Педагогические науки/ 2.
Проблемы подготовки специалистов
Читинская
государственная медицинская академия
Terminological Competence of Future
Medical Professionals
The problem of the achievement of high level of culture of
any professional in modern period of development of society acquires special
significance. Professional community requires a specialist with not only
thorough knowledge of a special field of activity but the one coordinating
professional these activities with the society and culture.
The structure, goals and
professional development opportunities of such an independent subject as the
Latin language in higher medical school are destined for learning and using
medical terminology during the students’ study at the medical school and in
their further future professional activity as well. The students learn Latin in
the Chita State Medical Academy in the first term of the first year and often
experience significant difficulties in the study of the Latin language. These
difficulties are associated with a large volume of medical terminology, which
the students are to study during a rather short period of time and specific
grammer difficulties of the Latin language.
The vocabulary of any physician during a professional
communication with other medical specialists comprises almost 70-80% of words
of Latin and Greek origin, the so-called special medical terminology. The
importance of terminological competence of future medical professionals doesn’t
seem to be challenging but the ways it could be improved really present a
certain difficulty for teachers and lectures engaged in the educational
process. On the one hand the teachers are strictly pressed within the limited
number of classes provided by the approved educational programme and the
students are not always able to master properly the necessary volume of
professional terminology, on the other hand there arises an urgent need of
medical professional society in highly qualified specialists. A good command of
medical terminology helps such professionals to get deep knowledge of medicine.
But the level of
linguistic competence of the students at the medical academy does not meet
completely the requirements of a modern professional society. Moreover the
process of education and formation of culture of a future specialist is
complicated by the crisis of values and the lack of development of value
consciousness.
Without any doubt a medical professional should certainly
have a perfect knowledge of medicine. But due to the fact that language acts as an important tool of
formation of comprehensively developed personality, terminological competence
and linguistic education of future medical professionals appear to be necessary
competences of their professional activity as well. Language competence helps
to transform a man into a developed personality that contributes to the
achievement of success in his professional activity.
The aim of language
education nowadays is the formation of a human individuality, the development
of spiritual power and abilities contributing to educating of morally
responsible and socially adjusted person. But a short course of study of Latin and foreign languages in higher
medical schools for only one or two terms are not conducive to full and develop
language competence and, therefore, cannot be effective. Moreover the
redundancy of the role of the Latin language
in modern cultural and educational processes especially in the field of medical
terminology turns to be harmful for future professionals.
Language culture of
medical specialists plays an important role in their professional activity.
Medical activity is carried out the better, the more developed is its spiritual
component, which is reflected primarily in the communication process
"doctor – patient". On the one hand, communication between doctor and
patient is a unique way of understanding and interaction; on the other hand,
many doctors are not able to convey important information to patients, denying
the importance of language competence in their professional activities.
The study of classical languages forms
the basis of liberal education, contributes to the successful ownership of new
foreign languages, and introduces the students to the culture and history of
the ancient civilization.
One can hardly neglect the role of the
Latin sayings, aphorisms, and quotes of great ancient thinkers, scientists and
philosophers in the educational process. This lexical layer represents the most
original phenomenon of the Latin language, helping to shape the identity and
wide worldview of young people. Invaluable cultural and historical heritage of
antiquity serves as the basis for the formation of a truly human personality,
which is very important for medical professionals.
Many foreign languages have left
their mark in Latin; thus, it is possible to speak about borrowing or diffusion
of cultural elements from English, German, and French etc. The Latin language
ability to borrow new words, testifies to its receptivity and flexibility,
ability to adapt and respond to changes in socio-cultural terms, which serves
as one of the evidences of language vitality. The
penetration of Latin borrowed words in other languages should be considered as
cultural synthesis, which proves to be a consequence of the interaction of
different cultures resulting in the introduction, assimilation, and then the
appropriation of different cultural elements.
A large layer of Latin borrowings
penetrating into the Russian language both directly and indirectly through
other languages requires for their accurate perception and use knowledge of the
characteristics and laws of development of the Latin language, matching the
culture of the two languages.
Thus, the potential of such a subject
as the Latin language, as a means of formation of human culture is very large.
Latin is not only the subject providing the medical students with the
terminology necessary for studying different clinical subjects but it is the
one contributing to their language competence formation. On the one hand, there
is a very narrow specialization of the subject, not allowing to go beyond the
educational process, on the other hand the study of the Latin language is
unthinkable without reference to the culture, traditions, customs and values of
the ancient world, which opens up opportunities to expand the overall outlook
of the students and contributes to the humanization of the educational process
in higher medical school.