HS6251 TECHNICAL ENGLISH II L T P C 3 1 0 4
OBJECTIVES:
• To make learners acquire listening and speaking skills in both formal and informal contexts.
• To help them develop their reading skills by familiarizing them with different types of reading strategies.
• To equip them with writing skills needed for academic as well as workplace contexts.
• To make them acquire language skills at their own pace by using e-materials and language lab components.
UNIT I 9+3
Listening - Listening to informal conversations and participating; Speaking - Opening a conversation (greetings, comments on topics like weather) - Turn taking - Closing a conversation (excuses, general wish, positive comment, thanks); Reading - Developing analytical skills, Deductive and inductive reasoning - Extensive reading; Writing - Effective use of SMS for sending short notes and messages - Using „emoticons‟ as symbols in email messages; Grammar - Regular and irregular verbs - Active and passive voice; Vocabulary - Homonyms (e.g. „can‟) - Homophones (e.g. „some‟, „sum‟); E-materials - Interactive exercise on Grammar and vocabulary – blogging; Language Lab - Listening to different types of conversation and answering questions.
UNIT II 9+3
Listening - Listening to situation based dialogues; Speaking - Conversation practice in real life situations, asking for directions (using polite expressions), giving directions (using imperative sentences), Purchasing goods from a shop, Discussing various aspects of a film (they have already seen) or a book (they have already read); Reading - Reading a short story or an article from newspaper, Critical reading, Comprehension skills; Writing - Writing a review / summary of a story / article, Personal letter (Inviting your friend to a function, congratulating someone for his / her success, thanking one‟s friends / relatives); Grammar - modal verbs, Purpose expressions; Vocabulary - Phrasal verbs and their meanings, Using phrasal verbs in sentences; E-materials - Interactive exercises on Grammar and vocabulary, Extensive reading activity (reading stories / novels), Posting reviews in blogs - Language Lab - Dialogues (Fill up exercises), Recording students‟ dialogues.
UNIT III 9+3
Listening - Listening to the conversation - Understanding the structure of conversations; Speaking
- Conversation skills with a sense of stress, intonation, pronunciation and meaning - Seeking information – expressing feelings (affection, anger, regret, etc.); Reading - Speed reading – reading passages with time limit - Skimming; Writing - Minutes of meeting – format and practice in the preparation of minutes - Writing summary after reading articles from journals - Format for journal articles – elements of technical articles (abstract, introduction, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, appendices, references) - Writing strategies; Grammar - Conditional clauses - Cause and effect expressions; Vocabulary - Words used as nouns and verbs without any change in the spelling (e.g. „rock‟, „train‟, „ring‟); E-materials - Interactive exercise on Grammar and vocabulary - Speed Reading practice exercises; Language Lab - Intonation practice using EFLU and RIE materials – Attending a meeting and writing minutes.
UNIT IV 9+3
Listening - Listening to a telephone conversation, Viewing model interviews (face-to-face, telephonic and video conferencing); Speaking - Role play practice in telephone skills - listening and responding, -asking questions, -note taking – passing on messages, Role play and mock interview for grasping interview skills; Reading - Reading the job advertisements and the profile of the company concerned – scanning; Writing - Applying for a job – cover letter - résumé preparation – vision, mission and goals of the candidate; Grammar - Numerical expressions - Connectives (discourse markers); Vocabulary - Idioms and their meanings – using idioms in sentences; E-materials - Interactive exercises on Grammar and Vocabulary - Different forms of
résumés- Filling up a résumé / cover letter; Language Lab - Telephonic interview – recording the responses - e-résumé writing.
UNIT V 9+3
Listening - Viewing a model group discussion and reviewing the performance of each participant - Identifying the characteristics of a good listener; Speaking - Group discussion skills – initiating the discussion – exchanging suggestions and proposals – expressing dissent/agreement – assertiveness in expressing opinions – mind mapping technique; Reading - Note making skills – making notes from books, or any form of written materials - Intensive reading; Writing – Checklist
- Types of reports – Feasibility / Project report – report format – recommendations / suggestions –
interpretation of data (using charts for effective presentation); Grammar - Use of clauses; Vocabulary – Collocation; E-materials - Interactive grammar and vocabulary exercises - Sample
GD - Pictures for discussion, Interactive grammar and vocabulary exercises; Language Lab -
Different models of group discussion.
OUTCOMES:
Learners should be able to
TOTAL (L:45+T:15): 60 PERIODS
• speak convincingly, express their opinions clearly, initiate a discussion, negotiate, argue using appropriate communicative strategies.
• write effectively and persuasively and produce different types of writing such as narration, description, exposition and argument as well as creative, critical, analytical and evaluative
writing.
• read different genres of texts, infer implied meanings and critically analyse and evaluate them for ideas as well as for method of presentation.
• listen/view and comprehend different spoken excerpts critically and infer unspoken and implied meanings.
TEXTBOOKS:
1. Department of English, Anna University. Mindscapes: English for Technologists and
Engineers. Orient Blackswan, Chennai. 2012
2. Dhanavel, S.P. English and Communication Skills for Students of Science and
Engineering. Orient Blackswan, Chennai. 2011
REFERENCES:
1. Anderson, Paul V. Technical Communication: A Reader-Centered Approach. Cengage.
New Delhi. 2008
2. Muralikrishna, & Sunita Mishra. Communication Skills for Engineers. Pearson, New Delhi.
2011
3. Riordan, Daniel. G. Technical Communication. Cengage Learning, New Delhi. 2005
4. Sharma, Sangeetha & Binod Mishra. Communication Skills for Engineers and Scientists.
PHI Learning, New Delhi. 2009
5. Smith-Worthington, Darlene & Sue Jefferson. Technical Writing for Success. Cengage, Mason USA. 2007
EXTENSIVE Reading (Not for Examination)
1. Khera, Shiv. You can Win. Macmillan, Delhi. 1998.
Websites
1. http://www.englishclub.com
2. http://owl.english.purdue.edu
TEACHING METHODS:
• Lectures
• Activities conducted individually, in pairs and in groups like individual writing and presentations, group discussions, interviews, reporting, etc
• Long presentations using visual aids
• Listening and viewing activities with follow up activities like discussions, filling up worksheets, writing exercises (using language lab wherever necessary/possible) etc
• Projects like group reports, mock interviews etc using a combination of two or more of the language skills
EVALUATION PATTERN: Internal assessment: 20%
3 tests of which two are pen and paper tests and the other is a combination of different
modes of assessment like
• Project
• Assignment
• Report
• Creative writing, etc.
All the four skills are to be tested with equal weightage given to each.
Speaking assessment: Individual presentations, Group discussions
Reading assessment: Reading passages with comprehension questions graded following
Bloom‟s taxonomy
Writing assessment: Writing essays, CVs, reports etc. Writing should include grammar and vocabulary.
Listening/Viewing assessment: Lectures, dialogues, film clippings with questions on verbal as well as audio/visual content graded following Bloom‟s taxonomy.
End Semester Examination: 80%
OBJECTIVES:
• To make learners acquire listening and speaking skills in both formal and informal contexts.
• To help them develop their reading skills by familiarizing them with different types of reading strategies.
• To equip them with writing skills needed for academic as well as workplace contexts.
• To make them acquire language skills at their own pace by using e-materials and language lab components.
UNIT I 9+3
Listening - Listening to informal conversations and participating; Speaking - Opening a conversation (greetings, comments on topics like weather) - Turn taking - Closing a conversation (excuses, general wish, positive comment, thanks); Reading - Developing analytical skills, Deductive and inductive reasoning - Extensive reading; Writing - Effective use of SMS for sending short notes and messages - Using „emoticons‟ as symbols in email messages; Grammar - Regular and irregular verbs - Active and passive voice; Vocabulary - Homonyms (e.g. „can‟) - Homophones (e.g. „some‟, „sum‟); E-materials - Interactive exercise on Grammar and vocabulary – blogging; Language Lab - Listening to different types of conversation and answering questions.
UNIT II 9+3
Listening - Listening to situation based dialogues; Speaking - Conversation practice in real life situations, asking for directions (using polite expressions), giving directions (using imperative sentences), Purchasing goods from a shop, Discussing various aspects of a film (they have already seen) or a book (they have already read); Reading - Reading a short story or an article from newspaper, Critical reading, Comprehension skills; Writing - Writing a review / summary of a story / article, Personal letter (Inviting your friend to a function, congratulating someone for his / her success, thanking one‟s friends / relatives); Grammar - modal verbs, Purpose expressions; Vocabulary - Phrasal verbs and their meanings, Using phrasal verbs in sentences; E-materials - Interactive exercises on Grammar and vocabulary, Extensive reading activity (reading stories / novels), Posting reviews in blogs - Language Lab - Dialogues (Fill up exercises), Recording students‟ dialogues.
UNIT III 9+3
Listening - Listening to the conversation - Understanding the structure of conversations; Speaking
- Conversation skills with a sense of stress, intonation, pronunciation and meaning - Seeking information – expressing feelings (affection, anger, regret, etc.); Reading - Speed reading – reading passages with time limit - Skimming; Writing - Minutes of meeting – format and practice in the preparation of minutes - Writing summary after reading articles from journals - Format for journal articles – elements of technical articles (abstract, introduction, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, appendices, references) - Writing strategies; Grammar - Conditional clauses - Cause and effect expressions; Vocabulary - Words used as nouns and verbs without any change in the spelling (e.g. „rock‟, „train‟, „ring‟); E-materials - Interactive exercise on Grammar and vocabulary - Speed Reading practice exercises; Language Lab - Intonation practice using EFLU and RIE materials – Attending a meeting and writing minutes.
UNIT IV 9+3
Listening - Listening to a telephone conversation, Viewing model interviews (face-to-face, telephonic and video conferencing); Speaking - Role play practice in telephone skills - listening and responding, -asking questions, -note taking – passing on messages, Role play and mock interview for grasping interview skills; Reading - Reading the job advertisements and the profile of the company concerned – scanning; Writing - Applying for a job – cover letter - résumé preparation – vision, mission and goals of the candidate; Grammar - Numerical expressions - Connectives (discourse markers); Vocabulary - Idioms and their meanings – using idioms in sentences; E-materials - Interactive exercises on Grammar and Vocabulary - Different forms of
résumés- Filling up a résumé / cover letter; Language Lab - Telephonic interview – recording the responses - e-résumé writing.
UNIT V 9+3
Listening - Viewing a model group discussion and reviewing the performance of each participant - Identifying the characteristics of a good listener; Speaking - Group discussion skills – initiating the discussion – exchanging suggestions and proposals – expressing dissent/agreement – assertiveness in expressing opinions – mind mapping technique; Reading - Note making skills – making notes from books, or any form of written materials - Intensive reading; Writing – Checklist
- Types of reports – Feasibility / Project report – report format – recommendations / suggestions –
interpretation of data (using charts for effective presentation); Grammar - Use of clauses; Vocabulary – Collocation; E-materials - Interactive grammar and vocabulary exercises - Sample
GD - Pictures for discussion, Interactive grammar and vocabulary exercises; Language Lab -
Different models of group discussion.
OUTCOMES:
Learners should be able to
TOTAL (L:45+T:15): 60 PERIODS
• speak convincingly, express their opinions clearly, initiate a discussion, negotiate, argue using appropriate communicative strategies.
• write effectively and persuasively and produce different types of writing such as narration, description, exposition and argument as well as creative, critical, analytical and evaluative
writing.
• read different genres of texts, infer implied meanings and critically analyse and evaluate them for ideas as well as for method of presentation.
• listen/view and comprehend different spoken excerpts critically and infer unspoken and implied meanings.
TEXTBOOKS:
1. Department of English, Anna University. Mindscapes: English for Technologists and
Engineers. Orient Blackswan, Chennai. 2012
2. Dhanavel, S.P. English and Communication Skills for Students of Science and
Engineering. Orient Blackswan, Chennai. 2011
REFERENCES:
1. Anderson, Paul V. Technical Communication: A Reader-Centered Approach. Cengage.
New Delhi. 2008
2. Muralikrishna, & Sunita Mishra. Communication Skills for Engineers. Pearson, New Delhi.
2011
3. Riordan, Daniel. G. Technical Communication. Cengage Learning, New Delhi. 2005
4. Sharma, Sangeetha & Binod Mishra. Communication Skills for Engineers and Scientists.
PHI Learning, New Delhi. 2009
5. Smith-Worthington, Darlene & Sue Jefferson. Technical Writing for Success. Cengage, Mason USA. 2007
EXTENSIVE Reading (Not for Examination)
1. Khera, Shiv. You can Win. Macmillan, Delhi. 1998.
Websites
1. http://www.englishclub.com
2. http://owl.english.purdue.edu
TEACHING METHODS:
• Lectures
• Activities conducted individually, in pairs and in groups like individual writing and presentations, group discussions, interviews, reporting, etc
• Long presentations using visual aids
• Listening and viewing activities with follow up activities like discussions, filling up worksheets, writing exercises (using language lab wherever necessary/possible) etc
• Projects like group reports, mock interviews etc using a combination of two or more of the language skills
EVALUATION PATTERN: Internal assessment: 20%
3 tests of which two are pen and paper tests and the other is a combination of different
modes of assessment like
• Project
• Assignment
• Report
• Creative writing, etc.
All the four skills are to be tested with equal weightage given to each.
Speaking assessment: Individual presentations, Group discussions
Reading assessment: Reading passages with comprehension questions graded following
Bloom‟s taxonomy
Writing assessment: Writing essays, CVs, reports etc. Writing should include grammar and vocabulary.
Listening/Viewing assessment: Lectures, dialogues, film clippings with questions on verbal as well as audio/visual content graded following Bloom‟s taxonomy.
End Semester Examination: 80%
