Understanding and Using Medical Terms, Elementary Level, 3rd Edition

Welcome to the third edition to Understanding and Using Medical Terms, Elementary Level*! This new edition is the product of extensive revision and evaluation, not only by myself and my students, but by the many instructors who, along with their students, have used the previous edition and have contributed valuable suggestions and comments. The success of the previous edition has been due, in large measure, to the honest and careful appraisal given by language instructors and their students.

This book is designed for university students and professionals who are studying English as a Foreign language (EFL) at an elementary level. It provides a solid foundation in medical-scientific English to enable them to understand and communicate in medical/scientific situations. It is meant to meet the need for teaching medical vocabulary to non-native speakers of English.

The vocabulary items in this book are all commonly used in the medical-paramedical field. The material is arranged into sixteen units, and each unit is divided into manageable sections. These are presented to the student in a regular, controlled fashion. Target words and their derivations are contextualized to illustrate their meanings and are systematically introduced so that vocabulary development can lead to enhanced language acquisition. Word-formation boxes are provided to emphasize the importance of having a sound knowledge of the meanings and significance of prefixes and suffixes. They are invaluable in helping students to guess the meanings of many unknown words they will inevitably encounter in their textbooks and at work. Explanations, varied exercises, and illustrations are provided to aid, motivate and test students’ learning. Short reading passages illustrating the use of vocabulary items from each section are also provided along with appropriate exercises