"Designing Language Courses for Healthcare: Development, Implementation, and Lessons Learned (Spanish and Bangla)"
Brisa Teutli and Razima Selim Chowdhury
Teaching Professors, Cornell University

This joint presentation explores the development and implementation of two Languages for Specific Purposes courses at Cornell University: Spanish for the Medical and Health Professions and Bangla for Communication in Healthcare. Designed for students interested in healthcare and related professions, both courses move beyond specialized terminology to prepare learners for meaningful, culturally responsive communication with patients and communities.

The presenters will discuss approaches to curriculum and materials development, including needs and domain analysis, the identification of communicative and intercultural learning goals, and the use of authentic healthcare communication tasks. Drawing on clinical interactions, role-plays, and community-centered learning experiences, the courses emphasize communication practices grounded in empathy, compassion, respect, and attention to language access and health equity.

Reflecting on implementation in two distinct linguistic and curricular contexts, the presenters will share pedagogical decisions, challenges, student responses, and lessons learned. The session will offer practical insights for language educators interested in developing purpose-specific courses that connect language learning with students' academic and professional goals.

Bios:
Brisa Teutli is a Teaching Professor of Spanish Language in the Department of Romance Studies at Cornell University, where she has taught since 2005. She has extensive experience in language teaching, curriculum development, teacher training, and supervision of graduate Teaching Assistants. Her academic interests include second language acquisition, pragmatics, cultural and intercultural competence, curriculum design, and assessment. Her current work focuses particularly on Spanish for the Medical and Health Professions and on preparing students to communicate effectively, empathetically, and respectfully with Spanish-speaking patients in healthcare settings. She is also exploring the use of artificial intelligence and technology-enhanced language learning to create interactive medical interview simulations that help students develop linguistic, intercultural, and interpersonal communication skills.

Razima Selim Chowdhury is a Teaching Professor of Bangla in the Department of Asian Studies at Cornell University. Her work focuses on Bangla language pedagogy, heritage language education, Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP), healthcare communication, and proficiency-oriented instruction. She is particularly interested in developing innovative, culturally grounded curricula that connect language learning with social justice, community engagement, and authentic cultural resources while fostering deeper understanding of the histories, cultures, and contemporary realities of South Asia. Beyond Cornell, she has held leadership roles with the Wisconsin Intensive Summer Language Institutes (WISLI), where she has supported instructor training, curriculum development, assessment, and pedagogical innovation across a wide range of less commonly taught languages. She also contributes to the advancement of South Asian language education through her service on the Language Committee of the American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS) and the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies (AIBS). Her current research interests include heritage language learner development, domain analysis, AI-assisted language learning, healthcare communication, and community-engaged language education.

This event will be held in person in G25 Stimson and will also be streamed live over Zoom (registration required). Join us at the LRC or on Zoom.

The event is free and open to the public.