English for Engineers
Simon Smith
Today’s class
• Introducing ourselves to each other
• Talking about the class
• Technology in use
– Discussion and listening activities
• Short written homework
Group introductions
• Make sure that you know your groupmates’
– Name
– English name, if any
– Age
– Hometown and province
• After 5 minutes I will choose 1 student
• This student will introduce everyone in the
group
• (Please write your name on the chart, too)
About your teacher
• My name is Simon Smith
• You can call me
– Simon
– Or, Dr Smith (can also be spelled Dr. with a dot)
– But not “Teacher” (that is Chinglish)
• I come from …
• Email address: simon.smith@xjtlu.edu.cn
Some information about me
• This is my first year at XJTLU.
• Before coming here, I taught at 2 universities
in Taiwan for 8 years, as Assistant Professor.
• My academic background is in language and
linguistics.
• My PhD, on spoken language analysis, was
done in the EECE Dept. at Birmingham, UK
• I have been married to a Taiwanese woman,
Emily, for 16 years.
• We have two boys, Owen (11) and Iain (6).
Classes with me
• There are two types of class:
• English for Fluency Class Work (today’s class)
– Materials: Oxford English for Information Technology and Cambridge English
for Engineering.
– We will focus on general English for Engineering, looking at topics related to
Computing, Technology and Management.
– EF Topics: Computer Applications; Peripherals; Data Security; Software
Engineering; Recent Developments in ICT; Graphical User Interfaces; Websites.
•
English for Academic Purposes (Thursday or Friday)
•
– Materials: articles from English newspapers, magazines and academic journals
on the subject of IT and engineering.
– EAP themes: Definition and Description; Cause-and-Effect analysis; Writing an
ICT report; Evaluation.
Next time, we will discuss the Aims and Learning Outcomes
–
Think: What do you hope to gain from this course?
GRADING
Continuous assessments
Final Exams
Type of tests
Date
Contribution
to module
mark
Defining and describing a
process essay
Week 4
0% Feedback
only
Comparison and contrast essay
Week 5
0% Feedback
only
Coursework 1: Extended Report
Week 8
10%
Coursework 2: Design Proposal
Week 13
10%
Speaking: presentation of
essay/report followed by
discussion with the tutor
Final Exam
week
10%
Writing: Students are required to
Final Exam
week
10%
Total
40%
make notes on academic texts.
They will then be tested on their
understanding of these texts
through an essay question of a type
studied in Semester 1.
40 minutes - 250 words minimum
New vocabulary
• Every week, each group should choose a vocab monitor.
• The vocab monitor will write down all the new or unfamiliar vocab
met with in class.
• New vocab items may be
– Single words
– Phrases (e.g. “space elevator”; “way round a problem”)
• After class, he or she should find
– A definition
– A Chinese translation
– A good example sentence from the Web
• for each word or phrase.
• Email the information to groupmates and to me, please.
Rules!
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Please try to speak only English.
Please arrive on time.
Please don’t eat in the class.
Please bring the 2 textbooks to each class.
Please bring your English dictionary.
Please bring file paper to each class.
Please switch off your cellphone.
Functions and applications
• Take out your cellphone, MP3 player or other
device.
• Write down its functions and applications.
• Demonstrate the functions and applications to
your neighbour.
•
http://www.google.com.hk/images?q=gps&um=1&hl=zh-CN&newwindow=1&safe=strict&client=firefoxa&rls=org.mozilla:enUS:official&biw=1280&bih=831&source=lnt&tbs=isch:1,ic:gray&source=lnt&sa=X&ei=pxN_TKm_JsaHcZPive4K&ved=0CBMQ
pwU
GPS
• Q2
• Explain how Drift Alarms and Man Overboard
Buttons work, in English or (if necessary)
Chinese.
• (Q3)
• Q4
Space elevators
•
•
http://www.google.com.hk/images?q=Space+elevator&um=1&hl=zh-CN&newwindow=1&safe=strict&client=firefoxa&rls=org.mozilla:enUS:official&biw=1280&bih=831&source=lnt&tbs=isch:1&source=lnt&sa=X&ei=7Bp_TOrnEpCdcaKT5PIK&ved=0CBEQpwU
http://www.spaceelevator.com/
• Q6
• Q7
Ordinary elevators
• In the UK? (Cantonese in Hong Kong?)
• Can you name a famous lift company?
– Look at page 10
• Who invented the lift?
– In what year?
• Try Ex 13 on page 11
Homework
• Write a short paragraph:
– Explain the main functions and applications of an
electronic device owned by you.
– Print it out, and bring it next time.
• Vocabulary monitor, send the vocab list!
• Remember: think about what you hope to
gain from this class.