TECHNICAL ENGLISH

Class A (093024)
First Term 1998
Instructor: Scott Gardner
Office: B-425 電気電子工学科棟 (Electrical Engineering building)
Office Phone #: (086) 251-8114
E-mail addresses: (work) scott@power.elec.okayama-u.ac.jp, (home) sngard@mx1.tiki.ne.jp
Office Hours: TBA (To Be Announced)
Class Time/Place: 10:20-11:50 Monday/Thursday, 一般 D 棟 512

TEXTS:
Glendinning, Eric H. and John McEwan, Oxford English for Electronics, Oxford University Press, 1993
One other academic English listening/speaking text
Various copies supplied by the teacher

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The title of this class is “Technical English.” One focus of the class will be on expressing yourself better
within your field. We will work on writing and presentation skills. This is the “technical” part of the course.
As we work on these areas you may discover that you can discuss electronics in English better than I can.
It’s important to remember, however, that talking about vector-controlled AC motor drives, for example,
does not make you fluent in English. Improving your abilities in general English is important, not only to
speak to foreign English teachers like me, but also to speak with other engineers with different interests, or to
give reports to future bosses who don’t know about your field like you do.
So the other focus of the class is on more general English conversation. Work in this area may not always
apply to electrical and electronics engineering, but I will try to make it fun. The emphasis here will be on
listening and speaking.
Please remember that this is a new course, and the direction of the class depends on where you lead it. An
important exercise used in Western university classes is one called “feedback.” It means that people in class
discuss things: communication is not one-way from teacher to student (like DC current), but multiple-way,
back and forth among the students and the teacher (like AC current). It means that students ask questions, as
well as giving answers. It’s like the “Q&A” segment at the end of a presentation. Most American presenters at
conferences enjoy answering questions from the audience, because Q&A measures how well the audience
understood the presentation. If nobody asks questions, the presenter may feel that no one has listened to the
presentation at all. Interaction and feedback are important elements in Western education. They are
important in this class as we find out more about communicating in English.

MAIN COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Participation, including: 2. Attendance
a) weekly free writing 3. Various small writing assignments, including
b) pair work some submitted by e-mail
c) group discussions

SOME GUIDELINES:
1. I would like you to attend every class scheduled, and to let me know if and why you cannot attend on a
certain day. If for example, nobody can attend class on a certain day, I of course don’t want to prepare to
teach that class.
2. Speak in class. If you speak on your own, then you won’t have to worry about the teacher making you
speak when you’re not ready.
3. Relax and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You’ll never know if you have learned anything if you don’t
speak up and allow yourself to make errors. A mistake in English is much, much less serious than a
mistake in engineering.
4. Remember that part of the purpose of this course is to let you become comfortable communicating with
foreigners. Please talk to me as often as you can: in class, in the hallway, in the cafeteria. Don’t worry;
I’m nice.
 Tentative Schedule
Wk Date (月) Monday Thursday
1 Apr 13 Introduction; syllabus;
questionnaire on language learning

2 Apr 20 Free writing1; Glendinning, Unit 1: Electronics in the

discussion about studying English home; technical writing2

3 Apr 27, May 4 Free writing; discussion; Glendinning, Unit 1;

Golden Week3 listening/speaking technical writing

4 May 11 Free writing; discussion; Glendinning, Unit 2: Choosing a course;

listening/speaking technical writing

5 May 18 Free writing; discussion; Glendinning, Unit 2;

listening/speaking technical writing

6 May 25 Free writing; discussion; Glendinning, Unit 3: Full-time student;

listening/speaking technical writing

7 Jun 1 Free writing; discussion; Glendinning, Unit 3;

listening/speaking technical writing

8 Jun 8 Free writing; discussion; Glendinning, Unit 4: Component values;

listening/speaking technical writing

9 Jun 15 Free writing; discussion; Glendinning, Unit 4;

listening/speaking technical writing

10 Jun 22 Free writing; discussion; Glendinning, Unit 5: Batteries;

listening/speaking technical writing

11 Jun 29 Free writing; discussion; Glendinning, Unit 5;

listening/speaking technical writing

12 Jul 6 Free writing; discussion; Glendinning, Unit 6: Making a recording;

Summer Vac.3 listening/speaking technical writing

13 Sep 7 Free writing; discussion; Glendinning, Unit 6;

listening/speaking technical writing

14 Sep 14 Free writing; discussion; Glendinning, Unit 7: Sound engineer;

listening/speaking technical writing

15 Sep 21, 28 Free writing; discussion; Glendinning, Unit 7;

Obon Week3 listening/speaking technical writing

This schedule may change at anytime. If it does I will give you an updated copy.

1 The purpose of free writing is to give us topics to discuss in class, and to get us used to writing in English.
2 Some of this time will be spent writing in class, but not “free” writing.
3 Golden Week, Summer Vacation, and Obon may cause class time changes, which we will discuss and agree upon in class.