I’m Helena, a CELTA qualified English Teacher & Registered Nurse.

This is a podcast for healthcare professionals learning English. With English Practice for Healthcare, you can hear the unique language used by English speakers to talk about their health. Perhaps the most important communication skill in healthcare is listening, as only through listening can we understand how our patient’s health affects them as an individual.

The idea to interview real people about their health came from feedback from learners that it can be difficult to find authentic examples of language on this topic. English speakers use many words and expressions that cannot be found in traditional textbooks or on Medical English courses. My hope is that as many of these as possible will come up in these unscripted conversations. I love chatting to people and hearing their stories and having had my own health challenges, I am aware of the impact of our health on our quality of life.

I believe in the benefits of podcasts to help with learning a foreign language. They are useful not only for your listening skills but also to increase your awareness of how words are pronounced and the rhythm and intonation of a language. Personally, I love using podcasts as I continue to try and improve my Spanish, which I started learning as an adult.

Please don’t worry if you find these conversations difficult to understand at first. I believe in challenging yourself by listening to all the examples you can of the language you are learning. The more familiar you can get with a language, the less foreign it will feel. This frees up more space for your brain to be able to recognise words and notice grammar. I have added in helpful summaries in each episode and questions to help you focus your listening.

I really hope that this podcast can increase your English comprehension and motivate you to continue to improve your English language skills.

Best wishes,

Helena