Engineering English and Communication Skills (5 cr)

Objective

On completion of the course, the student will be able to communicate in English in tasks related to engineering studies and duties, and to give field-related presentations. The student will be able to search for information necessary for his/her duties in sources written in English, and to use the information critically. The student will be able to read field-related texts and to use core vocabulary in engineering. The student will be able to analyse the communication situation and act accordingly. The student will be able to operate in multicultural environments taking into account the special features of the situation as well as the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the participants. The student will be able to use English as a means of improving his/her professional expertise. The student will have a realistic view of his/her language and communication skills, and a positive attitude to developing the skills as part of his/her expertise.
The student will possess oral and written language and communication skills that are at least at the level B2 as defined in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Content

- field-related presentations and development of oral communication skills
- field-specific textual conventions and documents, and development of written communication skills
- major interaction situations in engineering: individual communication, pair communication and group communication
- introduction to texts, vocabulary and genres used in engineering
- field-specific information search and source assessment
- using and paraphrasing information from sources in English, both orally and in writing
- field-specific communication about education, organisations, work environments and duties
- field-specific job search process
- self-assessment of language and communication skills, and development of learning strategies

Materials

Moodle

Teaching methods

speaking and writing activities individually and in pairs or teams

Student workload

max 135 hrs

Content scheduling

business English
field-specific English
academic English

Further information

more detailed topic schedule and further information about assessment at the beginning of the course

Evaluation scale

0-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

In field-specific communication situations the student
- is able to cope with the help of clarifying questions and short utterances
- understands the communication partner enough to be able to act appropriately
- expresses his/her thoughts in professional contexts in simple structures, mostly coherently and in a manner that can be understood although the utterance is not free from mistakes that make it more difficult for the listener to understand the message.
- is familiar with professional vocabulary but is not always able to use it correctly
- makes mistakes in pronunciation, but they do not hinder understanding
- is able to write simple work-related texts according to a template, as well as more extensive texts with the help of linguistic aids although the message may not be totally conveyed due to mistakes in the language usage

Assessment criteria, good (3)

In field-specific communication situations the student
- manages in field-specific communication as intended
- initiates communication in professional communication situations, paying some attention to the linguistic and cultural backgrounds of the participants
- expresses himself/herself clearly and rather accurately
- uses professional vocabulary rather correctly
- pronounces English clearly enough to convey the message
- writes texts that follow the conventions of various genres without major mistakes that would hinder understanding

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

In field-specific communication situations the student
- participates in field-specific communication and follows the appropriate conventions of the situation
- initiates communication also in demanding professional communication situations, taking the linguistic and cultural backgrounds of the participants into account
- uses language efficiently, accurately, fluently and almost without mistakes
- uses professional vocabulary correctly
- pronounces English clearly and fluently, using prosodic features that emphasize the message
- writes texts that are clear, well composed, almost free from mistakes, and follow the conventions of the intended genre

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

In field-specific communication situations the student
- is able to cope with the help of clarifying questions and short utterances
- understands the communication partner enough to be able to act appropriately
- expresses his/her thoughts in professional contexts in simple structures, mostly coherently and in a manner that can be understood although the utterance is not free from mistakes that make it more difficult for the listener to understand the message.
- is familiar with professional vocabulary but is not always able to use it correctly
- makes mistakes in pronunciation, but they do not hinder understanding
- is able to write simple work-related texts according to a template, as well as more extensive texts with the help of linguistic aids although the message may not be totally conveyed due to mistakes in the language usage

Assessment methods and criteria

compulsory speaking and writing assignments + performance during lessons
70% attendance requirement