Engineering Communication Skills

Objectives

Engineering Communication Skills is a course that introduces you to the technical and academic language and skills that you need to study specific subjects in English during your degree.

The main aim of the course is to familiarise you with dealing with basic technical communication at university level. To do this you will:

• Improve your reading, speaking, writing and listening skills in English in a technical context.
• Build up your knowledge of technical language in English.
• Demonstrate learner autonomy by maximising use of learning resources and producing quality work.
• Enhance your awareness of other cultures and countries.

Learning outcomes

• LO1. Knows the verb forms, questions, articles and quantifications, conditionals and prepositions.
• LO2. Understands oral and written English language.
• LO3. Exposes effectively orally the results obtained in practices and/or work in English.
• LO4. Prepares written reports and documents (mainly technical) with spelling and grammar correction in English.
• LO5. Communicates to all types of audiences (specialized or not) clearly and precisely knowledge, methodologies, ideas, problems and solutions in their field of study.
• LO6. Globally assesses the learning processes carried out in accordance with the planned plans and objectives and establishes individual improvement measures.

Competencies

General skills

• Desire to take part in lifelong learning, innovate, create value and acquire new knowledge.

Specific skills

• Work in a multilingual, multidisciplinary environment, and make oral presentations and write reports in English in the field of engineering, in general, and in the automotive sector, in particular.

Basic skills

• Students can communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialists and non-specialists.

Core skills

• Become the protagonist of one's own learning process in order to achieve personal and professional growth and acquire all-round training for living and learning in a context of respect for linguistic, social, cultural, gender and economic diversity.
• Use oral, written and audiovisual forms of communication, in one's own language and in foreign languages, with a high standard of use, form and content.

Content

Engineering Communication Skills will focus on topics related to Automotive Engineering and include:

• Technical vocabulary
• Grammar: tense revision, questions, passives, linking words, conditionals and reported speech
• Listening: everyday and technical conversations and monologues set in a professional context
• Reading: short technical texts and scientific articles
• Oral communication: class discussions, information exchange and authentic interaction in the classroom
• Oral production: technical presentation
• Writing: effective mail, for and against essay, technical report and motivational letter
• A problem-based learning (PBL) component

Evaluation

Course assessment is a mixture of formative and summative assessment. The final mark of the subject (NF) is the weighted average of the marks of the following items.

Component 1. Theory

• Test 1 (20% of the NF): Writing, Grammar and Vocabulary, Listening. May be retaken.
• Test 2 (20% of the NF): Writing, Grammar and Vocabulary, Listening. May be retaken.

Component 2. Practicals

• PBL (Project-based learning) (15% of the NF)
• Speaking (15% of the NF): Presentation, Discussion, Debate
• COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) Project (15% of the NF)
• Class Participation (5% of the NF)

Component 3. Reports and Exercises

• Reading Comprehension (10% of the NF)

Other criteria

• Attendance to practicals is compulsory.
• Unjustified absence from three or more practical activities will lead to a Fail grade.
• Justified absence from more than 50% of practicals will result in a mark of zero for the Practicals component.
• In general, assessment is in person.
• Students may retake activities, if applicable, in the reassessment period.

Methodology

The methodology used includes communicative activities, authentic materials, individual work, group work and whole class participation. Class sessions require attendance and active participation in English to maximise learning outcomes. You have approximately 60 contact hours during the semester. Classes are 4 hours a week, 2 hours in a subgroup and 2 hours with the whole class. You also have 90 hours of autonomous self-study for COIL/PBL development, reading class material and preparing for assessed activities.

Absence from assessed activities in class results in:

• 25% penalisation of the group mark for a justified absence.
• 50% penalisation of the group mark for an unjustified absence.

Bibliography

Bibliography

• Mann, Malcolm & Taylore-Knowles, Steve (2008). Destination B2: Grammar and Vocabulary with Answer Key. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/40792840/Destination_B2_Grammar_and_Vocabulary_with_Answer_key

Reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.