Syllabus Information

1.1. Introduction

Brief presentation of the course

The Scientific English for Veterinarians course is an optional module of 6 ECTs included in the 2nd year programme of the BSc degree course in Veterinary Sciences. It provides students with content and practical activities leading to achieving an upper intermediate level of the lexical, grammatical and communication skills in Scientific English within the scope of veterinary studies and professional activities, in order to help them communicate effectively in these contexts.

Students who successfully complete this module are entitled to apply for the 2 ECTS corresponding to the required B1 level of English (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) by presenting the corresponding application form at the faculty office.

Please, look up the application procedure at: http://wzar.unizar.es/servicios/primer/2matricula/academica/certi.htm ( Reglamento para la certificación de niveles de competencia en lenguas modernas)

http://wzar.unizar.es/servicios/primer/2matricula/academica/tabla_equivB1%20.pdf  (Tablas de equivalencias de las distintas lenguas extranjeras).

1.2. Recommendations to take this course

To be successful, the student is recommended to start with at least the level of general English (written and oral) acquired in Bachillerato, which is equivalent to B1 of the Common European Framework, whose achievement requires the following skills:

- understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc.

- understand the main point of many radio or TV programmes on current affairs or topics of personal or professional interest when the delivery is relatively slow and clear.

- understand texts that consist mainly of high frequency everyday or job-related language.

- receive and give orders and instructions in both written and oral English

- deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken.

- enter unprepared into conversation on topics that are familiar, of personal interest or pertinent to everyday life (e.g. family, hobbies, work, travel and current events).

- briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.

-  narrate a story or relate the plot of a book or film and describe his/her  reactions.

-  write simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest.

- write personal letters describing experiences and impressions

The course will be entirely delivered in English and communication in the classroom takes place only in this language. The student is also advised to work on it steadily, which implies attending both lessons and practice sessions on a regular basis.

1.3. Context and importance of this course in the degree

Since English is the language internationally used in scientific communication, most bibliographical resources and online learning material used by students of this degree are published in English. Therefore, apart from providing students with the necessary skills to use English in academic and professional veterinary contexts, it will also contribute to developing their proficiency in reading and understanding texts necessary to reach the objectives set for the degree.

1.4. Activities and key dates

The activities and key dates will be communicated at the presentation of the module for each group and during the semester in due time.

The official hours and dates of the final exams can be found on the web pages of the Veterinary Sciences Faculty (http://veterinaria.unizar.es/)

Note that it is the responsibility of students to ensure that they have read and understood this document and all the information about the course, and have checked lessons timetable and exam dates in advance, so as to be able to plan their work schedule. If you are in any doubt, talk to the teacher in good time.

At the end of the teaching period students will be evaluated by means of a global examination (vid. Evaluation section in the present guide).

2.1. Learning goals

The student, in order to pass the course, will have to show his/her competence in the following skills:

1: Make use of specialized terminology commonly used in the academic and professional contexts related to veterinary practice.

2: Understand and correctly interpret specialized texts written in English about topics related to the veterinary studies and related jobs, so that they can make everyday use of the bibliographical resources needed in the course of his/her degree studies.

3: Identify and make use of the adequate register used in the different spheres where scientific communication occurs.

4: Produce short texts about topics related with his/her academic activities using the rhetorical functions adequate for the corresponding communicative act.

5: Identify and understand the main points in a lecture or speech in English on topics related to his/her areas of study and future professional activity.

6: Participate in conversations and debates on topics pertinent to their academic activities.

7: Detect the differences between the language used for general purposes (General English) and the use of English in academic scientific contexts.

2.2. Importance of learning goals

The skills acquired will provide the students with communicative competences that are essential in post-graduate studies and that are currently crucial to access scientific knowledge. These competences will undoubtedly enhance their employability in a globalized labour market where a proficient command of English for professional purposes is highly valued.

3.1. Aims of the course

The expected results of the course respond to the following general aims:

The general aim of this course is to enable the students to:

- communicate in English at a reasonable level of accuracy, adapting the message to the audience and the communicative purpose of the discourse, in different academic and professional contexts  related with the veterinary Sciences .

- develop strategies and techniques for written and oral communication in English,

aiming to building, processing, interpreting and presenting scientific data and information.

- make use of bibliographical resources and veterinary websites published in English.

3.2. Competences

After completing the course, the student will be competent in the following skills:

1: understand, analyze, evaluate and produce short scientific texts related to those subjects composing his/her degree course, making use of  an adequate linguistic approach.

2: find specific information within a wider text as a result of both his/her knowledge of specialized terminology and of being familiar with the rhetorical structure of scientific discourse.

3: participate in conversations and debates on veterinary topics applying communicative strategies an academic context.

4: apply useful strategies in searching information online  in English, through the use of keywords and linguistic tools such as specialized dictionaries, data bases, veterinary websites, university libraries, veterinary podcasts…)

4.1. Assessment tasks (description of tasks, marking system and assessment criteria)

Assessment tasks

The student will prove that he/she has achieved the expected learning results by means of the following assessment tasks:

1: Global Examination: All students of this module are evaluated at the end of the semester by means of a global evaluation of the command of English.  A model exam will be provided in advance so that students are aware of the level required  to pass the test, and the tasks to be completed.

Assessment will cover all the material that has been used and studied in the course and what students are expected to have acquired as independent learners. The examination will be based on the completion of tasks similar to those carried out throughout the course. These will include:

-          the use of specialized terminology and the ability to deduce the meaning of words through the context (25%).

-          paragraph building on veterinary topics using scientific information and applying the morphosyntactic, semantic and lexical  structures that  define scientific language (30%).

-          rephrasing  the information  given by applying knowledge of synonyms, antonyms, use of connectors, abbreviations and other linguistic features  necessary to express the functions which characterize biomedical scientific language (description, classification, definition, comparison, instructions…) (15%).

-          understanding  authentic (not linguistically adapted) veterinary texts, applying meaning-deduction techniques, understanding complex noun compounds, demonstrating knowledge of word-formation (prefixes, roots, suffixes), and identifying textual structure depending on the communicative function of the selected text (20%). 

-          using keywords in online information search (10%).

2: Oral Examination: Those students that cannot demonstrate to have obtained this skill during the practice sessions will INEXCUSABLY have to pass an oral exam consisting of a 10-15 minute conversation in English on topics related to those learnt and discussed throughout the course.

Assessment of students not attending classes and second call exams.

As indicated above, all students of this module are evaluated at the end of the semester by means of a global evaluation of the command of English. Structure of the exam and assessment percentages are also detailed in the paragraph above.

Students not attending classes are offered the possibility of completing tasks with materials available in the Moodle platform. Completion of these tasks will be taken into account in the final marks. These students will have to pass an oral exam.

Assessment criteria

Accuracy in the use of the English language and appropriateness of style (formal register and specific veterinary vocabulary); coherent organization of the information adjusting to the respective discourse structure of the different scientific genres.

More detailed evaluation criteria have already been specified in the description of the different assessment tasks.

Remember that, in order to successfully complete the course, the student will have to obtain at least 60% of the total available marks.

Academic marks system:

0-4,9: F (fail)

5,0-6,9: C and D levels

7,0-8,9: B level

9,0-10: A and A+ level

Marks will be expressed numerically according to the regulations included in article 5 of the Royal decree 1125/2003  published in the  Official State Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado –BOE) where the European Credits System and the grading system  for university studies are established.

5.1. Methodological overview

The learning process that has been designed for this course is based on the following activities:

This is a basically practical course, and consequently, although part of every class session is likely to involve direct teaching, the emphasis is on student participation in English. They will be expected to take part actively in discussion and in tasks such as small group and pair work where the concepts and knowledge acquired will be applied.

With this aim, and before each session, the students will be provided with a summary of the main points of the lesson (through the Moodle platform), to optimize the performance of the available contact hours.

Each theoretical session will last 50 hours. Part of this time will be devoted to explaining and exemplifying the main points of the corresponding unit, working with authentic (not adapted) oral and written texts relating to a great variety of veterinary topics. Students will then be required to actively participate in problem-solving activities for which they will be provided with further explanations when required. Thus, despite being referred to as “theoretical”, these sessions entail active participation of the students in all cases.

These sessions will be complemented with  a series of purely practical 50 minute classes where students  will be able to put into practice  the knowledge acquired by completing tasks  which require the use of scientific language.

The student will also be expected to spend time studying outside the class using extra facilities and materials to help them develop their expertise as independent language learners. The completion of a series of exercise and tasks will also be required.

There is no set textbook. The supporting printed learning materials for the course will be available from the reprography service of the faculty. To help students to develop an autonomous learning programme, extra supporting materials to consolidate English grammar and pronunciation as well as extra practice materials for veterinary  related topics will be provided in the Digital Platform https://moodle2.unizar.es/.

Authentic print and multimedia material covering a variety of styles, registers and genres will be used too.

5.2. Learning tasks

The programme offered to the students to help them achieve the desired results and outcomes includes the following activities:

1: Lectures: with the main objective of conveying the fundamental concepts of the module, so that goals set by the teacher are achieved. The lecture is expected to be participatory and to encourage debate and clarify issues and questions based on the learning materials.

2: Practice sessions: individual and group tasks on veterinary related texts interpretation, discussions, team work and group interaction.

3:Tutorials and evaluation that allow a more direct and personal support to students in order to monitor tasks, answer questions and guide them in the study. These tutorials may be individual or in a group.

5.3. Syllabus

Course syllabus

            Contents are divided into 20 units (plus a preliminary unit) that are distributed as follows:

0. Describing qualifications in Higher Education. Identifying and defining the different sciences and subjects composing the veterinary degree. Naming and describing activities and jobs related to the veterinary profession.

1. Describing physical features. External characteristics of animals. Rhetorical functions: physical description. Linguistic content: degrees of generalization, comparative structures, descriptive statements.

2. Naming statements. Identifying and recognizing common terms used for animals. Defining common terms used to denote sex and age of animals. Defining common terms used to denote birthing and grouping of animals. Rhetorical functions: definition.

3. Classifying techniques. Establishing the basis for a classification. Animal classification. Rhetorical function: Classification and physical description.

4. Describing shapes, properties, size, dimension and colour.

5. Describing animal morphology. Expressing similarities and differences. Rhetorical functions: describing and defining. Linguistic content: comparison and contrast.

6. Formal vs Informal definitions. Basic components of a formal definition.

7. Learning Anatomical terminology:  general directional terms, directional terms for limbs. Planes of section. Rhetorical functions: definition and description Linguistic content: Passive/stative structures. Locative statements.

8. Describing structures (1). Verbs associated with structures: composition, location and direction. Relationship between elements.

9. Describing structures (2) The musculoskeletal system terminology. Describing bone anatomy terms. Constructing anatomical terms from word parts.

10.Building up a veterinary vocabulary. Prefixes and suffixes. Roots and Combining forms. Identifying and recognizing the parts of a medical term. Defining commonly used prefixes, combining forms and suffixes. Analyzing and understanding basic medical terms.

11.Describing structure, function and process (1) Using transitional words/phrases . Internal anatomy and physiology: the digestive system. Describing the process of digestion. The cardiovascular system: composition and function description.

12. Describing structure, function and process (2). Sequencing the steps in the process description. Internal anatomy and physiology: The nervous and respiratory Systems. Linguistic content: Markers of time sequence.Time clauses. Causality and result.

13. Deducing the meaning of words through context. Feeding farm animals. The constituents of foods. Food requirements. Linguistic content: Relative clauses.

14. Describing symptoms. The causes of ill health Linguistic contents: Clauses of condition. Clauses of Concession.

15. Describing pests and diseases of large animals (horses, swine, cattle, sheep, goats) Rhetorical functions: Classification. Instructions. Linguistic content: Statements of frequency. Statements of probability and tendency.

16. Understanding  Veterinary Case Studies. The use of abbreviations. Technical vs semi-technical medical vocabulary in the veterinary profession.

17. Presenting  Veterinary Case Studies. Pests and diseases of pets. Rhetorical functions: Visual-verbal relationships. Instructional expressions Linguistic content: Conclusive statements. Modal verbs of probability.

18. Practicing with common acronyms and abbreviations used in the veterinary profession. Linguistic content: Making deductions.

19.Veterinary techniques. Identifying, naming and defining tools. Rhetorical functions: Definition, function and process description. Instructions. Visual-verbal relationships. Linguistic content: Complex noun phrases. Expressions of degree. Expressions of causality and result.

20. Testing. Drugs, disease and dissection. Describing terms and equipment for the basic physical examination. Recognizing and defining terms associated with laboratory analysis, radiographic and imaging procedures. Recognizing and defining terms associated with pharmacology and drugs used in various treatments, with pathological procedures and processes, and with different types of surgery and the instrumental used.

5.4. Course planning and calendar

Classroom sessions calendar and submission dates of individual or group work

Dates and times of all the course sessions will be announced on the website of the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences. Any other activities as well as the deadlines for the submission  of works will be communicated by the lecturer at the beginning of the module.

5.5. Bibliography and recommended resources

[BB: Bibliografía básica / BC: Bibliografía complementaria]

• [BB] [Diccionario] - Black's veterinary dictionary / edited by Edward Boden. 21st ed. with illustrations London : A & C Black , 2005
• [BB] [Diccionario] - Blood, Douglas Charles. Saunders comprehensive veterinary dictionary / D.C. Blood, Virginia P. Studdert ; anatomical tables by John Grandage . 2nd ed., [repr.] Edinburgh [etc.] : WB Saunders, 2005
• [BB] [Gramática] - Swan, Michael. Practical English usage / Michael Swan . 3rd Ed. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2005
• [BB] [Libros de texto] - Armer, Tamzen. Cambridge English for Scientists / Tamzen Armer . 1st published, 5th pr. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2014
• [BB] [Libros de texto] - McBride, Douglas F.. Learning veterinary terminology / Douglas F. McBride . 2nd ed. St. Louis : Mosby, cop. 2002
• [BB] [Libros de texto] - Ribes, Ramón. English for biomedical scientists / RamoÅ? Ribes, Palma Iannarelli, Rafael F. Duarte . Berlin : Springer, cop. 2009
• [BB] [Libros de texto] - Romich, Janet Amundson. An illustrated guide to veterinary medical terminology / Janet Amundson Romich . Albany (N.Y.) : Delmar, cop. 2000
• [BB] [Libros de texto] - Swales, John M.. Academic writing for graduate students : essential tasks and skills : a course for nonnative speakers of english / John M. Swales and Christine B. Feak . [reimp.] Michigan : University of Michigan Press, 2001
• [BC] Alley, Michael. The craft of scientific presentations : critical steps to succeed and critical errors to avoid / Michael Alley. . New York [etc.] : Springer, cop. 2003.
• [BC] Booth, Vernon. Communicating in science : writing and speaking / Vernon Booth Cambridge [etc.] : Cambridge University Press, 1990
• [BC] Christopher, Mary. Writing for Publication in Veterinary Medicine: A Practical Guide for Researchers and Clinicians / Mary Christopher & Karen Young. Wiley-Blackwell, 2011
• [BC] Day, Robert A.. Scientific English : a guide for scientists and other professionals / Robert A. Day . 2nd ed. Phoenix (Arizona) : Oryx Press, 1995
• [BC] Lindsay, David. A guide to scientific writing / David Lindsay . 2nd. ed. Melbourne : Longman, 1995
• [BC] Lovell, D.. Macquarie student writer?s friend. Sydney : Macquarie Library, 2001
• [BC] Mathews, J. R.. Successful scientific writing : a step-by-step guide for the biological and medical sciences / Mathews, J. R., Bowen, J. M. and Mathews, R. W.. - 3rd. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2008
• [BC] O'Connor, Maeve. Writing successfully in science / Maeve O'Connor ; with cartoons by Jenny Gretton . 1st ed., [4th] repr. London [etc.] : Chapman & Hall, 1996
• [BC] Oshima, Alice. Introduction to academic writing / Alice Oshima, Ann Hogue. - 3rd. ed. White Plains, NY : Pearson Longman, cop. 2007
• [BC] Oshima, Alice. Writing academic English / Alice Oshima, Ann Hogue. - 4 th ed. White Plains, (New York) : Pearson/Longman, cop. 2006
• [BC] Standard abbreviations for veterinary medical records Lakewood, Colorado (USA): American Animal Hospital Association Press, 2010
• [BC] Zwier, Lawrence J.. Building academic vocabulary / Lawrence J. Zwier . Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, 2002

Listado de URL

• Create your Curriculum Vitae [http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/documents/curriculum-vitae]
• David Attembough's videos [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAhf89JbnzaI2iYesh4PyO3oo081NgDtj]
• Diccionario español-inglés-español (Wordreference) [http://www.wordreference.com/es/]
• Diccionario español-inglés-español Collins [http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english-spanish]
• General English podcasts [http://www.eslpod.com/website/]
• Martindale?s veterinary center. The virtual veterinary center [http://www.martindalecenter.com/Vet.html]
• Memidex : Free online dictionary/thesaurus and more [http://www.memidex.com/]
• Merck veterinary manual [http://www.merckvetmanual.com]
• Open courses Harvard university [http://www.extension.harvard.edu/courses/subject/medical-sciences]
• Open courses Yale university [http://oyc.yale.edu]
• RVC Royal Veterinary College,University of London .Electronic Media Unit [Free Veterinary podcasts] [http://www.rvc.ac.uk/review/Podcasts/Index.cfm]
• TED Ideas worth spreading [Scientific talks, lectures, conferences] [http://www.ted.com/]
• The best free cultural & educational media on the web [ Free Audio-books, podscats, language classes, videos, movies] [http://www.openculture.com/]
• Veterinary clinical podcasts. Royal veterinary college [http://www.rvc.ac.uk/small-animal-referrals/news-events/clinical-podcasts]
• Veterinary edication online [https://en.wikivet.net/Veterinary_Education_Online]
• Veterinary educational resources [http://www.bangavet.com/p/online-educational-resources.html]
• Veterinary electronic library [http://www.vetelib.com/]
• Veterinary news [http://www.petmd.com/]
• Veterinary services [http://www.abbey-vetgroup.co.uk/ ]