THE IMPACT OF USING INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL STUDENTS IN ROLE-PLAYS ON IMPROVING HUNGARIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS’ ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMPETENCE

Abstract

The present study aimed to elicit the views and perceptions of Hungarian medical students on the use of peer tutors in doctor-patient role-play activities in English for Medical Purposes (EMP) classes. The peer tutors were either native speakers of English or had a good command of English and enrolled in the English medium programme of the same university. We wanted to tackle the problem of the unwillingness of Hungarian students to communicate in English in their EMP classes and provide a more motivating and natural language learning environment in which the target language was the lingua franca. In addition, we aimed to improve the participants’ intercultural competence by providing a platform where the local and the international students could meet, work together and socialise. At the end of the courses, the Hungarian students were interviewed and asked for feedback on these activities. The data was thematically analysed and the results showed that the Hungarian medical students were enthusiastic and motivated to participate and interact in English during the role-plays. The interview findings also demonstrated that the role-play activities succeeded in bringing the Hungarian and foreign students closer and weakening or even removing the invisible cultural wall between them.