TECHNICAL ENGLISH – I Anna University Syllabus
HS2111 TECHNICAL ENGLISH – I L T P C
3 1 0 4
AIM:
To encourage students to actively involve in participative learning of English and to help them acquire Communication Skills.
OBJECTIVES:
1. To help students develop listening skills for academic and professional purposes.
2. To help students acquire the ability to speak effectively in English in real-life situations.
3. To inculcate reading habit and to develop effective reading skills.
4. To help students improve their active and passive vocabulary.
5. To familiarize students with different rhetorical functions of scientific English.
6. To enable students write letters and reports effectively in formal and business
situations.
UNIT I 12
General Vocabulary - changing words from one form to another - Adjectives, comparative adjectives – Adverbs - Active and passive voice – Tenses - simple present, present continuous - Adverb forms – Nouns – compound nouns - Skimming and scanning - Listening and transfer of information – bar chart, flowchart - Paragraph writing, description – Discussing as a group and making an oral report on the points discussed, conversation techniques - convincing others.
Suggested activities:
1. Matching words & meanings - Using words in context – Making sentences.
2. Changing sentences from active to passive voice & vice versa.
3. Skimming, cloze exercises, exercises transferring information from text to graphic
form – bar charts, flow charts.
4. Writing descriptions using descriptive words & phrases, and technical vocabulary.
5. Role play, conversation exercises, discussions, oral reporting exercises
Any other related relevant classroom activity.
UNIT II 12
Vocabulary – prefixes & suffixes – simple past tense - Spelling and punctuation – ‘wh’ Question forms - Scanning, inference - Listening & note-taking - Paragraph writing - comparison and contrast - Creative thinking and speaking.
Suggested Activities:
1. a. Vocabulary actiivities using prefixes and suffixes.
b. Exercises using questions – asking & answering questions.
2. Scanning the text for specific information
3. Listening guided note-taking - Writing paragraphs using notes, giving suitable headings and subheadings for paragraphs. Using expressions of comparison and contrast.
4. Discussion activities and exploring creative ideas.
Any other related relevant classroom activity
UNIT III 12
Tenses - simple past, simple future and past perfect - Reading in Context -Listening & note-taking – single line – Definitions – sequencing of sentences – instruction - Persuasive speaking.
Suggested activities:
1. a. Providing appropriate context for the use of tenses
2. Listening and note-taking
3. (a) Writing sentence definitions, instructions
(b) Identifying the discourse links and sequencing jumbled sentences /
writing instructions.
4. Speaking exercises, discussions, role play exercises using explaining, convincing and persuasive strategies
Any other related relevant classroom activity
UNIT IV 12
Modal verbs and Probability – Concord subject verb agreement – Correction of errors - Cause and effect expressions – Extended Definition - Speaking about the future plans.
Suggested activities:
1. a. Making sentences using modal verbs to express probability b. Gap filling using relevant grammatical form of words.
2. Writing extended definitions
3. Speaking - role play activities, discussions, extempore speaking exercises speculating about the future.
4. Any other related relevant classroom activity
UNIT V 12
‘If’ conditionals – Gerunds - Intensive reading - Speaking – Presentation of problems & solutions - Itinerary – planning for an industrial visit - Formal Letter writing – Letter to the editor, invititation letter, accepting, declining letter and permission letter.
Suggested activities:
1. a) Sentence completion exercises using ‘If’ conditionals.
b) Gap filling exercises using gerunds and present participle forms
2. Reading comprehension exercises.
3. Role play, discussion, debating and speaking activities for stating, discussing
problems and suggesting solutions.
4. Planning a tour, Writing a travel itinerary. Writing letters to officials and to the editor in formal/official contexts.
Any other related relevant classroom activity
TOTAL : 60 PERIODS
TEXT BOOK:
1. Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, Anna University, ‘English for Engineers and Technologists’ Combined Edition (Volumes 1 & 2), Chennai: Orient Longman Pvt. Ltd., 2006. Themes 1 – 4 (Resources, Energy, Computer, Transport)
REFERENCES:
1. Meenakshi Raman and Sangeeta Sharma, ‘Technical Communication English skills for Engineers’, Oxford University Press, 2008.
2. Andrea, J. Rutherford, ‘Basic Communication Skills for Technology’, Second Edition, Pearson Education, 2007.
EXTENSIVE READING:
1. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam with Arun Tiwari, ‘Wings of Fire’ An Autobiography, University
th
Press (India) Pvt. Ltd.,1999, 30
NOTE:
Impression 2007.
The book given under Extensive Reading is meant for inculcating the reading habit of the students. They need not be used for testing purposes.
