““A TECHNICAL ENGLISH COURSE A TECHNICAL ENGLISH COURSE IN THE AREA OF METALLURGY”IN THE AREA OF METALLURGY”

Prof. Miguel A. Alarcón Prof. Miguel A. Alarcón 20152015

Universidad de ConcepciónFacultad de IngenieríaDepto. Ingeniería Civil Metalúrgica

““READING READING COMPREHENSION”COMPREHENSION”

GENERAL OBJECTIVES:GENERAL OBJECTIVES:

1.- In general, t1.- In general, the course focuses on he course focuses on reinforcing already learnt reading reinforcing already learnt reading skills in a foreign language.skills in a foreign language.

But this time, the main focus will be But this time, the main focus will be on reading in the on reading in the area of metallurgyarea of metallurgy..

2.- Also, it helps students:2.- Also, it helps students: a) improve the students’ mastery of a) improve the students’ mastery of grammatical structures, andgrammatical structures, and b) increase the technical vocabulary of b) increase the technical vocabulary of their specific field.their specific field.

The program includesThe program includes::

1. 1. ActivitiesActivities to help students develop their to help students develop their reading skills in a meaningful rather than in a reading skills in a meaningful rather than in a mechanical way, enabling them to mechanical way, enabling them to successfully understand other academic textssuccessfully understand other academic texts..2. 2. Activities Activities designed to teach grammar designed to teach grammar through content.through content.

3.3. Activities Activities designed to take students designed to take students through a step-by-step process to through a step-by-step process to writingwriting about known topics and then about subjects about known topics and then about subjects related to their future current courseworkrelated to their future current coursework

4.4. Activities Activities designed to improve designed to improve students’ pronunciation putting students’ pronunciation putting emphasis on the way technical terms are emphasis on the way technical terms are pronounced.pronounced.

Developing Developing reading skills:reading skills:

STRATEGIES:STRATEGIES:- - Recognizing main ideasRecognizing main ideas- Identifying general and specific statements- Identifying general and specific statements- Separating fact from opinion- Separating fact from opinion- Recognizing contrasting ideas- Recognizing contrasting ideas- Recognizing supporting ideas- Recognizing supporting ideas- Finding support for main ideas- Finding support for main ideas- Recognizing intra- and inter-text ideas- Recognizing intra- and inter-text ideas- Scanning for facts- Scanning for facts- Recognizing inferences and conclusions- Recognizing inferences and conclusions

- Inferring the author’s purpose- Inferring the author’s purpose- Recognizing specific information- Recognizing specific information- Identifying organizational clues- Identifying organizational clues- Outlining as you read- Outlining as you read- Anticipating the contents- Anticipating the contents- Predicting the action- Predicting the action- Guessing word meaning from context- Guessing word meaning from context- Finding synonyms- Finding synonyms- Using context to explain terms- Using context to explain terms

Grammar focusGrammar focus

11. . Verb phraseVerb phrase

- Recognizing verb tenses- Recognizing verb tenses- Manipulating verb tenses- Manipulating verb tenses

2. Noun phrase2. Noun phrase

- Identifying noun modifiers- Identifying noun modifiers- Creating noun phrases- Creating noun phrases

3. Function words3. Function words

- Identifying structural words- Identifying structural words

- Identifying structural phrases- Identifying structural phrases

PRONUNCIATIONPRONUNCIATION

ACTIVITIES:ACTIVITIES:

- listening discrimination- listening discrimination- distiguishing similar - distiguishing similar soundssounds- articulatory description of - articulatory description of soundssounds- reading aloud- reading aloud- sentence intonation- sentence intonation

It will mainly measure the It will mainly measure the following:following:

- reading comprehension level- reading comprehension level- pronunciation skills- pronunciation skills- writing skills- writing skills- technical terms - technical terms

EVALUATIONEVALUATION

ASSESSING STUDENTSASSESSING STUDENTS’’ LINGUISTIC PERFORMANCE LINGUISTIC PERFORMANCE WILL BE DONE USING WILL BE DONE USING DIFFERENT TYPES OF TESTS:DIFFERENT TYPES OF TESTS: - individual or group tests - individual or group tests (10%)(10%)- pronunciation evaluation - pronunciation evaluation (5%)(5%)- written tests on technical - written tests on technical terms (10%)terms (10%)- a main test (35%)- a main test (35%)- a final written test or exam - a final written test or exam (40%)(40%)

NOTE:NOTE:STUDENTS SHOULD STUDENTS SHOULD ATTEND CLASSES IN A ATTEND CLASSES IN A PERCENTAGE NO PERCENTAGE NO LOWER THAN 80%.LOWER THAN 80%.

ANY QUESTION OR ANY QUESTION OR COMMENT WITH RESPECT COMMENT WITH RESPECT TO THIS TO THIS INTRODUCTORY NOTES TO INTRODUCTORY NOTES TO THE COURSE?THE COURSE?

SOME ADVICE ON SOME ADVICE ON LEARNING A LEARNING A

FOREIGN FOREIGN LANGUAGELANGUAGE

1.1. Use the language!Use the language! Take advantage of every Take advantage of every opportunity to speak, hear, and read the language; opportunity to speak, hear, and read the language; watch TV, listen to radio and music, talk with English watch TV, listen to radio and music, talk with English speakers, even talk to yourself and speakers, even talk to yourself and thinkthink in English. in English. You are learning a skill and you need to practice it. You are learning a skill and you need to practice it. Sometimes that means goofing, but you learn through Sometimes that means goofing, but you learn through your mistakes, and it is better to make them in practice your mistakes, and it is better to make them in practice than on tests. Remember that tests examine not only than on tests. Remember that tests examine not only whatwhat you know, but you know, but how wellhow well you know it and can put you know it and can put it to use.it to use.

2.2. Develop good study habits!Develop good study habits! Study with full Study with full concentration, but for brief periods. Put tricky points concentration, but for brief periods. Put tricky points or vocabulary on cards to carry with you and take or vocabulary on cards to carry with you and take advantage of idle moments in your day to practice advantage of idle moments in your day to practice English.English.

3.3. Avoid translation!Avoid translation! Although it may seem safer to Although it may seem safer to translate, it becomes a trap: you develop no real skill intranslate, it becomes a trap: you develop no real skill in English, and it doubles your processing time (which English, and it doubles your processing time (which becomes a problem on timed tests). Try to speak, hear, becomes a problem on timed tests). Try to speak, hear, read, and write English without resort to Spanish —read, and write English without resort to Spanish —and it will seem increasingly natural (and quicker) for and it will seem increasingly natural (and quicker) for you. you.

4. 4. Keep up with vocabularyKeep up with vocabulary.. There is a lot of it; after There is a lot of it; after all, one needs thousands of words to communicate. all, one needs thousands of words to communicate. There are many tricks and memory aids (e.g. There are many tricks and memory aids (e.g. vocabulary cards); the important things are (1) to vocabulary cards); the important things are (1) to relate (associate) the new to the old, (2) to relate (associate) the new to the old, (2) to useuse new new words (e.g. by making sentences with them — that words (e.g. by making sentences with them — that takes them out of a book and registers them in your takes them out of a book and registers them in your own brain), and (3) to review previous vocabulary own brain), and (3) to review previous vocabulary constantly, especially words you had trouble with.constantly, especially words you had trouble with.

5. 5. Attendance is vitalAttendance is vital:: when you are absent, you have when you are absent, you have missed the opportunity to develop skills that will be missed the opportunity to develop skills that will be tested on exams. tested on exams.

6. 6. Ask questions whenever you have one!Ask questions whenever you have one! Never fear to Never fear to ask for help; often the same thing that is puzzling you ask for help; often the same thing that is puzzling you is confusing others too, and it is better to ask about is confusing others too, and it is better to ask about little problems before they snowball into big ones. For little problems before they snowball into big ones. For help, ask the teacher or the teaching assistants (that is help, ask the teacher or the teaching assistants (that is why we are here).why we are here).

7. If you have a learning disability7. If you have a learning disability that affects your that affects your performance in this class and requires special attention performance in this class and requires special attention such as additional time for tests, you must consult with such as additional time for tests, you must consult with your teacher privately, presenting professional your teacher privately, presenting professional documentation and recommendations for the situation, documentation and recommendations for the situation, and arrange special accommodations with him well and arrange special accommodations with him well before any test that is affected.before any test that is affected.

8.8. During classDuring class, we do a lot of group-work , we do a lot of group-work and pair-work to practice inter-and pair-work to practice inter-communication. Outside class-room, you communication. Outside class-room, you may use tutors, friends, online may use tutors, friends, online translators, spell/grammar checkers, and translators, spell/grammar checkers, and other resources in order to other resources in order to practicepractice your your English to be better prepared for class-English to be better prepared for class-work.work.

99.. DO YOUR OWN WORK ! DO YOUR OWN WORK ! AnyAny work work handedhanded in in for evaluation, including for evaluation, including homeworks, must be your own individual homeworks, must be your own individual work, and any detected collaboration or work, and any detected collaboration or other unauthorized assistance will be other unauthorized assistance will be regarded as regarded as cheating.cheating.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION, AND I WISH ATTENTION, AND I WISH YOU ALL GOOD LUCK!!YOU ALL GOOD LUCK!!