On the development of communication and research skills through English classes in dentistry
LETTER TO THE EDITOR

 

On the development of communication and research skills through English classes in dentistry

Sobre el desarrollo de habilidades comunicativas e investigativas desde las clases de inglés en Estomatología

 

 

Yelina Morales Valdés1* http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8702-0116
Luis Vivas Bombino1 http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3259-976X

 

1 Pinar del Río University of Medical Sciences. Cuba.

 

*Author for correspondence. E-mail: yelina@infomed.sld.cu

 

 

Submitted: 18/07/2019
Accepted: 25/09/2020

 

 

To the editor:

Of great value is the publication of the article: «Topics to develop communication and research skills through English classes in Dentistry»,(1) in EDUMECENTRO journal, either for the meaning it has as an indicator of the scientific development of the country or for the result of the research carried out by its authors, which reveal criteria with which we agree, even more when we know the problem.

Student research is a fundamental task in the teaching-learning process and in the university curriculum, aimed at comprehensive training and a number of facets of intellectual life; promotes actions, concepts, skills, contributes to the understanding and learning of various subjects and it is a way to strengthen the language and student-education-culture interaction.(1)

It´s well known the growing need for language training of health professionals to guarantee compliance with Cuba's commitments in terms of international cooperation, as well as for the scientific exchange that increases every day in the world.

Learning the English language also involves the practice of collateral activities that provide foundations for scientific activity, support the development of communicative and investigative skills and contribute to the formation of a comprehensive general culture in students.(1)

The language improvement of health science graduates demands from teachers the search for strategies that favor communicative competence with supremacy in oral expression, in a way that allows future professionals to fulfill their social commitment. In the student, learning the English language requires, in addition to cognitive independence, self-learning and leading performance in order to develop communication skills.

Despite the efforts made, the reduced possibilities of the use of the language in real situations by the students, the student's dissatisfaction due to the limited command of the terminology related to their profession and the inability to use it productively in texts that require it, they claim to transform this reality so that they satisfy their educational and learning needs.(2)

Dear Editor: there is no doubt that the teaching of English has emphasized the importance of knowing this language from different perspectives; it is the most used in science, technology and literature among other aspects. Mastering it is a prerequisite for success in various professional and academic fields. For this reason, we reiterate our agreement with what was stated in the aforementioned article published by you, where the importance of language for health professionals is emphasized once again.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

1. Hernández Caparó I, González Pérez MB, Barreto Bartumeut AM, Banguela Guerra PT, Lara Pérez N, Mons Obermayer MA. Temas para desarrollar habilidades comunicativas e investigativas desde las clases de inglés en Estomatología. EDUMECENTRO [Internet]. 2019 [citado 07/06/2019];11(2):[aprox. 16 p.]. Disponible en: http://www.revedumecentro.sld.cu/index.php/edumc/article/view/1199/html_447

2.Cabrera Machín MC, Ortiz Sánchez NL, Zamora González M, Hernández Gálvez A, Díaz Bueno BM. La expresión escrita a partir del tratamiento del Inglés con fines específicos en la carrera de Estomatología. Rev Med Electron [Internet]. 2017 [citado 24/06/2019];39(6):[aprox. 11 p.]. Disponible en: http://scieloprueba.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1684-18242017000600002&lng=es

 

 

Declaration of interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

 

 

Contribution of the authors

Both authors analyzed the reference article and formed the letter based on their own criteria and consulting other similar articles.

 

 

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