A two-semester English-for-Special-Purposes (ESP) course designed for nursing students at a Japanese university is described, including the origins and development of the course, text development, and teaching methods. The content-based course was designed to meet licensure requirements for English language training, emphasized listening and speaking skills, and incorporated principles of accelerated learning. The instructional materials, a ten-chapter text per semester, was designed by the course developer. The serial melodrama was based on a story line concerning a nurse working in a large hospital and characters flexible enough for students to help develop their personalities. Increasingly serious medical story lines evolve, with cliff-hangers at the end of each chapter and a plot of high interest to students. Several classroom teaching techniques are highlighted including the playing of classical music during passive readings and a series of review and expansion activities. Classroom procedures are described. Testing consists of a series of true-false questions. Initial experience with the curriculum has been positive. Contains 6 references. (MSE)