Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of English Language Teaching, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.
2
Department of English Language Teaching, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran
3
Assistant Professor, Department of English Language Teaching, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/jals.2026.2068356.1101
Abstract
Voice recognition and text-mining tools have democratized corpus construction, allowing educators to create responsive materials based on authentic discourse trends. In global healthcare contexts, where English functions as a lingua franca, cultivating discourse competence is essential for safe and effective communication. This study employs corpus linguistics methods to analyze authentic medical English sourced from YouTube videos. A specialized corpus was compiled and analyzed using Otter.AI and SketchEngine to examine linguistic patterns, collocations, and discourse structures in real-world medical communication.
Findings reveal that medical professionals frequently employ modal verbs (e.g., can, should, must), passive constructions, and high-frequency collocations (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, patient care) that serve distinct pragmatic functions. Moreover, interactional phrases such as let me explain and can you see and discourse markers like so and now are pervasive, reflecting the interpersonal and procedural nature of clinical discourse. Cross-cultural comparison further indicates notable variation in communication style, with Western contexts showing greater empathy and shared decision-making, and South Asian contexts favoring directive, authoritative tones.
These patterns provide insight into the pragmatic and intercultural dimensions of medical English and highlight the potential of YouTube-based corpora as authentic resources for English for Medical Purposes (EMP) instruction.
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