From medical research to educational practices: brain-based learning in developing English-speaking skills among medical students

Background: Recent advances in cognitive neuroscience have provided inspiring opportunities for the current understanding of the language-learning process and its neurological underpinnings. To date, several brain studies investigating the structure and functions of the language-learning process have provided reasonable explanations for biological aspects of language acquisition in addition to behavioral elucidations. Brain-related studies can provide valuable learning information for teachers to apply in classrooms. Accordingly, the current study investigated the impact of brain-based language instruction on medical students’ English-speaking skills. Methods: A quantitative quasi-experimental approach with a control group, using a pre-test/post-test format with a four-month follow-up in brain-based language instruction, was used for this study. To test the hypotheses underpinning this research, 64 medical students (40 women and 24 men) in a required course in general English in the Department of Foreign Languages at the Islamic Azad University of Kerman participated in this study during the 2021-2022 academic year. Pre- and post-tests of speaking skills were administered to ascertain differences in participants from the beginning to the end of the study. Results: Analysis revealed that the experimental group, who received treatment in the form of a brain-based teaching approach, improved considerably in their speaking skill from the pre-test to the post-test (P