FROM WORD KNOWLEDGE TO COMMUNICATIVE USE: DEVELOPING MEDICAL STUDENTS’ LEXICAL COMPETENCE THROUGH CONTEXTUALISED TASKS
Keywords:
Lexical competence, English for Medical Purposes, medical vocabulary, communicative tasks, contextualised learning, vocabulary retention, English for Specific Purposes.Abstract
Lexical competence is an essential component of English for Medical Purposes (EMP), enabling medical students to understand specialised vocabulary and use it appropriately in academic and professional communication. However, the memorisation of medical terms does not necessarily ensure their accurate use in meaningful communicative situations. This article aims to develop a contextualised methodological framework for integrating lexical instruction with communicative practice in introductory medical English courses. Drawing on a conceptual analysis of research on vocabulary knowledge, medical English instruction, and English for Specific Purposes, the article distinguishes lexical recognition, productive retrieval, contextual appropriateness, and retention as related dimensions of lexical competence. A three-stage instructional framework is proposed, comprising lexical preparation, situated communicative practice, and reflective consolidation. The framework incorporates picture-based activities, guided role-plays, information-gap tasks, and feedback-supported vocabulary retrieval. Particular attention is given to first-year medical students, whose professional vocabulary needs must be addressed without presupposing advanced clinical knowledge. The article contributes a theoretically informed framework for instructional design and identifies directions for empirical investigation. Its effectiveness requires validation through classroom-based research.
References
1. Nation, I. S. P. (2001). Learning Vocabulary in Another Language. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524759
2. Reynolds, B. L., Zhang, X., & Ding, C. (2023). A mixed-methods study of English vocabulary for medical purposes: Medical students’ needs,difficulties, and strategies. Applied Linguistics Review, 14(3), 643–678. https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2020-0119
3. Yelahina, N. I., & Fedchyshyn, N. O. (2021). Methods of learning professional English vocabulary by medical students. Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.11603/m.2414-5998.2021.3.12609
4. Cui, H., Kaur, N., & Shariff, T. I. S. T. (2024). An account of systematic review of English for Medical Purposes (EMP) vocabulary memorization. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 14(1), 294–306. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1401.35
5. Xu, X., Coxhead, A., Parkinson, J., & Gu, P. (2025). Investigating the dynamics of English for Medical Purposes (EMP) textbook design and use in China. System, 131, 103688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2025.103688.
