ENGLISH FOR

ENGINEERS

October, 2013 Edition

English
Department

Language

Superior
Lahore

University,

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Contents
Sr.
No Details
.
1
Course Introduction

Page
No
3

Course Objectives

Course Contents

Course Outputs

Students Gains

Teaching & Learning Methodologies

Assessment Details & Policies

General Guidelines

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1. Course Objectives & Structure

To excel at any technical field, you need to be an excellent technical communicator. You
must have a solid command of the specifics of your field, certainly, but if you want to have a
decent career, and move up in the commercial world, you must know how to write and talk
about technology and science with precision, wit, style and power. Excellent technical
communication is the structure upon which all technical success is built. This course will
teach you many of the skills required of a beginning technical communicator.
Besides knowing how to write clearly and accurately, a good technical communicator also
must know how to work effectively with others to produce excellent written and visual work.
Therefore, this class functions as a learn-by-doing group work environment.
By the end of this course students should be able to:
1.

Understand the importance of English Language in professional

development of Engineers.

2.

Describe technical functions and applications with the use of technical

terminology.

3.

Learn how to write about technical concepts in a manner that not only makes
sense to other technologists, but also to audiences ranging from high school
students to technical consumers in the world marketplace.

4.

Examine issues of rhetorical persuasion, ethical presentation and emotional

engagement (logos, ethos, pathos), and will examine the basics of information
design and use.

5.

Work on polishing prose voice, and will learn how to apply different
technical communication styles to different audiences and for different
applications.

6.

Develop a clear and concise writing style after understanding language

mechanics and engineering specific jargons.

7.

Organize and produce effective official documents.

8.

Compose and perform different communicative transactions involved in

working as an Engineer.

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1. Course Contents
Course Duration:
Class Duration:
Module No
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Module 5
Module 6
Module 7

6 months (15 sessions)

140 minutes (once in a week: 2sessions)

Title of the Module

English writing and Engineering Profession
Eliminating Sporadic Noise in Engineering
Writing
Guidelines for Writing Noise-Free Engineering
Documents
Writing Common Engineering Documents Letters,
Memoranda, Email, and Other Media
for Engineers
Writing an Engineering Report
Constructing Engineering Tables
and Graphics Accessing Engineering Information
Writing to Get an Engineering Job Ethics and
Documentation in Engineering Writing

No of Sessions
2 sessions
4 sessions
6 sessions
6sessions
2sessions
4 sessions
6 sessions

Details of the Content

1. English and Engineering Professionals
Engineers Writing
Kinds of Documents
A Successful Engineering Career Requires Strong Writing
Skills
Engineers Can Learn to Write Well
Noise and the Communication Process
Controlling the Writing System
Eliminating Sporadic Noise in Engineering Writing
Spelling and Spell Checkers
Punctuation
Sentence Sense
Technical Usage
Editing
Grammar: Guidelines for Writing Noise-Free Engineering

Focus on Why You Are Writing and reader

Satisfy Document Specifications
Get to the Point : Provide Accurate Information
Present Your Material Logically to make Your Ideas
Accessible
Use Lists for Some Information
Writing Common Engineering Documents Letters, Memoranda, Email, and
Other Media for Engineers
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Which to Use?
Business Letters
Business Memoranda
Email writing and
New Internet Media
Writing Styles for Business Correspondence
Writing an Engineering Report Vocabulary: structure and expressions of
description

Some Preliminaries in report writing

Trip Reports Progress Reports ,Laboratory and Field
Reports
Specification of report
Proposals , objective, method, Instructions and
recommendation

Constructing Engineering Tables and Graphics Accessing Engineering

Information Language function: Discussing technical requirements
Tables
Charts and Graphs
Illustrations
Graphics and Tables: Guidelines
Writing to Get an Engineering Job Ethics and Documentation in Engineering
Writing

How to Write an Engineering Resume

How to Write an Application Letter
How to Write a Follow-Up Letter
Engineering Ethics
The Ethics of Honest Research

Course Outputs
Classification

Topics

Knowledge and
Comprehension

Students will learn different field related terminologies, and will improve their comprehension
of technical texts.
Students will be able to develop their speaking and writing skills in English to write proposal,
research paper, white paper and resume; moreover it will also enable them to write effectively
in real time job situations.

Application and
Skills

1. Student Gains
1. Presentation Skills
Students will be able to:
Organize and deliver effective scientific presentations (clarity & impact).
Utilize essential vocabulary and phrases when presenting information.
2. Technical Reading Skills
Students will be able to:
Read a variety of technical texts in English, with better comprehension

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 use a variety of reading strategies to read more in less time

3. Technical Writing Skills:
Students will be able to:
Write error free and well formatted technical documents
Manage formal writing style

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2. Teaching and Learning Methodologies

Interactive Lectures:
We feel that Interactive Learning is the best delivery of class room activity therefore students
will be involved in situations to locate issues, solutions or suggestions. Handouts, on certain
topics, will be used for open discussions. Practical as well as every day examples will be
quoted and different tasks and assignments will be based on the reproduction of
correspondence, reports and individual or group presentations. What all students have to do
is: to put serious and sincere efforts into their work and to allocate proper timings to regular
practices.
Presentations:
As this course is basically meant to improve the communication competence of medical
students in English language, so to ensure their maximum exposure with the language,
students will be asked to come up with activities like role plays and presentations to improve
their speaking skills
Projects:
To ensure maximum development of students' professional attitude and job skills; task-based
teaching methodology has been incorporated in the course in the form of different projects
based on the real life work challenges in Engineering. .
Individual and Group Work:
There will be exercises for students to practice the newly learned skills that they need to do
individually and in groups. They will be assigned tasks like writing memos, business letters,
e-mails, notices, and minutes of meeting. They will be given different topics related to
business communication to present, so that they could overcome their communication
apprehensions, to develop their confidence and to use English language to become competent
future professionals.

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3. Assessment Details and Policies

To ensure the continuous assessment of students' learning and to have a feedback of their
learning preferences formative assessment model will be adopted for this course. At the end
of each module, relevant assessment will be designed and executed keeping in view the
expected student gains. Module with the aim to impart a certain language and
communication skill will be assessed with the help of assignments, presentations, and MCQs
based language tests on IELTS format. To develop right professional attitudes in students,
different rubrics and checklists will be designed by the teacher to ensure reward to the
students with right professional attitudes. Details related to the assessment of each module
are discussed below:
Students Output Measurement Scale

Sr. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Assessment task
Group presentations and individual
presentations
Technical Solution Proposal (Group
Project)
Procedural Instructions Project
(Group Project)
Technical White Paper (Individual
Project)
Revised Technical Solution (Group
Project)
Job Application Projectresume &
cover letter (Individual Project)
Individual Portfoliocollection of all
your individual work for the quarter
Final Term Examination
Total

Percentage
10+5*
10+5*

Type of Assessment
Mid-term 30%

5
10
5*
5

Final-term
Assessment 70%

5*
50
100

Note: 5 Marks will be awarded to students for punctuality and professional attitude.

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4. General Guidelines
Following are the general guidelines for students to understand in word and spirit.
Attendance
For the maximum learning of students, attendance is mandatory. Teacher will mark the
attendance after 10 minutes of the class starting time and late comers will not be considered
present after the teacher finished taking the roll call. Individual cases will be considered by
the course instructor and must be supported by appropriate documentation.
Class Conduct
To ensure an optimum learning environment, students are expected to behave in a
professional manner at all times. Disrupting a class is considered to be an instructional
offence in a professional communication class, and it is expected that students will behave
professionally. If a student exhibits disruptive behaviour in class and chooses not to refrain
from such behaviour at the request of the instructor, the student will be asked to leave the
class. The students behaviour will be reported to the concerned department and campus
security.
Grades & Percentages
50% of the marks would translate into the passing grade of D. However, in order to pass the
module student need not only a combined mark of 50% or more but also a mark of 30% or
more in each of the examinations and the coursework. If students are unable to secure 30% or
more in any assessment component they will be given F grade, no matter how well they have
done in the other components.
Table 1
Percentage Mark
Grade
80-100
A
70-79
B
60-69
C
50-59
D
Below 50
F
Deadlines & Penalties:
Students must meet all the deadlines of coursework. They will not be awarded any mark if
they miss the deadlines which mean that the student has not completed all the assessment
requirements for the module. The minimum passing grade D is the maximum that may be
gained if the module is subsequently passed. Students cannot be given an extension on the
coursework deadline (unless you have written approval of your teacher alongside other
university authorities).

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Submission of Coursework:
Coursework must be submitted to the Students office with the feedback / receipt form
(available at the book shop). Work should be stapled at the top left hand corner or plastic
folders can be used. Students should retain a copy of their submitted work.
Plagiarism:
Work presented for assessment, whether as coursework or examination, must be your own.
Plagiarism is the representation of another persons work as your own. Strict action will be
taken against students carrying out this act of dishonesty.
Students Feedback and Quality Assurance:
Students will have the opportunity to provide feedback about this course through their Board
of Studies Representatives. They will be asked to complete a questionnaire about the module
towards the end of the semester.
Assessment GPA and Percentages:
(80-100%)
This is an outstanding standard indicating comprehensive knowledge and
understanding of the relevant materials; demonstration of an outstanding level
of academic ability; mastery of skills (as identified in the assessment task);
and achievement of all assessment objectives.
(70-79%)
This is an excellent standard indicating a very high level of knowledge and
understanding of the relevant materials; demonstration of a very high level of
academic ability; sound development of skills (as identified in the assessment
task); and achievement of all assessment objectives.
(60-69%)
This is a very good standard indicating a high level of knowledge and
understanding of the relevant materials; demonstration of a high level of
academic ability; reasonable development of skills (as identified in the
assessment task); and achievement of all assessment objectives.
(50-59%)
This is a satisfactory standard indicating an adequate knowledge and
understanding of the relevant materials; demonstration of an adequate level of
academic ability; satisfactory development of skills (as identified in the
assessment task); and achievement of most assessment objectives.
Fail (less than 50%)
This is an unsatisfactory standard indicating an inadequate knowledge and
understanding of the relevant materials; insufficient evidence of academic
ability; failure to develop skills (as identified in the assessment task); and
failure to achieve assessment objectives.
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