Core Skills
Communication
Study Section 10: Engineering
[INTERMEDIATE 1]
Introduction
Lesson 10A: What is engineering?
Lesson 10B: Electrical and electronic engineering
Lesson 10C: Fabrication and welding
SAQ answers
1
2
13
28
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INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to this study section. You are studying Communication at
Intermediate 1 level.
This package contains three separate lessons. Each lesson is a
‘chunk’ of material that is similar to a traditional class lesson. The
difference is that you can work at your own pace through the lesson.
Each of these lessons will take you approximately an hour to complete.
The theme of this study section is engineering. The three lessons are:
 What is engineering?
 Electrical and electronic engineering
 Fabrication and welding.
This study section contains activities, self-assessed questions and a tutor
assessment.
An activity asks you to do something such as read an article or write a
letter. Most activities have feedback on the next page. The word
feedback just means comments. You should try the activity before
reading the feedback.
Self-Assessed Question (SAQ)
When you see this symbol, you should answer the
questions, and then check your answers with those given at
the end of the study section.
Tutor Assessment (TA)
These are activities or questions that you answer then
submit to your teacher or tutor for marking.
COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10A: WHAT IS ENGINEERING?
LESSON 10A
Welcome to lesson 10A. The theme is engineering. In this lesson you’re going to
start to prepare for the first assessment that you will be asked to do for the unit.
Specifically, you’ll look at reading skills.
By the end of the lesson:


You will know what to do for the assessments
You will have completed a practice assessment similar to the one you will do
in class for the unit.
Reading skills: what do you do in the assessment?
When you do the assessment, you’ll be asked to do the following:
Outcome 1
Respond to simple but detailed written communication.
Performance criteria
a) Identify the purpose of a communication, and support with textual
evidence.
b) Give an accurate account of important ideas or significant information
in the communication.
c) Identify a central point of view in the communication.
d) Make a basic evaluation of the communication supported by evidence.
To put it another way, you’ll be asked to do these things:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Explain what the purpose of a written communication is. Explain how
you know.
Explain what the important points are.
Explain what the writer’s attitude is.
Evaluate the communication. (To evaluate it means ‘to judge the
value’ of something, or say how useful it is.)
You’ve done a lot of work on reading and you’ve already practised using
the skills that you need to pass the assessment.
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COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
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LESSON 10A: WHAT IS ENGINEERING?
Identifying the purpose of a communication
When you're asked to identify the writer's purpose, you're being asked to
say why you feel that the writer wrote the text.
You looked at this in lesson 4A. You might want to look back at that
lesson now to remind yourself of what you did.
The purpose of a written text is usually something like:





to
to
to
to
to
explain
voice an opinion
publicise
give information
persuade.
It’s usually easy to work out what the writer’s purpose is.
Ask yourself what he or she is trying to do.
Is it to explain something? Is it to publicise something?
Is it to explain her/his point of view? Is it to inform you of something?
Or is it some other reason?
COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10A: WHAT IS ENGINEERING?
Explaining what the important points are
When you’re asked to identify the important points, you’ll be asked to say
what the key points are.
You looked at this in lesson 5C. You might want to look back at that
lesson now, to remind you of what you need to do.
When you write a summary, follow these guidelines.




Use your own words.
Make sure your summary is shorter than the original.
Focus on the main information only – the key points.
Write your summary so that it looks like a complete piece of writing.
This means that you should check your writing to make sure that it
makes sense when someone else reads it.
When identifying the important points in a written communication,
you’re really trying to take the key points only, and cut away the rest.
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COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10A: WHAT IS ENGINEERING?
How to identify a central point of view
This part of the assessment usually asks you to say what the writer thinks
or feels. You looked at this in lesson 3A. You also wrote an essay to
express a point of view in the same lesson.
You looked at how to work out the writer’s attitude in lesson 6C and
lesson 8B as well. You may want to look back to these lessons are
revise.
To help identify the writer’s attitude, think about:
 the words used (some words are stronger than others)
 the adjectives used (adjectives are describing words)
 whether the writer uses bold or italic characters (these are often used
to emphasise points).
When you see someone, it’s often easy to work out
what he or she feels – just look at his or her face.
When you read a text, it can be easy as well.
You don’t have the writer’s facial expressions to help you –
but you’re looking for clues in the words that they use.
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10A: WHAT IS ENGINEERING?
How to evaluate a written communication
Here you’re asked to say how well the piece was written. An evaluation is
your chance to judge how good or bad a piece of writing is.
There are several things you should consider when you’re evaluating
something:



Was the communication easy to understand? Explain your answer.
Did the graphics help you to understand the communication?
Would someone interested in the subject find it useful? Why?
We looked at all this in lesson 8A. You might want to look back to that
lesson if you’ve forgotten what to do.
Evaluating a communication means asking yourself how easy it was
to understand. Ask yourself if someone would find it useful or not.
Ask yourself if the pictures or graphics helped to make
the communication understandable.
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COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10A: WHAT IS ENGINEERING?
SAQ 1
In the assessment for Outcome 1, you’ll answer questions similar to
these:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Explain the writer’s purpose in the text (e.g. this might be to
inform).
Write a summary, covering the main points.
Identify a central viewpoint. This means that you should e xplain the
attitude or view contained in the writing.
Evaluate the text – you should say how useful it was for the
readers, and how easy it was to read.
Look for the words in bold in the word square overleaf. Circle each word
when you find it. Words can run up and down, left to right or diagonally.
Three have been done for you as examples.
COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10A: WHAT IS ENGINEERING?
SAQ 1 (continued)
A
E
I
S
U
M
M
A
R
Y
Z
A
X
Q
U
O
B
B
A
D
Y
S
R
P
M
K
L
C
T
M
V
Y
O
Q
L
S
M
A
T
R
U
I
N
P
I
A
A
R
I
E
S
T
E
S
N
T
I
D
T
A
E
Y
G
W
F
H
N
N
U
D
F
V
B
C
O
I
U
E
D
E
U
E
P
U
R
P
O
S
E
R
L
F
E
D
M
V
J
W
X
S
Check your answers with those on page 39 when you’ve finished.
Score
___ out of 7
Date completed
Teacher/tutor comments
/
/
Signed by student
8
Teacher/tutor initials
COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10A: WHAT IS ENGINEERING?
TA 1
Read the article and then answer the questions overleaf.
Engineering overlooked as a career
Brian Whitely
Economic Correspondent
Youngsters don’t understand the range of jobs available in engineering
When asked what they want to
do when they leave school, not
many young people say
‘engineering’. This is because
most people don’t know what
an engineer does, or what
engineering is.
Most people think
engineering is about stripping
down an engine and getting
your hands covered in oil.
There are times when
engineers might get their hands
dirty, of course, but engineering
is really about solving lots of
problems.
Engineering has a variety of
fields that people can work in.
The main types of
engineering are these:




Chemical
Civil
Electrical
Mechanical/
Manufacturing
 Materials
A chemical engineer might
work in trying to create more
efficient types of petrol. A civil
engineer is concerned with
things like roads and buildings.
Electrical and electronic
engineers are concerned with
designing electrical-based
solutions to problems.
Mechanical engineers work with
the design and operation of
moving components. Material
engineers are concerned with
the materials that things are
made from. They check that the
best materials are used and work
to design newer, lighter and
stronger metals and plastics.
Engineering offers many
interesting challenges and good
career opportunities in a range of
different industries. Despite
this, young people are still
failing to apply for engineering
courses.
The main entry requirements
are good maths and science
qualifications. This puts some
people off – but local colleges
offer the chance to pick up the
qualifications needed. And don’t
forget – it’s not really a dirty
job!
COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10A: WHAT IS ENGINEERING?
TA 1 (continued)
Answer all the questions, using your own words as far as possible.
1.
What is the purpose of this communication?
2.
Give two quotations from the text, and explain how they helped you
to answer Q1.
[PC(a)]
3.
Why don’t young people choose engineering as a careeer, accordi ng
to the writer?
4.
Name three different types of engineer, and say what types of work
they do. Use your own words.
5.
What are the main entry requirements for anyone interested in
engineering?
6.
What does the writer say that people should do if they do n’t have
these qualifications?
[PC(b)]
7.
Does the writer think that engineering is a good job or a bad job?
8.
Give two quotations from the text, and explain how they helped you
to answer Q7.
[PC (c)]
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COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
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LESSON 10A: WHAT IS ENGINEERING?
TA 1 (contined)
9.
Would young people think this was a useful article? Explain your
answer.
10.
Did the picture help you to understand the article? Explain your
answer.
PC (d)]
When you’ve answered the questions, give them to your teacher/tutor.
He or she will mark it for you, and will tell you if you are ready to do the
unit assessment.
COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10A: WHAT IS ENGINEERING?
Summary of this lesson
In this lesson, you’ve:


revised for the first assessment
completed a practice assessment.
End of lesson 10A
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COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10B: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
LESSON 10B
Welcome to lesson 10B. The theme is electrical and electronic
engineering. In this lesson you will start to prepare for the Outcome 2
assessment, which is about writing skills.
Specifically, this lesson helps you to:






review the skills needed to write well
review how to write an essay
review how to write a report
review how to write a portfolio of related pieces
review how to write articles and reviews
complete a practice assessment.
Writing skills: what do you do in the assessment?
In the assessment, you’ll be asked to do the following:
Outcome 2
Produce simple but detailed written communication.
Performance criteria
a)
The techniques used are appropriate to the writer’s purpose and
audience and are mainly used consistently.
b)
Essential information or ideas with some support ing detail are
presented in a logical order.
c)
Structure is mainly appropriate to purpose and audience.
d)
Spelling, punctuation and syntax are mainly accurate.
What this means is that you will be asked to produce some written
communication (e.g. report, essay, or portfolio of related pieces). In all
of your writing, you must:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Write in a way that is suitable for your purpose. Write in a way
that is suitable for your readers. Use a consistent style.
Include all the information needed to make sense.
Present your work in a suitable format (e.g. write your report in
the style that you have been shown, or write a letter in the correct
format).
Make sure that your spelling, punctuation and word order are
mainly accurate.
COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10B: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
General writing skills
There are many skills needed to write well. We’ve looked at many of
them over the nine study sections you’ve worked through so far.
These general skills apply to any type of writing. Overleaf is a table
summarising what you’ve learned about writing skills so far.
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LESSON 10B: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
Activity 1
Look at the table below. If you see any topics listed that you are not
too sure about, go back to the lesson that it was discussed in, and
revise that topic.
Topic
Having a
purpose in
writing
Summary
Lesson
number
You should know what your purpose is
before you write. A writer’s purpose
might be informing his/her reader or
expressing a point of view.
4B
6C
Writing clearly
to express
meaning
It’s important that you write so your
readers can understand what you mean.
3B
8A
Writing for
target audience
Who is your reader? When you write,
think about what the reader needs from
your writing.
8A
Questionnaires can help you to get
information for an essay or report.
5B
Choosing the right questions is
important when you make up a
questionnaire.
5B
Creating graphs
Presenting information in a graph is
useful in a report.
5B
Describing
things
Using words to describe things. This
makes your writing more interesting
than if you just present the facts.
4C
Formal writing is usually preferred for
business correspondence and serious
newspaper reports.
6B
Writing a
summary
Getting to the key points. Summarising
is a good skill for report writing.
5C
7B
Adding full
stops
Full stops are important in sentences so
your reader can understand them
clearly.
4C
Apostrophes
Apostrophes have two purposes: to
show ownership and to show a letter is
missing.
6A
To, two, too
It’s important that you can tell these
three words apart.
7C
Writing a
questionnaire
Open and
closed
questions
Formal
communication
COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10B: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
=
=
Good writing skills and good reading skills are closely related.
You’ve done lots of work on reading skills.
Try to ‘turn them outside in’ and use these in your own writing.
For example, if you’ve read an article that impressed you,
you can adapt the writer’s techniques to suit your own writing.
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COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10B: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
SAQ 2
Here are some questions about writing skills. Tick the boxes to show
which answer is correct.
1
What is the
meaning of the
term ‘writer’s
purpose’?
The writer’s purpose is the point s/he wants to
make.
The writer’s purpose is his/her reason for
writing something.
2
Which sentence
is correct?
Microchips are small. The transistors are to
small to see.
Microchips are small. The transistors are too
small to see.
3
Which sentence
is formal?
It is important that the current is switched off
before employees work on the circuit.
Don’t forget to switch the electricity off before
you start working on that bit of kit.
4
Which sentence
is correct?
Diode’s dont allow electricity to flow in both
direction’s.
Diodes don’t allow electricity to flow in both
directions.
5
Which question
is an open
question?
Do you know how to use a soldering iron?
6
What is usually
contained in a
memo?
The word ‘Memo’; and sections for the date;
who it’s from; who it’s to; and a note of the
subject.
The writer’s address; the date; the address of
the person receiving it; and the writer’s
signature.
7
What is usually
contained in a
formal letter?
The writer’s address, the date, the address of
the person receiving it and the writer’s
signature.
Terms of Reference, Procedures, Findings,
Conclusions and Recommendations.
What caused the accident with the soldering
iron?
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10B: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
8
What is usually
contained in an
essay?
An introduction, several paragraphs and a
conclusion.
Terms of Reference, Procedures, Findings,
Conclusions and Recommendations.
9
What goes into
a summary?
Everything that was contained in the original,
rewritten in your own words.
The important points from the original, usually
written in your own words.
Check your answers with those on page 40 when you’ve finished.
Score
___ out of 9
Date completed
Teacher/tutor comments
/
/
Signed by student
18
Teacher/tutor initials
COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10B: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
Preparing to write a report
In lessons 7A, 7B and 7C, you did a lot of work on report writing. You
know that reports contain the following sections:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
terms of reference
procedures
findings
conclusions
recommendations.
You also know that
 Reports have a front cover or title page.
 Reports are usually written without referring to yourself.
 You are expected to write sentences in a ‘passive form’ (e.g. ‘It was
noted…’ instead of ‘I noted that….’
 Reports must be written in a formal way, so they don’t use shortened
words.
 You mustn’t put in your own feelings or opinions – simply present
and report information that you got from other sources.
 You can use graphs, charts and diagrams if you wish.
 You can obtain information for your report from lots of different
places such as newspapers, magazines, questionnaires, books, the
Internet, leaflets and so on.
Look back to Study Section 7 if you can’t remember what some of
these things mean.
If you’re going to write a report for your assessment, you might find it
useful to answer the following questions first.
1.
What are you investigating in your report?
2.
Who asked you to write the report and when is it due?
3.
What is the first thing you will do to get information? What do you
hope to get from this source?
4.
What is the second thing you will do to get information? What do
you hope to get from this source?
5.
What is the third thing you will do to get information? What do you
hope to get from this source?
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10B: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
Preparing to write an essay
In lesson 3A, you learned that essays usually contain:





a beginning (or introduction)
a paragraph containing one point
another paragraph containing another point
yet another paragraph containing yet another point (and so on)
an ending (or conclusion).
If you are going to write an essay for your assessment, you might find
it useful to complete this table first.
Feature to consider
Write down a few notes here
to help you
What is the purpose of your
essay?
Who is your intended readership?
(Who would find the subject
interesting?)
What is the topic of your essay?
What points will you make in the
introduction?
What is your first main point, and
what will you say about it?
What is your second main point,
and what will you say about it?
What is your third main point, and
what will you say about it?
What will you say in the
conclusion section?
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10B: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
Preparing to write a portfolio of linked pieces
In lesson 8A, you learned that a portfolio of linked pieces is simply two
or three pieces on a related topic.
Here is an example of a portfolio of linked pieces.
1.
2.
3.
A report about the problems in your community.
A letter to your community police officer asking for advice .
A memo to your Neighbourhood Watch secretary.
A portfolio can contain any types of writing,
such as:
 Letters (e.g. to a newspaper or to apply for a job)
 Memos
 Reports
 Essays
 Instructions
 Magazine, newspaper or newsletter articles
 Guides to procedures*
 Diaries *
Discussed in
lesson number:
2C
1A
7A
3A
8C
2A, 8B
*You haven’t looked at these forms of writing. Your teacher/tutor will show you how to
do them, if necessary.
A portfolio of linked pieces needs to be
at least 300 words long. This means
that each thing that you write doesn’t
need to be a large piece of work.
For example, the word count for the
related pieces listed above could be:
1.
2.
3.
Total
80
50
170
300
words
words
words
words
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10B: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
Read the essay below. It’s about 300 words long. This is the length of
writing that you need to do for your assessment. After yo u’ve read the
essay, follow the instructions overleaf.
My name is James Samuels, and I am a student on the course NC
Electrical and Electronic Engineering. I started the course in August
last year and I am really enjoying it. I will tell you a bit about the course
in my essay.
When I first enrolled on the course, I didn’t know anything about the
subject matter at all. The nearest that I’d ever got to anything
electrical was buying batteries for my portable MP3 player. The tutor
said that was okay – the purpose of the course was to help me to learn
all that I needed.
The first few weeks were spent learning some of the basic terms. I
learned what resistors, transistors, diodes and capacitors are. There
was a lot to learn. For example, did you know that resistors have
coloured bands on them and these tell you what their strength is? This
is an illustration of one:
After we learned the basic things, we were shown how to use the
soldering iron. Solder is a special type of metal that’s used to join
components onto circuit boards. It’s not as easy as it sounds. If you
put on too much solder it can touch more than one component. This
gives a short circuit.
After this, we had to build something. We had to buy the components
from a catalogue and assemble them. The choice was a digital clock, a
burglar alarm or a radio transmitter. I chose to build the digital clock.
It was very interesting, and amazing when I switched it on and it
worked.
If you are interested in electronics, then you should think about c oming
on a course. I knew nothing about it, and soon I will have finished the
course. I will then have the qualifications to get a job in an electronics
firm (or to go on and do the HNC).
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10B: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
Now you have to write a portfolio of linked pieces. Use the essay on
page 22 to help you.
The first piece for your portfolio should be an advert for the National
Qualifications Electronics and Electrical Engineering course (you wrote
an advert in lesson 1C). This will take about 50 words.
There’s a template on page 24 that may help you with this part of the
writing.
The second piece should be a memo (about 80–100 words long) from
James Samuels to his course tutor Marvin Murray. The purpose of the
memo is for James to tell his course tutor that he has chosen to build a
digital clock as part of his project. He should also explain that he has
ordered the following components:






Digital display
Battery holder
Pack of resistors
Assorted transistors
2 capacitors
1 micro chip
(cost
(cost
(cost
(cost
(cost
(cost
£3.12)
45p)
£1.47)
£1.09)
32p)
£2.20)
There’s a template on page 25 to help you.
The third piece should be an evaluation (about 150 words) of the
course that James has just completed. In the evaluation, James
should say:






how much knowledge he had before the course started
how he felt about the first few weeks
the types of things he learned in the first few weeks
what he learned next
how much he enjoyed building his digital clock
how he feels now that the course is nearly over.
There’s a template on page 26 to help you.
Give all three pieces to your teacher/tutor when you’ve finished.
COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10B: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
TA 2 (continued)
Allover College
Main Street
Anytown
A1 2AA
Tel 01111 222333
Training and learning for all
[Course name]
[What you can do when you finish the course]
[Entry qualifications needed]
[Example of what you will do on the course]
[How to apply]
Allover College is committed to equality.
We offer a range of courses
to suit all your learning needs.
Students applying for this course
may be eligible for a college bursary.
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COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10B: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
TA 2 (continued)
Memo
To:
From:
Subject:
Date:
COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10B: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
TA 2 (continued)
Evaluation of the course
Introduction
Prior knowledge before starting the course
Evaluation of the first few weeks
What I learned in the first few weeks
What I learned in the next part of the course
Evaluation of building the digital clock
Overall feelings about the course
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COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10B: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
Summary of this lesson
In this lesson, you’ve:


revised for the second assessment
you wrote a portfolio of related pieces.
End of lesson 10B
COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
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LESSON 10C: FABRICATION AND WELDING
LESSON 10C
Welcome to lesson 10C. The theme is fabrication and welding. You will
start to prepare for the Outcome 3 assessment, which is about talking and
listening skills.
Specifically, this lesson helps you to:



review the skills needed to talk and listen well
review how to take part in a meeting or discussion
review how to prepare a presentation.
Talking and listening skills: what do you do in the
assessment?
In the assessment, you’ll be asked to do the following:
Outcome 3
Produce and respond to simple but detailed oral communication.
Performance criteria
a)
Use of vocabulary and language structures is mainly appropriate to
purpose and audience.
b)
The communication conveys appropriate information, opinions
and/or ideas.
c)
Basic skill in sequencing and linking information, opinions and/or
ideas is shown.
d)
Delivery takes account of situation and audience.
e)
Responses take account of the contributions of other(s).
What this means is that you will be asked to take part in a discussion or
presentation with other people. As you do this, you must:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
talk in a suitable way for your purpose and listeners
include all the information needed to make sense
say your piece in a logical order - link different ideas together
talk so you can be heard; talk so that people understand you
ask and answer questions.
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LESSON 10C: FABRICATION AND WELDING
Express yourself in a suitable way
This means that you should talk in a way that is correct for the purpose of
your talk and for your listeners. For example, each of the following talks
would have a different tone.
 A talk about accidents when using a welding torch. This might have a
formal serious tone.
 A talk about the tricks that people play on apprentices in the welding
industry. This might have an informal, lighthearted tone.
This person was explaining
the rate of accidents when welding.
He didn’t achieve the correct tone
for his purpose.
You also need to think about what your audience knows. For example,
you shouldn’t use technical terms they wouldn’t understand. You
shouldn’t bore them with details they already know.
You need to talk
so that your audience stays interested.
 You learned about ensuring your listeners understand what you say in
lesson 3B.
 You learned about tone and pace in lesson 4B.
 You learned about the differences between formal and informal talking
in lesson 6C.
If you’ve forgotten what was said in these lessons, look back to them now.
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LESSON 10C: FABRICATION AND WELDING
Including all information needed to make sense
You need to provide all of the information that your listeners need. If you
don’t, they won’t be able to follow you.



Think about what they already know.
Think about what they don’t know yet.
Think about what they need to know.
For example, if you’re talking to qualified welders about welding, you
wouldn’t have to tell them how to weld. If you were talking to apprentice
welders about welding, you might have to give them some very basic
information.
You did a lot of work about preparing for talks and meetings in lessons
9A, 9B and 9C. You should look back to these lessons now if you’ve
forgotten what was said.
Logical order and linking pieces together
You need to put what you’re going to say into a logical order. We talked
about order in lesson 6A.
Basically, all this means is that you should say what you need to say in a
sequence that people can follow. It’s a bit like going on a journey:
Journey
Talking
You need to decide where you want
to be.
You need to decide what you’re
going to say.
You decide how you’ll get there.
You decide how you’re going to say
it.
You decide what places you will go
through on the way.
You decide what order to say things
in.
You arrive at your destination.
You arrive at the end of your talk.
Talking is like going on a journey. Have a clear route
map of where you’re going and what you’re going to do
on your route. This helps you to plan your talking.
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LESSON 10C: FABRICATION AND WELDING
Talk so that you can be heard
It’s important that people can hear you. Whether in a meeting or
delivering a presentation, you must talk so that the person furthest away
can hear you.
Respond to other people
The purpose of a discussion is for people to exchange views and ideas.
This means that when you say something, others will react to it. When
other people say something, you might react to them.
Some people will ask you questions, and you should reply as fully as you
can.
Others will make points about your contribution, but not ask questions.
You can also reply to them if you choose.
You learned about responding to others in lesson 8C. Look back to that
lesson if you want to revise.
In the discussion below, the person on the left responds to points made
by the other man. One of the points he responds to is a question. The
other point is a statement.
1 The design of this looks
complicated. We’ll need to
think carefully.
3 The main section
looks like the most
difficult part.
2 What part do you think
will take most time?
4 I will get the design
team to look at it
again.
5 That will help.
We’ll need to check
the deadlines with
the customer.
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LESSON 10C: FABRICATION AND WELDING
Activity 2
In this activity, you’re going to practise responding to other people in a
discussion or talk.
First of all, read this part of Kath’s talk.
Part of the reason that women and girls don’t enrol on
the welding course is that they assume it is a man’s job.
But why should this be the case? There’s no reason why a
woman can’t do what a man can do. Some of the
equipment is quite heavy – but nothing is so heavy that a
female can’t lift it.
The real problem is that women and girls don’t have any
suitable role models. W hen did you last see a woman
welding? Until I came on the course I’d never seen a
woman welding. If there were lots of women working as
welders, girls wouldn’t automatically dismiss the idea of
becoming a welder. Another problem is employers.
Although they’re not allowed to discriminate, some of them
are bound to think a man could do the job better.
Next, make a list of three questions or points that you would like Kath to
respond to at the end of her talk.
1.
2.
3.
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LESSON 10C: FABRICATION AND WELDING
Activity 2 - Feedback
Here are the three questions or points that I would like to raise with Kath.
1.
Would a female welding lecturer help to attract women and girls on
to the course?
2.
How many women work in welding in Scotland?
3.
I don’t think that employers would discriminate against women
welders. Do you have any proof that employers do discriminate?
Your questions and points may be different, but will be equally valid, I am
sure. The main point is that, after a presentation, you should ask suitable
questions. This is even more vital in a discussion, where the interaction
between all the people involved is important.
After a talk, people will ask you questions. Plan ahead!
Think what questions people might ask you.
Think what answers you might give to those questions.
And remember that you can always say:
‘I am not sure, but I will find out’ if you just don’t know the answer.
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LESSON 10C: FABRICATION AND WELDING
Activity 3
This time, I want you to pretend to be Kath. You’ve just been asked three
questions. You have no time to go and check. You must answer on the
spot. (Remember that if you don’t have the information to hand , you can
say so!) What are you answers?
Answer as fully as possible, and don’t give yourself ages to think ab out
the questions. In a presentation, you would have to answer instantly – so
give yourself no more than two minutes to write your answers down.
1.
Would a female welding lecturer help to attract women and girls on
to the course?
2.
How many women work in welding in Scotland?
3.
I don’t think that employers would discriminate against women
welders. Do you have any proof that employers do discriminate?
You’ve no time to consider your answers
when you’re asked a question.
‘You need to think on your feet.’
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COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
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LESSON 10C: FABRICATION AND WELDING
Activity 3 Feedback
Here are my answers. If you managed to answer all three questions with
more than just very short answers, then you’ve done well.
1.
Would a female welding lecturer help to attract women and girls on
to the course?
‘Yes, I think so. As I said in my talk, welding needs female role models to
attract girls and women into the trade. Colleges can set a good example
by employing women as lecturers.’
2.
How many women work in welding in Scotland?
‘I don’t have the exact figures to hand, but it is a very small number
indeed. I will find out the exact number and get back to you.’
3.
I don’t think that employers would discriminate against women
welders. Do you have any proof that employers do discriminate?
‘No, I don’t have any hard facts to prove my case. But I can tell you of an
experience a female friend had in a job interview, where the employer told
her he was worried the work would be too demanding for her. I bet he
never says that to any man!’
Try to give as detailed responses as you can.
A yes or no answer is not always a full response.
COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10C: FABRICATION AND WELDING
TA 3
Answer these questions and give them to your
teacher/tutor.
1.
When it comes to doing the assessment, would
you prefer to take part in a discussion or a
presentation?
2.
Explain why.
3.
How confident do you feel about each of the following?
Very
Quite
Not
very
Delivering a presentation
Taking part in a discussion
Asking other people questions
Answering questions from other people
Speaking loudly enough to be heard
Being able to use the appropriate tone
Talking without getting muddled or lost
Linking ideas together
Use this space to add any comments that you want to make.
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COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
Not at
all
LESSON 10C: FABRICATION AND WELDING
What do you do now?
You should now be ready to do the assessments for Communication at
Intermediate 1.
You should speak to your teacher/tutor now, to arrange times for
assessments.
I hope that you’ve found these lessons interesting. I also hope that you
feel that you have developed some useful new skills.
Good communication skills are essential in your social life,
your studies and in work. Communication at Intermediate 1
has helped you to develop communication skills in reading, writing,
talking and listening. These skills are crucial in the modern workplace.
COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
LESSON 10C: FABRICATION AND WELDING
Summary of this lesson
In this lesson, you:

revised for the third assessment.
End of lesson 10C
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COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
SAQ ANSWERS
SAQ ANSWERS
SAQ 1 Answers
A
E
Z
A X
Y
S
I
S U M M A R Y
Q
U
O
B
B
A
D
R
P
M
K
L
B
T
M
V Y
O
Q
L
S
M
A
T
R
U
I
N
P
I
A A
R
I
E
S
T
E
S
N
T
D
T
A
E
Y
G
W F
H
F
v
B
O
I
U
E
L
F
C
I
N N U D
U
E
D E
P U R P O S E R
E
D
M
V
J
W
X
S
Give yourself one point for each word that you found in the grid (except
for the words ‘summary’, ‘explain’ and ‘main’, which were done for
you).
COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
SAQ ANSWERS
SAQ 2 Answers
1
2
What is the
meaning of the
term ‘writer’s
purpose’?
The writer’s purpose is the point s/he wants to
make.
Which sentence
is correct?
Microchips are small. The transistors are to
small to see.
The writer’s purpose is his/her reason for
writing something.
Microchips are small. The transistors are too
small to see.
3
Which sentence
is formal?
It is important that the current is switched off
before employees work on the circuit.
X
X
X
Don’t forget to switch the electricity off before
you start working on that bit of kit.
4
Which sentence
is correct?
Diode’s dont allow electricity to flow in both
direction’s.
Diodes don’t allow electricity to flow in both
directions.
5
6
Which question
is an open
question?
Do you know how to use a soldering iron?
What is usually
contained in a
memo?
The word ‘Memo’; and sections for the date;
who it’s from; who it’s to; and a note of the
subject.
X
X
What caused the accident with the soldering
iron?
X
The writer’s address; the date; the address of
the person receiving it; and the writer’s
signature.
7
What is usually
contained in a
formal letter?
The writer’s address, the date, the address of
the person receiving it and the writer’s
signature.
Terms of Reference, Procedures, Findings,
Conclusions and Recommendations.
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COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004
X
SAQ ANSWERS
8
9
What is usually
contained in an
essay?
An introduction, several paragraphs and a
conclusion.
Terms of Reference, Procedures, Findings,
Conclusions and Recommendations.
What goes into
a summary?
Everything that was contained in the original,
rewritten in your own words.
The important points from the original, usually
written in your own words.
COMMUNICATION: STUDY SECTION 10 (INT 1)
X
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2004