Formal course requirements

Advanced Technical English DS2304 9p

 

Teacher: Rebecca Hincks, hincks@kth.se, 790 6918, Lindstedtsv. 24, 4th floor

Course literature: Brunsberg, Sandra (2004) Advanced Technical English, compendium for sale at Language Unit, Lindstedtsv. 24.

 

Course Description

This course is intended for those of you who have already reached a high level of proficiency in the English language, but who wish to extend your knowledge of English as it is used in more technical environments.

 

Aims

Immediate Aims:

The main aims of this course are:

 

            1. To increase your accuracy and fluency in the use of English in a technical   context.

            2. To improve your communicative skills in English.

 

These two aims are to be seen as inseparable from each other. It is not possible to divorce competence in English, in the form of mastery of grammatical structures and a broad vocabulary, from the ability to apply this competence in a way that is appropriate to the situation (socially and professionally acceptable), and effective (most likely to have the desired result).

Learning Outcomes:

After the course, you should be able to:

 

      1. Speak fluently and confidently in front of a group under strict time constraints.

 

      2. Convey technical information effectively to other groups in the community, in particular to groups that do not share your specialist technical background. The focus here would be on being precise, but also concise, and of course, clear. Typical examples of such situations would be presentation of a product or set of products to visitors; explanation of an innovation to a counterpart from another country; instruction of trainees in the use of a product.

 

      3. Convey your ideas to, or exchange your views with, others in situations you might face in working life. These situations might spring originally from a technical development or problem, but the focus here is on interacting with others in such a way that you not only get across your message, but that you do so in a way that is in accordance with good professional practice. The social dimension here is of the essence.

Such situations are typically discussions within an organization prior to or during the development of a new product, system, training course, etc.; talks with other organizations (co-developers, suppliers, customers) involving changes, new lines of thought, problems; negotiations to buy or sell a product.

 

            4. Argue logically and effectively on subjects of concern to the community in general. These subjects are often very controversial, and embarking on a discussion requires thorough preparation and careful wording.

Typical situations here might be the issuing of a press release after an accident; talking as a representative of a controversial technology; contributing as a private person to a public discussion on some aspect of technology.

 

            5. Write technical reports and other major types of technical text in an acceptably formal style.

 

            6. Write formal letters, observing the format and tone that is customary in international business correspondence.

 

Long-term Aims:

            1. To consolidate and expand your knowledge of grammatical structures and vocabulary, particularly those used in technical contexts.

 

            2. To increase adaptability. The paramount consideration in any communicative situation is awareness of your listener/reader. We will examine different levels of formality in both spoken and written situations, and discuss the impact of failing to observe these differences.

 

            3. To increase awareness of usage. Language cannot always be taken too literally. The word-for-word meaning of a sentence may conceal other, implicit, meanings which are specific to a given context, or preferentially used by a certain group in a community. These pragmatic uses will be examined.

 

Methodology

Oral skills:

The classroom sessions will be mainly devoted to discussion and practice of the above aspects of grammar, vocabulary and usage. The basis of the classroom work is the small groups you will form during the first lesson. In these groups, you will practice the language pertaining to the theme of each lesson, you will compare notes on vocabulary assignments, and you will be responsible for reporting to your group in the Read & Report [1]sessions. Any questions you have about vocabulary or other aspects of language can be addressed to the teacher by e-mail, or brought up in the classroom. The groups also have to prepare and give two group presentations.

There will be two role plays in the course: The Merger, on a business theme, and Dasetran, a negotiation role play originally written for British Telecom by one of their negotiations trainers, who kindly gave us permission to use it in our classes.

 

Writing skills:

The writing assignments, apart from the CV and cover letter, will be written in multiple drafts, since writing is to be seen as a process requiring several rewrites and revisions. Again, your group will act as a sounding board, giving response to your work. An added advantage of this way of working is that the versions you finally hand in for grading will have been peer-reviewed and/or reviewed by your teacher earlier. This will increase your chances of producing better quality work.

Technical vocabulary:

We do not address the vocabulary of particular technologies systematically; since time does not allow us to cover more than the most common terms, which every student of science is expected to know. However, the course should provide an excellent opportunity for each participant to compile an individual list of essential technical terms, to be shared with other participants. It would also be an appropriate occasion for queries about terminology to be raised.

 

Course requirements

The requirements for the course are as follows:

The following compulsory written assignments/tests (marked in bold in syllabus), are to be handed in during the course or by the specified deadlines, for which will be awarded 3 credits:

• A technical report (max. 1600 words)
• An essay (max 800 words)
• A short proposal (max 800 words)
• A CV/résumé and cover letter
• Two vocabulary checks (based on Compendium) (only pass required: 60%)
• Five Read & Report checks (based on handouts) (only pass required: 60%).

 

The following oral work is required (3 credits):

• Two individual oral presentations (one graded), along with other oral classroom work, particularly

            a. a group presentation of a major technical disaster (graded),

            b. a formal company meeting (role play),

            c. a negotiation role play

            d. a classroom debate

 

A written examination is given at the end of the course. See details below (3 credits).

Attendance for a minimum of 75% of the classroom hours.

I Technical report

                        A. Aims of the report

                        (1) To develop your ability to write, in your own words, on a technical subject in a clear and concise manner, i.e. to communicate technical information effectively in English.

                        (2) To increase awareness of the structure and conventions of English reports with special reference to engineering fields.

                        (3) To raise your level of proficiency in English, particularly in those aspects of grammar and vocabulary that are typical of formal written language.

 

                        B. Length and structure of the report

 

The report should consist of a minimum of five pages of running text, typed on A4 paper, preferably with 1 ½ spacing, and leaving generous margins for comments. Title page, references or bibliography and figures are not included in the five pages. (You should write a maximum of 1600 words)

 

The report must include the following parts, clearly indicated:

 

• Title
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Main body (This is NOT a title, only an indication of content)
• Conclusions
• References or Bibliography (as appropriate)

 

C. Subject

You may write on a subject from the attached list, or on one of your own choosing after consultation with the teacher. You are expected to write a general report, not an experimental paper. It should not be so specialized that your peer group are unable to assess it.

 

D. Sources

Since this kind of report is essentially a synthesis of your own ideas and those of others, it is critical that your reader can clearly distinguish between what you have written yourself, and what is a paraphrase of other writers’ work. Therefore, you should always give clear references in the text to source material.

 

E. Basis for assessment

The report will be assessed on the following:

 

            1. Language: How accurately you use grammatical structures, vocabulary and idiomatic expressions; how well you have adapted the level of language to suit the intended reader, i.e., neither too simple nor too complicated; how clearly, unambiguously and economically you express the ideas and concepts you present.

 

            2. Organization: How clearly you present the topic, and motivate the reader to read on; how plainly your purpose is stated, and how logically you structure and develop the chosen topic.

 

            3. Content: The complexity of the topic will be taken into account, but more importantly, you will be assessed on how effectively you select and adapt the material to the assumed needs of your reader. This is closely related to how you organize and sequence the various parts of your report.

 

            4. Presentation: How clearly the report is laid out. This includes the fonts you have chosen, how much “white space” you allow, and how effectively you integrate illustrations into the text. The report should give a neat and professional impression, but should, above all, be functional.

 

Specific grading criteria are listed later in this document.

 

F. Submission dates

The report will be written in multiple drafts:

            1. Outline/concept map: This should show the rough framework of your report, to give the reader (your peer group and the teacher) a preliminary picture of the structure and content of your report. It is a valuable first stage, and response from your peers can help you to narrow the focus of your topic, or develop it further, as appropriate. The outline/concept map must also specify who you see as your reader (apart from your peer group and the teacher), what the purpose of the report is (not simply to pass the course), and what your thesis statement is. (See Compendium)

 

            2. The first draft is for discussion and response from your peer group (usually three other students). This means you must make sure everyone in your peer group receives a copy of your draft, preferably before you meet in class. This allows them (and you) time to read through the report in advance and prepare more considered comments.

 

            3. The second draft is a revised version, based on the comments and suggestions of your peer group. It is to be submitted to the teacher, along with peer comments, by the specified deadline. This version will affect the final grade, so it must contain all the required parts, including Abstract and a full reference list. The second draft is also to be submitted electronically to Bilda for a plagiarism check.

 

            4. The final draft is the third and last version you turn in, this time taking into consideration teacher comments. It must be handed in together with all previous drafts and their comments. The specified deadline for submission should not be exceeded. Doing so will affect your final mark.

             

II Essay

The aim of this assignment is to develop your skills in writing to a non-technical readership on a controversial subject involving the scientific community, but affecting society in general. The essay should be about two pages (max 800 words).

The essay will also be written in multiple drafts, as described above.

 

NB. The report and the essay as well as the proposal and the summary, must be your own work, i.e. not copied word for word from another source. This is regarded as plagiarism and, in an academic context, classed as cheating, which we are obliged to report to the Disciplinary Committee. Copying a text entirely or in part will disqualify the assignment, and seriously affect the final grade.

 

The report and the essay should not have been written for any other course than this. (Translations may be exempted from this rule. Consult your teacher on this matter)

III Oral presentation

You are required to give two individual oral presentations to the full class:

 

1. a presentation for a maximum time of five minutes on a technical subject of your own choice. This is to be seen as a practice presentation and will be video-recorded. This may be on the subject of your report if you think it will be suitable.

 

1. a presentation for a maximum of ten minutes on a technical subject of your own choice and approved by the teacher. Please note that exceeding the given time will affect your grade. N.B. It must be on another subject than your technical report. This presentation will be assessed and graded.

 

You will be assessed on the following, with language accounting for 50% of the grade:

Content

• How appropriate the content is for the audience
• How much interest your subject generates
• The level of complexity in the topic

Structure

• How effectively you structure your material
• How clearly you convey the content of your talk to the audience.

Delivery and use of visual aids

• How well you control your voice and body language
• How you interact with your audience
• How effectively you use visual and technical aids.

Language

• How correctly and clearly you use English, how intelligible your speech is to an international audience (grammar, pronunciation, intonation);
• How well you adapt your choice of vocabulary (technical and general) to your audience;
• How fluently you speak English.

 

Besides the individual presentation, you will be assessed on general performance in classroom activities, such as impromptu presentations, group presentations, role plays, discussions and debates.

III Written examination

A five-hour examination, worth 3 credits, will be given after the course is finished and will consist of the following parts: Vocabulary (30%) and Writing (70%), --typically, a summary and an essay. No dictionaries or other aids are allowed.  Exams will be given in December, May and August each year. If necessary, there will be opportunities for supplementary examination in January and in June.

Teacher profile The course is led by Associate Professor Rebecca Hincks, B.A., Yale University; M.A., Stockholm University; PhD, KTH. Rebecca has taught English at KTH since 1994, and spent the years 2000-2005 completing doctoral studies at the Department of Speech, Music and Hearing (TMH). Her field of research is computer-assisted language learning for the development of oral skills, specifically as applied to the use of English in international settings.

 

Technical report: Suggested subjects

The following list is not to be read as a list of titles, but of subject areas. In some cases, a sub-title is given, indicating a particular focus. This is to help you narrow down the scope of your report. You may choose an alternative focus. If you wish to write on a different topic altogether, please check this first with the teacher.

 

Aircraft design: new materials

Airwave congestion: What to do about it

Automobiles for the developing world

Biomimetic materials

Building better batteries

Building the HVDC grid

Carbon nanotubes: new and potential applications

Challenges for fuel-cell-powered cars

Computer security

Computers for the developing world

Developments in traffic monitoring systems

Emerging prosthetic technologies

Engineering organs for transplants

File-sharing technologies

GPS: new applications

Harvesting energy from the permafrost: Methane clathrates

Internet filtering software

Internet infrastructure: problems and potential solutions

Neural networks for robotic evolution

Novel computer interfaces

Recent developments in electric cars

Recent developments in solar cell technology

Recent steps toward producing synthetic life

Solar stoves for developing countries

Techniques for carbon capture

Techniques for gene therapy

Techniques for hydrogen storage

Techniques for remote-controlled surgery

Technology for sustainable consumption

The electronic infrastructure: Vulnerabilities to cyber warfare

Therapeutic computer gaming

Weapons technology: recent developments

X-ray technology: past, present and future

 

Essay Subjects on Controversial Issues

Choose a topic from one of these subject areas, or from an area of your choice, after consultation with the teacher. Note: the titles in brackets are only suggested topics. You may choose another within the same subject area.

 

Global warming (Should we tax fossil fuels to curb consumption?)

Data security (Is it really secure?)

Surveillance cameras (Do they threaten our integrity or guarantee our safety?)

English as the language of science (Is it destroying language diversity?)

Legalization of drugs (The only way forward?)

Doping in sports (Where does the border go?)

The Internet (Intellectual exchange or commercial marketplace?)

Design in engineering (Is it a passing fad?)

CERN or space research (Are they worth the enormous cost?)

“Computers for dummies” (Are they really user friendly?)

GM foods (A blessing or a curse?)

ID cards and terrorism (Are they an excuse to increase control over the general public?)

The fight against terrorism (Is better technology the answer?)

Smart houses (Will they improve our life quality?)

Low-fares airlines (Is cut-throat competition a threat to safety?)

Natural Disasters (Are the consequences aggravated by human activity?)

Genetic privacy (Who has the right to look at our genomes?)

Internet privacy (Who has the right to follow where we go on the Internet?)

Animal research (Is it ethical to subject them to pain and suffering?)

Intellectual property rights (Do authors and artists have a right to be compensated?)

Brain-enhancing drugs (How do we deal with ‘smart pills’?)

 

 

 

Grading criteria

 

Four grades are given for the course, three partial course grades:

• ANN 1 (3 p): Oral Skills
• ANN 2 (3 p): Writing Skills
• TEN1 (3 p): Final Exam

and one final grade:

• Slutbetyg.

 

Grades A-F are given on the written assignments, on the second oral presentation and for each partial course grade. To achieve a passing final grade for the course, all partial course grades must be at least E. The criteria for the assignments and partial course grades are given on the following pages, along with the weighting of the individual tasks for the partial course grade. In the weighting, A=5, B=4, etc.

 

The partial course grades are weighed equally to determine the final grade. 

 

In addition to these three partial course grades, students must also participate in peer review, reading and commenting on other students’ writing. Students must also pass seven in-class quizzes (five Read & Report checks and two vocabulary quizzes, see syllabus).

 

The partial course grade TEN1 will reflect the results on the final exam as follows:

 

 

The grading criteria for ANN1 and ANN2 are found on the following pages.  Please note the following:

 

• While the second, 10-minute oral presentation forms the major basis for the partial course grade ANN1, an evaluation of the student’s ability to participate actively and fluently in classroom discussions, role-plays and group presentations has an effect as well.

 

• The technical report forms the largest part of the partial course grade ANN2.  It accounts for half of the grade, with the essay (30%) and the proposal (20%) accounting for the other half.  An assessment of language and style contributes to half of the grade for each piece of writing.  The grade will also reflect the condition of the earlier drafts that have been submitted to the teacher.  It is also important for the final grade that work has been completed according to schedule.

 

• Plagiarized writing will receive a grade of F.

[1] At regular intervals you will be given a handout called Read & Report, consisting of four articles each time. These articles form the basis for the study of vocabulary in context. You are responsible for reading ONE of these articles each time, and reporting to the group on its content and key vocabulary.