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English for Engineers: A Preparatory Course for Incoming Graduate Students
School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania
Summer 2008
The English for Engineers (EFE) course provides instruction and intensive practice in English communication skills, with an emphasis on speaking and listening. Class activities focus on clear communication in the technical and academic environment. In addition to listening and speaking practice, daily written assignments will help participants to feel comfortable with the norms of written English as it is used in formal papers, technical reports, journal articles, and routine professional communications such as e-mail messages and memos.
The EFE course will run from Monday, July 28th to Friday August 22nd, 2008. Classes will be held Mondays through Fridays from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, and from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, with additional activities scheduled at noon on Fridays. Students should expect daily oral and written homework, and they should plan to spend at least an hour outside of class practicing in language lab.
During the last week of class, students will take the SPEAK test, a twenty-minute test of spoken English. The student’s score on that test, along with performance on class assignments, will be used to assess the level of readiness to undertake graduate studies at Penn Engineering. Students with low scores or marginal performance on class assignments may be required to take an additional English course in the fall. (Note that students who score sufficiently high on the SPEAK will be certified to serve as Teaching Assistants at Penn if offered such an opportunity). In rare cases, a student’s performance might indicate that he or she should not continue with graduate studies at Penn because of persistent language problems.
Course Outline:
Week One |
Diagnostics
Pronunciation: individual vowel sounds, syllables, linking and rhythm of speech
Giving and getting directions & instructions
Presentation of self in formal and informal settings, spoken and written
Asking and answering questions in everyday interactions
Introduction to academic vocabulary and norms of speech |
Week Two |
Pronunciation: consonants
Complex sentence and discourse structure, oral and written
Oral presentations: description of processes and definition of terms
Asking and answering questions in academic settings
Vocabulary for describing lab procedures |
Week Three |
Academic integrity
Written work: summarizing, paraphrasing, use of citations and references
Use of hypothetical and conditional language, oral and written
Verb time in academic speech and writing |
Week Four |
General communication practice
Situational practice:
Asking questions in class
- Presenting at a conference
SPEAK test
Final evaluations |
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EAS 510:
Technical Communication and Academic Writing for Non-Native Speakers of English
Offered in Fall
Students will improve the grammar, word choice and organization of their professional writing by completing weekly writing assignments and a full-length research paper. Students will also give short oral presentations and receive feedback on pronunciation, wording, grammar and organization.
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For additional information about these courses, please contact:
Mary A. Westervelt
Director, Engineering Information and Communication Program
Lecturer in Technical Communication
Tel: 215.573.6486 Email: mwester@seas.upenn.edu
Information about theEngineering Information & Communication Program at www.seas.upenn.edu/~eic/
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