TECHNICAL ENGLISH I

(Common to all B.E/B.Tech programmes)

L T P C 3 0 0 3

Aim: To help students develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in English and thus achieve proficiency. Objectives: To give the learners confidence to: Widen their capacity to listen to English and understand its meaning. Have a working knowledge of spoken English at the informal levels. Be able to read and grasp a passage in English. Learn the art of writing English with correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. Cultivate their ability to think and express their thoughts. Unit I 9 Listening task: Listening to conversations listening for general meaning. Speaking task: Role play conversational techniques simple oral interaction seeking and giving information self-introduction, peer-introduction. Reading task: Skimming and scanning in general. Writing task: Structure of paragraph writing description mechanical description process description flow chart. Language highlights: General vocabulary changing words from one form to another prefixes and suffixes tenses active and passive voice wh- questions sentence definition. Unit II 9 Listening task: Listening for specific information and getting answers for the same. Speaking task: Speaking on personal topics like hobbies, topics of interest narrating experiences. Reading task: Scanning for specific information. Writing task: Comparison & contrast paragraphs bar chart & pie chart. Language highlights: Adjectives comparative adjectives expressions of comparison & contrast spelling & punctuation nouns & compound nouns. Unit III 9 Listening task: Listening and note-taking. Speaking task: Giving instructions oral reporting telephone etiquette. Reading task: Reading for contextual meaning careful reading and finding the structure. Writing task: Instructions writing general and safety instructions preparing checklists. Language highlights: Imperative form Yes / no questions sequencing of sentences basic sentence structures. Unit IV 9 Listening task: Listening to native speakers (British). Speaking task: Discussing ideas speaking about future plans creative thinking and speaking. Reading task: Reading texts critical reading rearranging jumbled sentences/ sentence anagrams. Writing task: Writing paragraphs describing the future summary writing personal letters letters to the editor invitation letter accepting & declining letters. Language highlights: Relative pronoun correction of errors subject-verb agreement (Concord).

Unit V 9 Listening task: Listening to native speakers (American). Speaking task: Debating expressing views for and against something. Reading task: Intensive reading reading comprehension exercises.Writing task: Planning an industrial visit writing a cover(ing) letter (internship cover letter) for practical training. Language highlights: Cause and effect expressions gerunds and infinitives expressing purpose. TOTAL = 45 HOURS Project work: At the beginning of the semester, the students should be informed of a mini project of 3000 words which they need to submit towards the end of the semester. This can be judged as part of their internal assessment. TEXT BOOK
1. Dhanavel, S.P. 2010. English and Communication Skills for Students of Science

and Engineering. Units 1-5. Chennai: Orient Blackswan. REFERENCE BOOKS

1. Barua, K Mitra. 2006. Effective Technical Communication: A Guide for Scientists

and Engineers. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

2. Day, R A. 2000. Scientific English: A Guide for Scientists and Other Professionals. 3. 4. 5. 6.

2nd edition. Hyderabad: Universities Press. Regional Institute of English. 2006. English for Engineers. New Delhi: Foundation Books (CUP). Raman, Meenakshi., and Sangeetha Sharma. 2010. Technical Communication: English Skills for Enigneers. 2nd edition. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. Rutherford, Andrea J. 2006. Basic Communication Skills for Technology. 2nd edition. New Delhi: Pearson Education. Vishwamohan, Aysha. 2008. English for Technical Communication for Engineering Students. New Delhi: Tata-McGraw Hill.

Extensive Reading: (NOT FOR EXAMINATION) Maxwell, John C. 2010. Attitude: What Every Leader Needs to Know. Mumbai: Jaico Publishing House.