Página 9 - Teacher’s book - ENGLISH FOR HEALTH-CARE PROVIDERS

Teacher’s book
1.INTRODUCTION
The introduction section of each unit introduces the topic of the unit with a brief description
of its contents. This helps students see what topics will be covered in the unit.
2.GRAMMAR
Grammar is an essential part of students’ linguistic competence. Because of this, each
unit begins with a grammar section featuring key verb tenses or grammatical topics such
as adjectives, reported speech, conditional sentences, or phrasal verb grammar. The sec-
tions are typically sketchy, and should be completed with well-known and widely available
grammar books if necessary. The grammar component in the books is supported by “gram-
matical tips” based on the readings of each unit addressing topics such as prepositions,
derivational suffixes, or the passive voice.
To check students’ grasp of basic grammar points, each units contains at least one gram-
mar exercise that typically asks students to fill in gaps by putting the verbs or adjective in
brackets into a correct form. When the verb should be in the negative, “not” accompanies
the verb inside the brackets. Most items in the exercises contain vocabulary that is relevant
for the topic of each unit and the book in general.
3.READING
The textbook contains two readings per unit. These deal with topics relevant to the units
in which they are included. The texts draw on various sources of information and a wide
range of examples to do with health-care providers.
The texts are meant to exemplify some of the most common vocabulary used in the areas
each unit deals with, as well as providing other useful vocabulary. The texts also exemplify,
variably some of the grammar points explained at the beginning of each unit.
Texts may be considered to differ in the linguistic difficulty they may pose to students, and
some of them are linguistically challenging, using abundant technological jargon. Despite
this, teachers should reassure students that it is not always necessary to read and under-
stand each and every word in the text. Students should be encouraged to look at the context
in which words are used and made aware that, in many cases, they may be able to figure
the meaning of a word out from the context. It is up to each teacher to decide which words
should be remembered by the students or groups. However, teachers should encourage
them to keep at hand and use a traditional or an online dictionary during the exercise to dis-
cover what the words mean, rather than wait until teachers explain or translate the words.
There are several types of exercises based on the readings, apart from the grammatical tips
mentioned above. Some of the exercises focus on students’ skimming skills, or students’
ability to understand the “gist” or main idea. Some other activities focus on students’
“scanning” skills to find a particular piece of information.