Abstract

RODRIGUEZ FUENTES, Nersy et al. Didactic strategy to develop the writing skill in General English in students of Dentistry. Rev EDUMECENTRO [online]. 2014, vol.6, n.2, pp. 44-63. ISSN 2077-2874.

Background: the adequate training of health professionals is a priority in higher medical education. In order to achieve this goal, the teaching of the English language has been an indisputable need and a basic element in the training of these students. Objective: to devise a deductive strategy for the development of the writing skill in general English in the students of Dentistry. Methods: a research project was done based on the dialectical-materialistic method, and some other theoretical methods were employed, such as analysis-synthesis and induction-deduction, in order to interpret the bibliographic information; historical-logical method, which allowed to explain the stages of development in the process; and also the epistemological, systemic-functional-structural method, which allowed the analysis and the dialectical relationship of the stages of the didactic strategy; as well as empirical methods: documentary analysis, surveys, making up and observation of lessons; and also statistical procedures. Finally, workshops for critical opinions and collective construction were done. Results: the main difficulties were related to the poor handling of the writing skill, and the insufficient training of the students for this skill, which was shown in the low level of command of the language system. The students´ interest to improve the quality of the written text was verified. Taking this into account, a didactic strategy was developed to solve these difficulties. Conclusions: the results showed the insufficiencies for the development and improvement of this skill. The didactic strategy was designed following the stages of diagnosis, training and performance. The workshops for critical opinions and collective construction demonstrated the possibility of its application.

Keywords : didactic strategy; skill; writing; general English; student; teacher; dental studies; learning-teaching process; communicative competence.

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