Reviewing the English for Healthcare Conference
EVENT · MEDICAL ENGLISH
Just looking through my notes taken at the recent international English for Healthcare conference is making my brain pop. So much food for thought – perhaps inevitable in a changing landscape increasingly shaped by AI, translation on demand, platform capitalism and teacher carousels. Where do we fit in? Where do we bring value? How do we stay relevant? Where are we going?
Loved the plenaries in particular. Dr Andy Ward’s profound insights into the role of therapeutic empathy in healthcare provision and outcomes have so much relevance to what we do as teachers. Rachael Roberts then developed this further by exploring of how Healthcare English teachers create value through applying judgement and a wilder, messier intelligence than AI can offer – something more akin to language itself – highlighting our very human advantages within the teaching dynamic.
The conversation on how we merge the human with machine went in many directions over the two days – from using AI to support clinical communication practice and doctoral presentations, to providing scalable roleplay practice, redesigning learning inputs and tasks for Generation Alpha’s rewired brains, and making what we do more visible to university administrators.
And what a setting to have such a conversation. Jagellonian University is the second oldest university In Europe and its history was reflected in the conference rooms with their portraits of royalty, the echoing staircases and the grand facades. The university team hosted the conference with confidence and generosity, providing delicious food, relentless coffee and welcoming smiles.
SLC was delighted to sponsor the conference, discuss our digital English for Healthcare materials with delegates, and catch up with so many familiar faces while forging new friendships. We’re already looking forward to the next one in two years’ time.
Photos from the conference
