CAES9540 Technical English for Civil Engineering 2017/18

Unit One
Course introduction and overview of academic writing
and presentation

Overview
This one semester 6-credit English course is offered to final year Civil Engineering and
BEng(Sc) Environmental Engineering students. It runs alongside the Civil Engineering final
year project course (CIVL4102) during semester one of the academic year. The main course
objective is to provide students with training on report writing and oral presentation skills.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit, you will be able to

• understand the overall course structure and requirements

• highlight the audience, purpose, and features of various technical texts
• critique project plans

© Centre for Applied English Studies Page 1

 CAES9540 Technical English for Civil Engineering 2017/18

Table of Contents

1.1 COURSE INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 3

1.2 SPECIFIC COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES .................................................................. 4

1.3 LEARNING ACTIVITIES...................................................................................................... 4

1.4 COURSE SCHEDULE ............................................................................................................ 5

1.5 ASSESSMENTS ...................................................................................................................... 7

1.6 ICE-BREAKING ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................. 7

1.6.1 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LECTURER......................................................................... 7

1.6.2 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CLASSMATES .................................................................... 8

1.7 TECHNICAL WRITING – KNOWING YOUR AUDIENCE ............................................. 8

TASK 1A Identify the audience and purpose of various technical texts ........................................................ 8
TASK 1B Identify various technical texts ..................................................................................................... 10
TASK 1C Propose an outline for your project plan and interim report ....................................................... 10
TASK 1D Identify the structure of an interim report ................................................................................... 11

1.8 PRESENTATIONS FOR YOUR PROJECT PLAN IN THE NEXT LESSON

(DIAGNOSTIC PRESENTATION) ................................................................................................ 13
TASK 1E Complete your diagnostic presentation reflection ....................................................................... 13

1.9 OVER TO YOU ..................................................................................................................... 14

Task 1F Reflect on this unit (Refer to the learning outcomes of this unit) ................................................ 14

REFERENCES.................................................................................................................................... 14

© Centre for Applied English Studies Page 2

 CAES9540 Technical English for Civil Engineering 2017/18

1.1 Course Introduction

There are two emphases in this course: technical report writing and oral presentation. To be
successful in this course, you will need to participate in a range of learning activities and
complete the assignments on time. Assessment is by coursework only.

The learning objectives of this course are as follows:

• to sharpen your technical report writing skills

• to acquire verbal and non-verbal delivery skills for professional demonstration and
presentation

© Centre for Applied English Studies Page 3

 CAES9540 Technical English for Civil Engineering 2017/18

1.2 Specific Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Present elements of technical information including lexical, visual and grammatical

realization that are specific to the Civil Engineering discipline;
• Make convincing justifications and claims based on real-life disciplinary sources;
• Evaluate solutions to engineering problems and options available;
• Write a structured, coherent, grammatically accurate and professional technical report
for civil engineering professionals and related personnel; and
• Deliver a structured, coherent, grammatically accurate and professional presentation for
civil engineering professionals and related personnel.

1.3 Learning Activities

In this course, you are expected to participate in the following activities in order to achieve the
learning outcomes:

• in-class group discussions and practices

• drafting and revision of technical reports
• critiquing presentation and report samples, including your own work
• oral presentation, rehearsal and reflection
• online and out-of-class learning activities

© Centre for Applied English Studies Page 4

 CAES9540 Technical English for Civil Engineering 2017/18

1.4 Course Schedule

This course is administered on a three-contact-hour per week basis with a combination of
seminars and tutorials with out-of-class learning activities to be assigned. The maximum
number of students in each class is 20. Individual consultation sessions with the course lecturer
can be arranged within the writing workshops.

Week/ Impt
Date Content Homework
Unit dates
Course introduction • Preparing for
Report writing diagnostic test
• An overview of Interim report • Preparing an
1 1 Sept and Final Report outline of the
• Identifying purpose interim report
• Audience awareness
Pre-course diagnostic test
• Complete
Pre-course diagnostic test (oral reflection online
presentation) • Remember to
1 4-8 Sept back-up work
(word doc) in
case of IT system
problem
Report writing: making use of sources • Drafting the
• Paraphrasing, citation, references Introduction
• Continue to
2 11-15 Sept Introducing self-access reflection tasks prepare outline of
• Overview of academic interim report
presentation • Complete one
• Written vs. spoken language SAR task
Report Writing: Introduction • Drafting the
• Overview of Engineering FYP introduction
reports • Complete 2 SAR
• Writing effective introduction tasks
3 18-22 Sept
and background

Delivering introductions
Designing visual aids
Report writing: Main body • Drafting
• Explaining methodologies methodology
• Justifying engineering choices section
4 25-29 Sept • Complete 3 SAR
Improving pronunciation tasks
Drafting an outline for the presentation • Complete draft of
Introduction and

© Centre for Applied English Studies Page 5

 CAES9540 Technical English for Civil Engineering 2017/18

Methodology
sections
Report writing: Main body • Writing initial Oct 2:
• Explaining technical information findings section National
• Describing graphics and figures Holiday
5 2-6 Oct
Oct 5: Day
after mid-
autumn
Report: Main body • Write limitations
• Expressing limitations and future and future plan
6 9-13 Oct plan • Write conclusion
• Writing conclusions section

Submit
Reading
Week
16-20 Oct SAR
22/10/2017
Report writing: Abstract/Summary • Write abstract

Report writing: General

• Language practice and
7 23-27 Oct identifying common writing
mistakes
• Front and Back matters
• Analyzing previous reports

Practice signposting Submit

Delivering conclusions Draft
30 Oct-3
8 Handling Q & A Interim
Nov
report
3/11/2017
Rehearsal of oral presentation
9 6-10 Nov

Presentation Assessment
10 13-17 Nov

Writing workshop • Finalise the

• Receive feedback on draft interim report
11 20-24 Nov interim report • Prepare for in-
• Revise interim report based on class written test
feedback
Report writing Submit
• Writing summary revisited Interim
Course wrap-up Report
12 27-30 Nov
Course evaluation (Final)
In-class written test
1/12/2017
Note: Class schedule and assignment due dates may change under the discretion of individual teacher due to
class circumstances

© Centre for Applied English Studies Page 6

 CAES9540 Technical English for Civil Engineering 2017/18

1.5 Assessments
Please note the following assessments and specific due dates will be informed by your lecturer.
Late submission will lead to a FULL grade deduction. Plagiarism will lead to a FAIL.

Week Assignment/Test Weighting (%)

1/2 Diagnostic Oral Presentation 0
2 Reflection on Oral Presentation 0
7 Independent learning activities (SAR) 5
8 Draft of Interim Report 30
9 Rehearsal of Oral Presentation 0
10 Oral Presentation 25
12 Interim Report 30
12 In-class written test 10

In this course, your work will be assessed by teaching staff members from the Centre for
Applied English Studies (CAES). Please refer to the course grade descriptors on the course
Moodle site and at the end of this booklet for further information.

1.6 Ice-breaking activities

In this ice-breaking activity, you will be given an opportunity to practise communicating with
others in a first brief encounter. Please go around the classroom and talk to as many classmates
as you can. Jot down their information in the spaces below.

1.6.1 Getting to know your lecturer

You will work closely with your lecturer throughout the whole semester. Please note down
his/her contact information in the table below in case you need to contact him/her.

Sub-class: ________________________ Name of the lecturer: _____________________________

Email:

Tel:

Office:

© Centre for Applied English Studies Page 7

 CAES9540 Technical English for Civil Engineering 2017/18

1.6.2 Getting to know your classmates

Please note down your classmates’ information below in case you need to contact them.

Student 1

Name: _______________________ Phone: _______________________________

Email: _______________________ Social network(s): __________________________

Hobbies: _____________________ Study concentration: ________________________

Student 2

Name: _______________________ Phone: _______________________________

Email: _______________________ Social network(s): __________________________

Hobbies: _____________________ Study concentration: ________________________

1.7 Technical writing – Knowing your audience

Before you start reporting technical information, you should decide who will be your audience
and the purpose of your writing. Your decision will determine the type and format of the text
you are going to write. You need to pay special attention to the ordering of the sections as the
presentation of information should flow logically to allow the reader to follow the development
of your work or project. This section will begin by introducing different types of texts, focusing
on the logical flow of the elements in the table of contents.

TASK 1A Identify the audience and purpose of various technical texts (10 mins)

Read the following tables of contents for various technical texts. Discuss with a classmate
sitting next to you, and determine the primary audience for each table of content (e.g., specialist
vs managerial audience). Justify your answer by the presence and the order of the sections
listed.

© Centre for Applied English Studies Page 8

 CAES9540 Technical English for Civil Engineering 2017/18

[1]
Figure 1. Various tables of contents in technical texts

Write down your justifications here.

© Centre for Applied English Studies Page 9

 CAES9540 Technical English for Civil Engineering 2017/18

TASK 1B Identify various technical texts (5 mins)

Suggest a name of the document under each format and consider which format(s) may be
adaptable for your use in your final year project.

Format A:

Format B:

Format C:

Format D:

TASK 1C Propose an outline for your project plan and interim report (25 mins)

List the element(s) you will add to or remove from the corresponding formats to fulfil the
requirements of the project plan and interim report to be submitted in your final year project.
Work with your project group members (if you are in a group project) and write a draft
outline of your project plan and interim report. Prepare to explain your outlines to your
classmates.

Hint: Think of the requirements stated by your project supervisor and your FYP course
website.

© Centre for Applied English Studies Page 10

 CAES9540 Technical English for Civil Engineering 2017/18

TASK 1D Identify the structure of an interim report (10 mins)

Work as a group of three to four. Read the following sections of an interim report of which the
section headings have been removed and the order jumbled. Put them in the correct order and
suggest appropriate headings.

Hint: Think about the purpose of an interim report.

Interim Report [2]

© Centre for Applied English Studies Page 11

 CAES9540 Technical English for Civil Engineering 2017/18

© Centre for Applied English Studies Page 12

 CAES9540 Technical English for Civil Engineering 2017/18

1.8 Presentations for your project plan in the next

lesson (Diagnostic Presentation)
You will be presenting your project plan for your final year project in class next lesson. You
need to organise your presentation so as to maintain the audience’s attention throughout the
presentation. You should speak for about 3 minutes. Make sure your presentation contains
some technical information.

At the end of your presentation, another 2 minutes will be allotted for a Q&A session. Please
be prepared to answer questions raised by the audience. Students are encouraged to ask their
peers questions.

Prepare no more than 10 PowerPoint slides for your presentation. Provide a soft copy to
your lecturer.

IMPORTANT! Homework and Preparation for the next session

Presentation of your Project Plan (In-class Week 1 Session 2)

You will conduct an oral presentation of your project plan. The purpose is to help you prepare
your project plan, receive feedback from the course lecturer, and establish a baseline for
improving your presentation skills. Details of the presentation will be provided by the
lecturer.

TASK 1E Complete your diagnostic presentation reflection

Reflection is an effective way to learn because it provides an opportunity for you to look back
on your own performance and understand your strengths and weaknesses. In order to maximize
its full effectiveness, it is advisable to complete your reflection as soon as you complete your
task.

Write your reflection of your diagnostic presentation in a Word document and save it. It should
be around 100 words. We will upload the contents onto Self-Access Record (SAR) in Unit 2.

© Centre for Applied English Studies Page 13

 CAES9540 Technical English for Civil Engineering 2017/18

1.9 Over to you

It is important to understand your audience before drafting an outline of your thoughts. Various
tables of contents in reports signal such importance. This also applies to the outline of a
presentation. Follow the ideas of this unit in contrasting different texts, working with authentic
examples, and paying attention to language features. These will help you develop a ‘feel’ for
technical writing and speaking rather than follow a set of prescribed rules that you may easily
forget.

Task 1F Reflect on this unit (Refer to the learning outcomes of this unit)

Key points to remember

• Distinguish between a technical and non-technical audience

• Identify the needs of and adapt your writing for your audience
• Adapt your project and proposal outline from the appropriate sources
• Learn by critiquing other authentic proposals/reports with a checklist
• Pay attention to the objectives of the course and ALL the assignment due dates !!

References
[1] Paradis J, Zimmerman M. The MIT Guide to Science and Engineering
Communication. Massachusetts: MIT Press; 1997.

[2] Martinez D, Peterson D, Wells C, Hannigan C, Stevenson C. Technical Writing: A

comprehensive resource for technical writers at all levels. Revised and Updated Ed.
New York: Kaplan Publishing; 2011.

[3] Adapted from student texts

© Centre for Applied English Studies Page 14