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Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 17. Number 3, September 2026 Pp.114-128
Departamento de Educación e Innovación, Universidad Católica de Temuco,
Temuco 4780000, Chile
Languages Coordination, DITFO, Universidad de La Frontera,
Temuco 4780000, Chile
The globalization of healthcare has intensified the need for effective English communication among nursing professionals, particularly for students in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) contexts. As English increasingly functions as a lingua franca in healthcare, nursing education must address the limitations of general English instruction in preparing students for the communicative demands of clinical practice. This systematic review examines the effectiveness of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) programs in enhancing nursing students’ clinical communication skills across diverse educational and cultural contexts. By synthesizing fragmented evidence across educational settings, this review provides an evidence-based foundation for curriculum development, pedagogical practice, and future research in nursing English education. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, a comprehensive search was conducted across ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar for studies published between 2015 and 2025. Fifty empirical studies employing quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods designs were included in the thematic synthesis. The findings indicate that ESP programs are effective in improving nursing students’ oral communication competence, professional vocabulary use, confidence, and preparedness for clinical practice. Learner-centered and practice-oriented pedagogical approaches, including task-based learning, simulation, role-play, project-based instruction, and technology-enhanced learning, were consistently associated with stronger communicative outcomes. The review also highlights the importance of systematic needs analysis in aligning ESP curricula.
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Olusiji Adebola Lasekan is an Assistant Professor of English Language Education at the Universidad Católica de Temuco, Chile. His research focuses on English language teaching (ELT), English for Specific Purposes (ESP), sustainability in language education, educational technology, corpus linguistics, and artificial intelligence in education. He has published extensively in international peer-reviewed journals on language education, teacher development,
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4244-4852
Margot Teresa Godoy Peña is a language educator and researcher affiliated with the Languages Coordination (DITFO) at the Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile. Her research focuses on English language teaching (ELT), English as a Foreign Language (EFL), English for Specific Purposes (ESP), technology-enhanced language learning, and applied linguistics. She has co-authored peer-reviewed publications on language education, educational technology, emotional intelligence in EFL, sustainability, and interdisciplinary educational research. https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7480-7185