Graham's vocabulary class

I was teaching on an Cambridge First Certificate course (in which, by chance, about half the class worked in the health sector) in Hungary, where the exam took place a couple of weeks before the end of the paid-up semester meant we had a few lessons in which we were free from the pressure of the exam, its syllabus, and related coursebook.

What subsequently emerged was a period of time in which the learners explored (among other things)more intricate/initmate vocabulary for parts of the body; the connotations of vocabulary previously heard but not fully understood; the workings, advantage and disadvantages of the British medical system compared to the Hungarian; discussion of whether they would like to work abroad (related to Eastern European salaries)etc.

The discussions of their work (and, for the non-health professionals, the use of these services) was relevant well-beyond the classroom. Not too much grammar emerged, but after a semester of First Certificate practice, the learners seemed to welcome the chance to exchange relevant stories and opinions, and the vocabulary generated was their main aim and outcome (one of the most memorable vocabulary sessions I, and hopefully the learners, can remember).

It was perhaps the first time I stepped away from text-books/materials for any length of time. I'm not a medical expert and learned a lot from the students. The point, it seems to me, is that really, it was the learners who generated these 2 or 3 lessons and the learning opportunites within them, talking about themselves, their lives, and as a result, finding the English language necessary to achieve this.