-centred communication in complex environments. 

This presentation explores how clinical communication models can provide much-needed scaffolding to support these learners in developing their skills in spoken English. It will outline practical classroom applications for nursing contexts, including escalation of care, consultations, and patient education. It will also address common pitfalls and propose strategies to encourage learners to move from formulaic use to authentic interaction. 

By integrating clinical communication models, trainers can deliver instruction that is both linguistically accessible and professionally credible, preparing nurses and nursing students for real-world practice. This session will be of particular interest to teachers of English for healthcare, nursing educators, and trainers working with internationally recruited staff at lower proficiency levels.

End-of-Day 1 Remarks 17:55 - 18:05

Session 5. 9:40 - 10:30

• E. Fortin: "How Ten Years of International Exchanges Have Demonstrated COVID’s Influence on Programs and Student Interest"

Abstract: International exchanges are of great importance in providing Japanese nursing students with opportunities for English language practice as well as exposure to other cultures. However, the COVID pandemic disrupted most of these programs, compelling institutions to either cancel them or create online alternatives. This presentation will describe how COVID affected international exchanges at one institution. This will be followed by an overview of the changing level of interest of the institution’s nursing students toward its international exchange programs. The presentation will conclude with ideas on how to preserve international exchange programs by adapting recruitment methods to counter current lower level of interest of students in such programs.

• M. Higa, J. Iwata, R. Sato, & S. Wang: "Foreign Residents’ Healthcare Experiences in Japan: Insights for English‑medium Medical Communication Education"

Abstract: This study examined foreign residents’ experiences with medical care and explored educational implications for English medium communication to reduce linguistic and cultural barriers. In many settings, language discordance and limited health literacy lead to misunderstanding, errors, and reduced access to care. As patient populations become more diverse in Japan, providers need effective communication strategies for safe, equitable, and patient centered care. A multilingual survey conducted in 2025 yielded 302 responses. Results showed persistent communication challenges, including limited language support and difficulty understanding medical information in clinical encounters. Interpretation services were available for some participants, but gaps remained in consistent, effective communication. Differences across care settings and support systems suggest both individual and structural influences on patient experience. These findings highlight the need for targeted training in plain English communication, teach back techniques, cultural humility, and effective use of interpreter resources, particularly in inpatient and emergency settings.

Session 6. 10:45 - 12:00

• J. Hensley, M. Porter, A. Simpson, & Y. Hirai: "Faculty Perspectives on the Role of English, Simulation, and OSCEs in Japanese Nursing Education"

Abstract: The last decade has seen an increase in the use of simulation in nursing education and, more recently, the adoption of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) within nursing programs in Japan. Both approaches rely heavily on communication skills. At the same time, the ability to communicate with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients has been incorporated into the most recent Model Core Curriculum for Nursing Education in Japan. This presentation reports the results of a nationwide survey of nursing and English faculty members. The survey examined perceptions of the importance of English-language learning in nursing education, the use of Japanese- and English-speaking simulated patients (SPs), and the adoption of English-language OSCEs. While both English education and SP use were viewed positively, there were differences in views on the role of English and OSCEs, as well as curriculum design and revision, revealing a tension between educational value and clinical relevance.

• Y. Nakamura: "Enhancing Motivation and Engagement in English Learning among Nursing Students" 

Abstract: This presentation examines how nursing students can become more motivated and engaged in English learning through an approach that connects English with their professional identity. After 18 years of teaching at a liberal arts college, I began teaching at a nursing college in 2016, where English tends to be marginalized because it is not required for the national nursing examination. Early course evaluations revealed students’ anxiety and fatigue toward English despite their apparent effort in class. In response, I redesigned my courses to integrate English more closely with nursing and to support students’ confidence. Longitudinal questionnaire data indicate gradual changes in students’ attitudes and engagement. Drawing on Dörnyei’s (2016) concept of the Ideal L2 Self, this study argues that motivation can be strengthened by linking English learning to students’ future professional selves. The findings suggest that emphasizing identity and future goals can foster more autonomous and sustained English learning among nursing students.

• T. Inada: "Does Attendance Really Matter? Psychological Drivers of L2 Learning Across Disciplines"

Abstract: This study challenges the common assumption that attendance predicts academic success in L2 learning. Drawing on data from first-year nursing and physical therapy students (n = 35), I examined the relationships among attendance, psychological factors, perceived proficiency, and test performance. Psychological variables included enjoyment, anxiety, motivation, self-efficacy, autonomy, growth mindset, and effort regulation. Contrary to expectations, attendance was not significantly related to test scores in either group. However, in the physical therapy group, anxiety showed a strong positive correlation with absences (r = .71, p = .022), indicating that attendance behavior may be psychologically driven. Furthermore, psychological factors were significantly associated with perceived proficiency but not with objective performance. These findings suggest that academic outcomes cannot be explained by attendance alone and highlight the need to reconsider behavior-based indicators of learning. Instead, discipline-specific psychological mechanisms should be central to educational design.

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