English for Healthcare Professionals (EHP)
The English for Healthcare Professionals (EHP) program is designed to equip English language learners with language and communication skills for academic and professional success in the healthcare sector. Through a progressive sequence of courses, students advance from intermediate grammar and medical vocabulary to advanced, field-specific language used in healthcare, medical research, and leadership. The curriculum integrates all four language competences, reading, writing, listening, and speaking, within authentic professional contexts, ensuring learners are well-prepared for real-world clinical and administrative interactions. Coursework includes targeted study in medical documentation and reporting, intercultural communication, and clinical English, as well as advanced practice in healthcare ethics and leadership communication. By combining linguistic proficiency with cultural awareness and professional competencies, the program equips students to engage confidently in patient care, academic study, and career advancement in diverse healthcare environments.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Lecture Hours: 60
Lab Hours: 120
Total Clock Hours: 180
Quarter Credit Hours: 12
This introductory course develops the essential English language skills needed for effective communication in healthcare settings. Students strengthen their foundational grammar, focusing on simple verb tenses and sentence structures, while expanding their vocabulary to include key medical terms related to anatomy, symptoms, and hospital environments. Emphasis is placed on practical application through interactive activities such as role-plays, dialogues, and pronunciation practice that build confidence in real-world professional interactions. In addition, students practice critical reading and writing tasks, including understanding patient forms, interpreting medical instructions, and composing clear, accurate sentences for basic documentation and patient care. By the end of the course, students will be better prepared to communicate with clarity and confidence in everyday healthcare situations.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Develop students’ ability to use simple present, past, and future verb tenses for effective communication in healthcare conversations
• Introduce and reinforce a core set of healthcare vocabulary and phrases related to anatomy, symptoms, and hospital environments
• Facilitate pronunciation practice for key medical terminology, focusing on clarity for effective communication
• Guide students through simulated short dialogues and role-playing scenarios with patients and medical staff
• Develop students’ reading comprehension by analyzing and discussing basic healthcare documents, such as patient forms and instructional handouts
• Instruct students on the grammatical structures required to compose clear paragraphs for medical office communication
• Develop clear communication skills for following and giving simple, direct instructions in healthcare contexts
• Model the use of clarifying questions to ensure accurate understanding in professional conversations
Lecture Hours: 60
Lab Hours: 120
Total Clock Hours: 180
Quarter Credit Hours: 12
This course is designed to advance professional communication skills within the healthcare environment. The curriculum focuses on building grammatical accuracy, with an emphasis on continuous and perfect verb tenses, while expanding specialized vocabulary essential for workplace roles, scheduling, and appointments. Through targeted listening and note-taking practice, students will learn to effectively comprehend and participate in staff meetings and patient interactions. Writing instruction centers on producing clear, professional emails and concise reports, while focused pronunciation practice builds confidence and clarity in articulating complex medical terminology.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
• Model the correct usage of continuous and perfect tenses in professional healthcare contexts
• Introduce and reinforce a specialized healthcare-related vocabulary, including terminology for appointments, scheduling, and workplace roles.
• Develop students’ listening comprehension skills for understanding professional discourse, such as staff meetings and patient interactions
• Instruct students on effective note-taking strategies for meetings and patient appointments
• Facilitate pronunciation practice, focusing on the correct stress patterns of polysyllabic medical terminology
• Guide students in the interpretation and comprehension of professional healthcare texts, including short reports, case notes, and workplace emails
• Equip students with the skills to compose well-structured paragraphs and short reports using appropriate professional language
• Incorporate role-playing activities that support the development of effective communication and self-assurance in professional settings
• Develop students’ ability to handle challenging or sensitive conversations with empathy and professionalism
• Provide instruction on the cultural norms of professional communication in a U.S. healthcare environment (e.g., formality, directness).
Lecture Hours: 60
Lab Hours: 120
Total Clock Hours: 180
Quarter Credit Hours: 12
This course is designed to develop English communication skills, cultural awareness, and professional confidence for healthcare settings. Students focus on using clear, empathetic, and accurate English to convey complex medical information, manage patient expectations, and collaborate effectively with diverse healthcare teams. Emphasis is placed on understanding and navigating cross-cultural communication challenges that can affect patient care and safety. Through guided practice, students strengthen essential skills such as giving consultations, taking detailed patient histories, providing patient education, and engaging in respectful, professional dialogue with colleagues. The course integrates vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation instruction to support students in communicating confidently and effectively in real-world healthcare interactions.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
• Provide targeted instruction on advanced English fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, and professional idioms specific to medical settings to ensure students can deliver high-stakes information clearly and accurately
• Demonstrate and provide practice in professional communication across diverse contexts, highlighting appropriate adjustments in tone, register, and technical language for interactions with colleagues, patients, and administrators
• Facilitate scenario-based activities focused on building cross-cultural competence, guiding students to recognize and appropriately manage differences in patient communication styles, expectations regarding care, and family dynamics
• Guide student through role-playing simulations of patient interviews, consultations, and handoffs, providing constructive feedback on students’ active listening, empathetic language use, and non-verbal communication skills
• Guide students through structured exercises for de-escalation, conflict resolution, and delivering sensitive news, teaching communication techniques to manage challenging patient interactions and professional disagreements
• Instruct students on professional writing including clinical notes, patient summaries, emails, and technical memos, ensuring all documentation produced by students meets standards for clarity, conciseness, and accuracy in an English-speaking clinical setting
Lecture Hours: 60
Lab Hours: 120
Total Clock Hours: 180
Quarter Credit Hours: 12
This course is designed to develop high-level communication skills for professional success in healthcare settings. The curriculum emphasizes advanced grammar, including the passive voice and relative clauses, and expands specialized vocabulary related to compliance, regulations, and organizational policies. Students strengthen listening and comprehension skills through exposure to complex professional discourse, such as lectures, policy briefings, and administrative meetings, while refining note-taking strategies for these contexts. The course also enhances professional writing skills, guiding students in composing formal letters, memos, and policy documents. Targeted pronunciation practice supports clear and confident oral communication, ensuring students can articulate complex ideas effectively in professional settings.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
• Model and practice the correct use of advanced grammatical structures, including the passive voice and relative clauses, in professional healthcare communication
• Introduce, reinforce, and apply advanced healthcare-specific vocabulary, with a focus on terminology related to compliance, regulations, and organizational policies
• Develop advanced listening comprehension skills to interpret complex professional discourse, such as lectures, policy briefings, and administrative presentations
• Guide students in critically reading and analyzing workplace documents, including policies, regulations, and procedural guidelines
• Support students in composing professional written materials, including formal letters, memos, policy documents, and reports
• Enhance students’ ability to give and respond to constructive feedback in professional settings with clarity and tact
• Provide instruction on using appropriate and professional language when reporting incidents, sensitive information, or compliance matters
• Demonstrate and practice effective communication strategies in meetings, including how to interrupt politely, express agreement or disagreement, and maintain professional decorum
• Integrate pronunciation, tone, and register practice to ensure clear, confident, and professional oral communication in healthcare contexts
Lecture Hours: 60
Lab Hours: 120
Total Clock Hours: 180
Quarter Credit Hours: 12
This course connects classroom learning with real-world clinical experiences through case studies, role-plays, and simulations of authentic healthcare interactions. Students develop the English language and communication skills needed to respond effectively in medical emergencies, participate in shift-change briefings, and collaborate within interprofessional healthcare teams. Emphasis is placed on using accurate clinical vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and professional communication strategies. Students practice conveying information with clarity, accuracy, and professionalism across a variety of clinical scenarios, building confidence for effective interaction with patients, colleagues, and other healthcare professionals.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
· Develop English language skills for responding accurately and confidently in medical emergencies, including correct terminology, protocols, and professional phrasing
· Participate effectively in clinical handovers and shift-change briefings through guided practice, role-plays, and simulations
· Strengthen teamwork and collaborative communication skills within multidisciplinary healthcare teams, fostering clarity, organization, and professional interaction
· Demonstrate professional behavior and language use across diverse clinical scenarios, including patient care, staff consultations, and interdepartmental communication
· Expand vocabulary and idiomatic expressions relevant to situational clinical practice, enabling precise and culturally appropriate communication
· Apply listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in authentic clinical contexts, ensuring effective communication with patients, colleagues, and supervisors.
Lecture Hours: 60
Lab Hours: 120
Total Clock Hours: 180
Quarter Credit Hours: 12
This course develops English communication skills while exploring fundamental principles of medical ethics. Students strengthen their ability to discuss, analyze, and apply ethical concepts in real-world healthcare situations using appropriate medical vocabulary and professional language. Through case studies, guided discussions, and role-playing exercises, students practice effective communication strategies for ethically complex scenarios, including informed consent, patient autonomy, confidentiality, and end-of-life care. The course integrates linguistic competence with ethical decision-making, preparing students to communicate clearly, respectfully, and confidently in multicultural and interdisciplinary healthcare environments.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
· Introduce and reinforce essential medical ethics vocabulary, ensuring learners understand and can appropriately use key terminology such as autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice in both written and spoken English
· Develop empathetic and effective communication skills for handling ethically sensitive conversations in healthcare contexts, including interactions with patients, families, and colleagues
· Facilitate the analysis and interpretation of medical case studies critically, applying ethical frameworks and articulating reasoning clearly in professional English
· Introduce the language and structure of informed consent, while practicing how to explain procedures, risks, and patient rights respectfully and clearly in English
· Guide students in navigating ethical dilemmas, providing them with the language tools and ethical reasoning strategies to respond professionally to issues such as confidentiality, patient autonomy, and duty of care
· Promote cultural competence and global ethical awareness, fostering students’ ability to engage in respectful and sensitive discussions across diverse cultural and professional healthcare settings.
· Integrate language proficiency with ethical decision-making, ensuring students can communicate complex ethical considerations with clarity, professionalism, and confidence
Additional Information
| Training Methods | Interactive Communicative Project-based Learning/ Role plays/ Debates/ Research reading and writing/ Report reading and writing |
| Program Length in quarters/weeks | 6 Quarters or 66 weeks (60 academic weeks + 6 administrative weeks) |
| Contact Hours | 1080 Contact Hours |
| Program Length | 72 quarter credit hours 6 academic quarters for course credit |