Poster and conference speakers

Anna Forysińska-Pietrucha

Beyond PBL: Design Thinking in Medical English Education

PRESENTATION

This session explores how Design Thinking can extend Problem-Based Learning in Medical English. While PBL introduces students to authentic clinical problems and meaningful medical vocabulary, Design Thinking adds a human-centred and iterative process based on empathy, defining communication challenges, generating ideas, prototyping and testing solutions. Using a realistic patient consultation as an example, the session demonstrates how students can develop not only their medical vocabulary, but also critical thinking, empathy, and professional communication skills. The approach aims to bridge the gap between language learning and authentic clinical practice.

Bio: I am an English language specialist and academic teacher at Jagiellonian University Medical College, where I have been teaching English for healthcare professionals and coordinating English courses in medical and pharmaceutical programmes since 2015. I hold an MA in English Philology with a specialization in English language teaching methodology. My professional interests include Medical English, innovative and project-based approaches to language teaching, and developing students’ communication skills for professional practice. In 2022, I received the Jagiellonian University Rector’s Award for teaching achievements. I have also presented on innovative approaches to PBL in Medical English last year on conference Languages in Medicine: Teaching, Testing, Practice.

Ewa gRAVE

Building Rapport: The Role of Liking in the Doctor-Patient Relationship

PRESENTATION

When a patient genuinely likes a doctor and a doctor truly likes the patient, the benefits are numerous, ranging from improved health outcomes and better treatment adherence to enhanced clinical judgment and fewer medical errors. This presentation explores the role of liking in establishing rapport, trust, and effective communication in medical settings. Drawing on current research, it examines how emotional connection, warmth, and mutual respect can influence patient satisfaction and treatment compliance and discusses ways of helping medical English students apply these principles in their future clinical interactions.

Bio: Dr. Ewa Grave is a Senior Lecturer at the Language Centre of Jagiellonian University Medical College in Kraków, Poland. She holds a Ph.D. in Life Science from Akita University, Japan, and an M.A. in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) from St. Cloud State University, USA. With over 25 years of international teaching experience in the United States, Japan, and Poland, her professional interests include English for Medical Purposes, medical communication, intercultural competence, and assessment quality in higher education. Combining expertise in language education with a background in biomedical sciences, she brings an interdisciplinary perspective to healthcare language teaching.

Virginia Vecchiato

When Plain Language Is Not Enough: Mediation, Accessibility and Autism in Healthcare English

PRESENTATION

How can healthcare information be made more accessible to autistic people without simply making it “simpler”? This presentation explores autism-friendly healthcare communication through the lens of intralingual and multimodal translation. Drawing on examples of healthcare materials designed for autistic and non-autistic audiences, it considers how linguistic choices, information structure and visual organisation can affect communicative accessibility. Rather than treating accessibility as mere simplification, the session approaches it as a process of redesigning information around different communicative and cognitive needs, with implications for both healthcare communication and English for Healthcare.

Bio: Virginia Vecchiato is a Tenure-Track Researcher in English Language, Linguistics and Translation at the University of Parma, Italy. Her research interests include specialised discourse, legal and healthcare communication, translation and accessibility, with a particular focus on the relationship between language, inclusion and communicative access. Her current research explores accessible communication in healthcare settings, with particular attention to the communicative needs of autistic people and to the potential of intralingual and multimodal translation to support more inclusive healthcare communication.

Bahar Kızıltunalı

Assessment as Clinical Communication: Practical Innovation in OET-Oriented Health ESP

PRESENTATION

In many Health-ESP programmes, OET preparation can become format-driven, encouraging memorised templates, scripted empathy phrases, and answer-location strategies that may support exam performance but narrow professional communication. This presentation shares classroom-based practices from an OET-oriented Health ESP programme that reframes preparation as professional communication training. Reading, writing, and speaking tasks are redesigned to embed clinical reasoning, paraphrasing, audience awareness, relevance filtering, clarification, reformulation, and adaptive rapport-building. Through practical tasks and feedback, the session shows how OET preparation can support exam outcomes while developing authentic clinical communication and emerging professional identity.

Bio: Bahar Kızıltunalı holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from Ege University, a Diploma in ELT Management, and a TESOL Certificate from the University of California. She was a founding faculty member at İzmir University of Economics, where she served as Head of the Preparatory School for 13 years and was responsible for the academic management of the programme. Her professional expertise includes English language teaching, testing and assessment, academic management, and quality assurance. She has developed testing programmes for various institutions and was a qualified City & Guilds Quality Inspector. Throughout her career, she has participated in international conferences, professional courses, and focus groups at institutions including the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and the University of California. She was also invited by the British Council Brazil to deliver seminars and training on testing and academic management across four cities and six institutions. She maintains an extensive professional network within ELT in Türkiye and internationally.

Ioana Cretu

“Because I’m desperate!” Attending to healthcare professionals’ real wor(l)ds

PRESENTATION

Healthcare professionals working with us to develop their English and communication skills do so alongside full-time workloads, on-calls, (PhD) research, teaching, parenthood, with plenty of mixed feelings about self, finances, technology, the future. At her session, Ioana will draw on real cases and dilemmas to invite honest discussion of what it means to respond adaptively to our clients’ actual circumstances and envisioned trajectories. Be ready to rethink what counts as preparation, for  words produced through practice or reflection do not remain with us: when our clients' language shapes decisions, interactions, documents, and outcomes, is that not healthcare infrastructure? 

Bio: Ioana Crețu is an independent ESP specialist, OET Preparation Partner, and certified medical translator who partners with healthcare professionals and language educators to advance clinical and academic communication. Previously a university lecturer, Ioana holds a PhD in Education and an MA in Applied Linguistics and TEFL Methodology. Ioana has become a go-to expert for training challenges requiring deep understanding and creative solutions. She contributes regularly to professional development through EALTHY, IATEFL, and TESOL, and she co-hosts the ESP Unplugged podcast. Her website is www.ioanacretu.ro.

Andrea Solar Losada

Supporting Structured, Repeatable Roleplay in Healthcare English Teaching

PRESENTATION

Roleplay gives Healthcare English learners an opportunity to practise the judgement, flexibility, listening, and communication skills that real healthcare interactions require. But simply providing a scenario and a speaking partner does not guarantee effective practice. This session explores a practical cycle of preparation, performance, observation, feedback, repetition, and reflection. It considers how clear objectives and observable criteria can make roleplay more useful and accessible, particularly for independent teachers and learners, and how technology can support this structure without replacing the teacher.

Bio: Andrea is a medical interpreter and Healthcare English educator based in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands. She has worked as a medical interpreter for six years and has taught Medical English for around four years, with a focus on practical, communication-based approaches to learning. Over the past two years, she has also been developing Roleefy, a platform designed to support structured roleplay and communication practice. Her work in Healthcare English has included collaborations with organisations such as Specialist Language Courses (SLC) and EALTHY.

Annamária Győrfi

Spontaneous lexis and formulaic language in language aquisition and processing

PRESENTATION

The distinction between spontaneous lexis and formulaic language represents a fundamental concept in the study of language processing, fluency, and second language acquisition.

The use of spontaneous lexis and formulaic language in everyday communication, language acquisition, teaching, and scientific writing.

This presentation examines the structural, cognitive, and functional differences between these two modes of language use, emphasizing their complementary roles in natural discourse. Particular attention is given to their relevance in English for Specific Purposes (ESP), especially in medical communication.

Bio: 

Educational activity: Head of PROFEX (English for Medical Purposes), Accredited Examination Site, Targu Mures, Romania - instructer and accredited examiner. Last job: Teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) at Lucian Blaga University, Sibiu, Romania and previously at the George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology, Târgu Mureş, Romania.

Research interests: clinical linguistics, formulaic language, aphasic speech, emotional language. Founding member of the sTANDEM and IMETS consortium, item writer, English for Medical Purposes accredited examiner and trainer.

Reviewer, translator and proofreader: Official translator and proofreader of scientific articles published in Orvostudományi Értesítő (Journal of Medical Sciences). Translator, reviewer, and proofreader of several scientific articles, research studies, PhD studies, books and international projects

Participation in EU projects:

1. Thematic Network on Medical Education in Europe (MEDINE)

2. Lifelong learning programme – Testing English for Specific Purposes in Science - TESPIS

3. Lifelong learning programme - Standardised Language Examinations for Medical Purposes- sTANDEM

4. International Medical English Testing System (IMETS)

Hanna Potempa & Inaly Martins

Different Paths, Shared Destination

PRESENTATION

Different Paths, Shared Destination brings together two complementary perspectives: an educator with clinical expertise and an English language educator. Drawing on their different professional backgrounds, the presenters explore how authentic immersion and clinical grounding transform English for Healthcare teaching. Through practical examples of role-play, drama, simulation and real-life communication scenarios, the session demonstrates how experiential learning can move students beyond simply knowing medical English towards using it confidently, naturally and effectively in genuine healthcare contexts.

Bios:

Hanna Potempa

Hanna Potempa is a lecturer at the Medical University of Silesia, with a background in English Philology and over ten years of teaching experience. She specialises in English for healthcare, working with healthcare professionals and students preparing for medical careers. Her teaching focuses on authentic, immersive learning through role-play, drama and real-life communication scenarios, helping learners develop confidence and practical language skills.

Inaly Martins

Ina is Founder of Inglês para Médicos, an English for Healthcare company in Brazil. With a background in nursing, she specialises in English for Healthcare, working with specialist doctors and healthcare professionals preparing for international professional contexts. Her teaching integrates clinical context, immersive learning, and real-world necessity through authentic scenarios tailored to specialist practice. She helps healthcare professionals move beyond language knowledge to confident, practical communication skills in international medical contexts.

Asst. Prof. Nataša Šelmić, PhD

The Role of AI-Powered Tools in Learning Medical English: A Cross-Sectional Study

PRESENTATION

This study investigated AI tool usage among 122 medical students at the University of Niš, Serbia. Nearly half (49.2%) reported using AI, with ChatGPT (72.0%) most common, followed by Grammarly, Quizlet, and other supplementary applications. Students valued error correction, contextual understanding, vocabulary building, and pronunciation support. While 32.0% rated AI moderately effective and 21.3% very effective, challenges included premium costs, inaccuracies, and limited medical vocabulary. Most participants viewed AI as complementary to traditional methods, with moderate trust in generated content. Findings highlight AI’s growing role in Medical English education, offering flexibility and feedback but requiring refinement for specialized needs.

Bio: Nataša Šelmić, PhD is Head of the Department of English Language at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Serbia. Dedicated to advancing Medical English, she authored English in Dentistry and numerous articles on English for specific purposes. Her MA thesis examined syntactic transformations, while her PhD thesis explored the role of English in medical education. She is also engaged in simultaneous interpreting, translation, and proofreading of medical literature. Actively involved in academic publishing, she proofreads for Facta Universitatis (Series Medicine and Biology) and Acta Medica Medianae, both published by the University of Niš. Her work bridges language and medicine, empowering future healthcare professionals.

Veronika Kelbecheva, PhD

The Evolution of Medical Vocabulary from Classical Languages to Modern English: Pedagogical Strategies for Healthcare Professions

POSTER

Inspired by mandatory terminology courses for medical, dental, pharmacy, nursing, midwifery, and physician assistant students, this presentation examines the etymological foundation of medical English rooted in Latin and Greek. It traces how ancient roots and concepts transformed into modern terminology, shaping clinical language. By analysing this evolution, the study provides a schematic framework illustrating how practical medical English relies on classical origins. Furthermore, it outlines effective pedagogical strategies and didactic approaches widely used in medical universities to help healthcare students seamlessly bridge classical terminology with modern usage.

Bio: Veronika Kelbecheva, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer at the Medical University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, where she teaches Latin and Medical Terminology in both Bulgarian and English. Her research focuses on Ancient medicine, the evolution and application of medical terminology from Greco-Roman antiquity to the present, ancient medical texts, and the philosophy of medicine. Her professional interests center on teaching methodologies for Latin for medical purposes. She has completed numerous research fellowships, including at Exeter College (Oxford, UK), the University of Poitiers (France) as a French Government Fellow, and the Fondation Hardt (Geneva, Switzerland). Additionally, she has conducted academic teaching mobility visits via the Erasmus+ program as a guest lecturer in Wrocław and Bydgoszcz (Poland), Nice, Marseille, and Paris (France), Rome and Catania (Italy), Riga (Latvia), and Ghent (Belgium).

Letitia Goia

The Human Touch in Medical English: What AI Cannot Teach

POSTER

 The Human Touch in Medical English: what AI cannot Teach The poster presents the results of a survey addressed to medical students between May 6–13, 2026. It investigated which aspects of Medical English education students consider irreplaceable by AI and uniquely facilitated by human teachers. The questionnaire assessed students’ perceptions on linguistic feedback, pragmatic competence in clinical communication, empathy, social awareness, and human support during learning.

Bio: Letiția GOIA is a lecturer in the Department of Modern Languages at “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca. She has a doctoral degree in Philology from Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, and her fields of interest are teaching and assessing English for Specific Purposes, as well as acquiring and improving communication and presentation skills in English.

Katarína Murčeková

Transforming CEFR Mediation Descriptors into Authentic EMP Tasks

POSTER

This poster explores how CEFR mediation descriptors can be transformed into authentic English for Medical Purposes (EMP) tasks that require students to make medical information accessible to different audiences. Drawing on baseline data from 108 first-year medical students, it examines performance across seven CEFR-aligned mediation tasks before mediation-oriented instruction. Students performed best when relaying specific information, while greater difficulties emerged in explaining data and summarising. With an overall baseline mediation competence of 53.6%, the findings suggest room for improvement. Mediation-oriented tasks can provide a valuable complementary approach to EMP instruction, offering opportunities to practise authentic healthcare communication. 

Bio: Katarína Murčeková is a PhD candidate in Applied Linguistics at the University of Trnava and an Assistant Professor at the Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. She teaches English for Medical Purposes to students in General Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery, and Public Health. Her academic interests include CEFR-informed language teaching, mediation-oriented instruction, and the action-oriented approach in language education.

Justyna Kowalczys

Bridging the Gap: From Real-World Medical Resources to the Classroom and Beyond — AI-Supported Content Adaptation

POSTER

The poster presents a practical framework for AI-supported content adaptation in Medical English, illustrating how authentic medical resources—including journal articles, clinical videos, and doctor–patient interactions—can be systematically adapted into CEFR-aligned learning materials. The approach demonstrates how AI can support language adaptation, pedagogical differentiation, task design, vocabulary development, and learner autonomy while retaining the authenticity and cognitive demands of real-world medical communication. Particular emphasis is placed on the educator’s role in evaluating AI-generated content and ensuring medical accuracy, pedagogical validity, source reliability, and ethical use. By integrating authentic healthcare communication with AI-supported pedagogy, the poster proposes a structured approach to bridging the gap between real-world medical expertise and effective Medical English teaching and learning.

Bio: Justyna Kowalczys is a graduate of English Philology at the Faculty of Languages, University of Gdańsk, Poland, and has over twenty years of experience in higher education. Her academic and teaching expertise encompasses Practical English and English for Specific Purposes (ESP), with a particular focus on medical, military, and technical English. Her professional interests include the design and development of Adult Distance Learning (ADL) materials, as well as the development and implementation of e-learning modules for ESP instruction. Her work combines pedagogical expertise with extensive experience in designing language education for specialized professional and academic contexts, particularly in the field of medical English.