Professional paper
https://doi.org/10.70856/p.2.2.11
Getting Medics on the Task: A Flipped Classroom System
Hélène Butz
; King’s College London, Strand, WC2R 2LS, London
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* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Teaching a Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) in Higher Education implies that students, rather than teachers, are the specialists in their field. This dynamic opens a range of teaching opportunities, and this paper focuses on one such opportunity: a teaching methodology adopted in the context of a French for Medics module at the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). This paper, rooted in classroom practice, details and exemplifies the teaching techniques derived from a modified flipped classroom approach. The modification lies in replacing traditional grammar or concept-based course content with authentic materials sourced from French medical vulgarisation and specialist websites, and in positioning students as domain experts whose existing medical knowledge becomes the foundation for language acquisition. These documents are didactised through progressive reading comprehension questions designed to scaffold understanding and encourage reflexivity, allowing students to engage with real-world language while being supported in their preparation. It aims to guide the transfer of students’ communicative and lexical competence in the medical field into French. The methodology involves designing ad-hoc materials for both the "at home" and "in-class" components and leading students through real-life professional tasks. The central question explored is how to best support students, who are specialists in medicine, in transposing their domain-specific knowledge into French, without requiring the tutor to be a medical expert, and how this modified flipped classroom approach enhances autonomy and professional relevance. The paper reports on specific data collected from the implementation of this approach, including student performance in recognising and understanding medical terminology and documents in French, their engagement in role-playing activities, and their ability to produce professional written documents. A concrete example focused on childhood diseases is used to illustrate how students engage with authentic materials and apply their medical expertise in French.
Keywords
Flipped Classroom; Medical Terminology; Role-Playing; Autonomy; Lexical Transfer; Authentic Documents Medics; Reflexivity; Learner autonomy
Hrčak ID:
343611
URI
Publication date:
22.1.2026.
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