English for Mechanical Engineering EAP: Academic English

By Disigma Publications and Agapi Altini

English for Mechanical Engineering EAP is designed for students who attend university courses in Mechanical Engineering and wish to improve their linguistic and academic skills in English. The course material aims at enabling students to:

- become familiar with the complexity and contextual multiplicity of academic genres/texts

- develop and enhance reading comprehension skills

- acquire and improve critical thinking

- build up and improve discipline-related vocabulary

- improve study skills (i.e. reading for meaning, identifying and producing textual information)

- apply and expand writing skills in academic contexts

 

Book Interior: Colored

• Language: English
• Publisher: Disigma Publications
• Release date: Jul 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9786182021385

Book preview

Title:

English for Mechanical Engineering EAP

Authors:

Agapi Altini

© 2022 Disigma Publications

For the English language throughout the world ISBN: 978-618-202-075-3

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any format by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the Publisher.

www.disigma.gr / e-mail: [e-mail]

www.disigmapublications.com

E-Book formatting: eCult Hub

Contents

UNIT 1 What is Engineering?

Topics: Engineering, Engineering disciplines, Mechanical Engineering

Vocabulary: Collocations and synonyms, Words with multiple meanings, Common adjective suffixes, Zero-derivation nominalisation

Reading skills: Skimming & scanning texts, Inferencing, Sentence-to-sentence cohesion, Topic and Concluding sentences

Writing skills: Discourse markers Paragraph Structure

UNIT 2 Basic concepts in Engineering: Materials

Topics: Engineering materials, material properties, strength of materials, metals, plastics

Vocabulary: Synonyms, Nominalisation

Genre: Scientific, News articles - Schematic Structure

Reading skills: Skimming & scanning texts, Inferencing Understanding definitions, Interpreting information in texts Sentence-to-sentence cohesion Understanding graphs

Writing skills: Incorporating information, Sentence-to-sentence cohesion: describing materials, Cohesion between sentences: comparing and contrasting

Listening skills: Understanding lectures

UNIT 3 Manufacturing processes & machine tools

Topics: Manufacturing processes, machine tools: classification and use, cutting angles

Vocabulary: Synonyms, Nominalisation

Reading skills: Skimming & scanning texts, Inferencing, Labelling, Understanding definitions, Cohesion: logical links across sentences

Writing skills: Classifying information, Paragraph Structure

UNIT 4 Conventional machine tools: Lathe

Topics: Lathe: components and applications

Vocabulary: Synonyms and derivatives, Definitions & functions

Reading skills: Skimming & scanning texts, Inferencing, Understanding component definitions, Understanding component descriptions & functions, Cohesion: logical links across sentences

Writing skills: Incorporating information in texts, Cohesion within one sentence: reference bonds

Listening skills: Understanding instructions

Grammar: Relative clauses

UNIT 5 Conventional machine tools: Milling machine

Topics: Milling machine: components and applications

Vocabulary: Synonyms, Definitions & functions

Genre: Descriptions - Schematic Structure

Reading skills: Skimming & scanning texts, Inferencing, Understanding definitions, Understanding component functions, Cohesion: logical links across sentences

Writing skills: Writing descriptions, Labelling paragraphs

Listening skills: Understanding instructions

UNIT 6 CNC machines

Topics: CNC machines: components and operation

Vocabulary: Synonyms, Adjective & adverb suffixes

Genre: Descriptions - Schematic Structure

Reading skills: Skimming & scanning texts, Inferencing, Understanding noun phrases, Cohesion between sentences: Indicating Similarity and/or, Difference Cohesion: logical links across sentences

Writing skills: Paraphrasing: compound phrases, Cohesion between sentences: Indicating Similarity and/or, Difference Cohesion between paragraphs: concluding sentences

Listening skills: Understanding processes

Grammar: Gerunds and Infinitives

UNIT 7 Internal Combustion Engines

Topics: Engines, Internal Combustion engines: components and operation

Vocabulary: Synonyms, Verb suffixes

Genre: Descriptions - Schematic Structure

Reading skills: Skimming & scanning texts, Inferencing, Labelling, Understanding functions, Understanding definitions, Paragraph-to paragraph cohesion: discourse markers, Cohesion: logical links across sentences

Writing skills: Note-taking, Paragraph-to-paragraph cohesion: summarising differences

Listening skills: Understanding information in descriptions and functions

UNIT 8 Electricity Generation

Topics: Electricity: sources and processes, decarbonisation

Vocabulary: Synonyms and derivatives

Reading skills: Skimming & scanning texts, Inferencing, Understanding information in charts, Cohesion: logical links across sentences

Writing skills Paraphrasing: noun phrases, Labelling paragraphs

Grammar: Passive Voice

UNIT 9 Renewable Energy Sources

Topics: Renewable energy, world energy outlook, trends

Vocabulary: Synonyms, Zero-derivation nominalization, Collocations

Genre: Reporting trends - Schematic Structure

Reading skills: Skimming & scanning texts, Inferencing, Interpreting information in texts, Understanding trends

Writing skills: Paraphrasing: noun phrases, Reporting trends

Grammar: Participles

UNIT 10 Turbines

Topics: Turbines: classification, components and function, world energy outlook, trends

Vocabulary: Synonyms, Descriptions

Genre: Process description

Reading skills: Skimming & scanning texts, Inferencing, Understanding functions, Understanding definitions, Interpreting information in texts, Focusing on meaning: Topic Sentences

Writing skills: Paraphrasing: noun phrases, Cohesion in paragraphs: incorporating information Paraphrasing with particles, Labelling, Describing processes

UNIT 11 Heating – Ventilation – Air Conditioning (HVAC)

Topics: Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning: components and operation, refrigerant emissions

Vocabulary: Synonyms, Nominalisation, Transition phrases

Genre: Process descriptions - Schematic Structure

Reading skills: Skimming & scanning texts, Inferencing, Ordering information, Discussing factors and explanations, Interpreting information in texts, Sentence-to-sentence cohesion: process description

Writing skills: Writing process descriptions, Paraphrasing compound phrases

UNIT 12 Computer-Integrated-Manufacturing

Topics: Computer-Integrated-Manufacturing: applications, subsystems and advantages

Vocabulary: Synonyms, Abbreviations, Formal lexical items

Genre: Scientific News Article - Schematic Structure & Vocabulary

Reading skills: Skimming & scanning texts, Inferencing, Understanding noun phrases, Understanding advantages, Identifying main points in text, Cohesion: logical links across sentences

Writing skills: Discussing advantages, Listing information, Paraphrasing sentences, Using formality

Listening skills: Understanding stages in a process

UNIT 13 Production Planning & Control

Topics: Production planning, Production control: definition, objectives & strategies, Inventory management

Vocabulary: Synonyms, Research papers: useful phrases

Genre: Research paper- Schematic Structure & Vocabulary

Reading skills: Skimming & scanning texts, Inferencing, Understanding definitions, Cohesion within and between paragraphs, Understanding research structure

Writing skills: Cohesion in paragraphs: expanding notes into paragraphs, Paraphrasing sentences and paragraphs

Listening skills: Understanding information

UNIT 14 Supply Chain Management

Topics: Supply chains, supply chain management: definition, objectives & departments, sustainability in supply chains

Vocabulary: Collocations & synonyms, Nominalisation

Genre: Research paper- References & Citations

Reading skills: Skimming & scanning texts, Inferencing, Understanding definitions & descriptions, Labelling, Interpreting information in texts, Cohesion within and between paragraphs, Understanding referencing

Writing skills: Labelling information, Writing references

Listening skills: Understanding information

GLOSSARY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Preface

A few words…

English for Mechanical Engineering EAP is a course book designed for upper-intermediate to advanced Mechanical Engineering students, who wish to improve their linguistic and academic skills in English in order to be able to participate in their discourse community and successfully accomplish disciplinary or professional practices effectively.

The book, comprising a collection of authentic Mechanical Engineering texts, is focused on improving discipline-specific learning strategies and knowledge, and further developing critical thinking and academic skills to enable students to identify, understand and write academic discourse texts (scientific texts, reports, descriptions, etc.), and use the relevant literature. It incorporates a genre-based approach to teaching academic English, focusing, in particular, on register and the linguistic and socio-cultural features of the most common academic genres.

More specifically, its overall aim is to teach Higher Education students the importance of social functions and purpose, and familiarise them with the complexity and contextual multiplicity of academic genres/ texts. Therefore, particular emphasis is placed on highlighting the schematic structure of discipline- related genres and the relevant lexico-grammatical, discursive, and functional features employed, by asking students, first, to recognise them and then to be able to use them their own texts. It also features the major role of cohesion within and across sentences and paragraphs to produce meaning (coherence).

Units

Skills

English for Mechanical Engineering EAP includes 14 units with graded (in terms of content and linguistic complexity) discipline-related authentic texts and thematically linked activities. The content is organised on the basis of the 3 major specialisations in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, Energy and Industrial Management.

Overall, all units are mainly focused on developing and enhancing two fundamental academic skills, reading and writing, which are required at all levels of Higher Education, whereas it places less emphasis on practising listening and speaking (Warm-up section).

More specifically, special emphasis is given to reading and understanding scientific and academic language by

• practising skimming and scanning,

• interpreting key information

• making inferences

• exploiting already acquired knowledge in discipline-related topics

• learning about and identifying the schematic structure of genres

• understanding how cohesion and register convey meaning in texts

• building up vocabulary

• understanding and interpreting trends in graphs, tables etc.

Writing skills involve employing all relevant textual and lexico-grammatical patterns and functions as well as cohesion and the formal, staged qualities of academic genres by applying

• nominalisations and, in general, derivatives

• collocations

• discourse devices

• paraphrasing

• summarising

• note-taking

• text elaboration (discussing trends in graphs, tables, etc.)

• referencing

Finally, listening skills are corroborated and improved by gaining access to videos thematically related to the main topic in each unit, whereas speaking is only limited to discussing topics and relevant information and is mainly practised through warm-up activities.

Structure

Each unit is comprised of 5-6 sections (Grammar practice is limited to only some units):

• WARM-UP: THINK BEFORE YOU READ

• DEVELOPING LANGUAGE

• UNDERSTANDING LANGUAGE

• PRACTISING LANGUAGE

• EXPANDING LANGUAGE and

• PRACTISING GRAMMAR

WARM-UP: THINK BEFORE YOU READ introduces the students to the topic of each unit and encourages schemata instantiation and involvement.

DEVELOPING LANGUAGE includes authentic academic texts aiming at discussing and elaborating on a Mechanical Engineering topic as well as building up vocabulary.

UNDERSTANDING LANGUAGE motivates students’ critical thinking and tests their ability to understand meaning (general and specific information), words in context and situational mood, to make inferences and interpret key information.

PRACTISING LANGUAGE contains activities which enhance the students’ ability to understand, master and apply discourse and lexical structures and consolidate what they have learnt.

EXPANDING LANGUAGE elaborates on the main topic and tests students’ ability to increase and improve their knowledge and skills by applying genre and cohesion conventions and expands their skills in using relevant academic linguistic features. It also provides students with the practical knowledge and skills to write effectively for a variety of purposes and situations, by applying paraphrasing strategies, organising information according to genre, using cohesive devices, referencing, etc.

PRACTISING GRAMMAR is limited to only a few units and is used to introduce or expand knowledge of formal grammatical structures commonly found in scientific/academic texts, such as Relative clauses, Gerunds & Infinitives, Passive Voice, Participles.

I hope you will find English for Mechanical Engineering EAP a useful tool to improve your knowledge and skills in academic English.

Enjoy your reading!

Agapi Altini

(Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia)

Acknowledgements

I would first like to thank all my students who participated in the pilot course and helped me test and revise course objectives and also make improvements and additions to my initial work.

I would also like to thank my friends and colleagues, Stavroula Tavoultzidou, Ekaterini Blanta and Ekaterini Tsiora for their support, enthusiastic encouragement and useful recommendations.

Finally, I deeply thank the authors of the texts I have used in the course units for granting me copyright permission.

UNIT 1

Εικόνα που περιέχει κείμενο, αντικείμενο εξωτερικού χώρου, ανυσματικά γραφικά Περιγραφή που δημιουργήθηκε αυτόματα

Topics: Engineering, Engineering disciplines, Mechanical Engineering

Vocabulary: Collocations and synonyms, Words with multiple meanings, Common adjective suffixes, Zero-derivation nominalisation

Reading skills: Skimming & scanning texts, Inferencing, Sentence-to-sentence cohesion, Topic and Concluding sentences

Writing skills: Discourse markers Paragraph Structure

WARM-UP: THINK BEFORE YOU READ

1. What is Engineering – which disciplines does it include?

2. Why does Engineering matter - what is its impact on the modern world?

3. What does Mechanical Engineering involve?

DEVELOPING LANGUAGE

Engineering is a broad discipline, which applies science and math principles in the analysis and solution of problems in every sector of modern life, by improving production methods, communication, healthcare, transport, entertainment etc. Engineers research, develop, design, manufacture, simulate, test and maintain tools, engines, machines, and other mechanical or electrical and electronic devices. From machine tools and computer chips or sensors to advanced medical devices and energy technologies, engineering has greatly facilitated people’s lives and opened up new prospects.

Historically, the main branches of Engineering have been: Civil engineering, Electrical engineering, Mechanical engineering, Chemical engineering.

Figure 1.1 Engineering (source)

However, nowadays modern Engineering includes branches that have derived from the traditional fields and formed new sub- disciplines, such as aerospace engineering, petroleum systems, audio engineering, biomedical engineering, materials science engineering, environmental engineering, industrial design and nuclear engineering. Engineers are typically involved in various and different study and research areas, and, as a result, they usually become multi-disciplined during their career. They commonly have deep knowledge in one area and basic knowledge in other engineering-related areas. During product development, engineers are engaged in interdisciplinary teams, as building most products requires work from many engineering professionals. In addition, engineers may also engage in management and organizational or business psychology.

Mechanical Engineering, which is the oldest branch of Engineering, is the discipline which applies the principles of engineering into the design, analysis, manufacturing, and maintenance of machines and mechanical production techniques. It is one of the most diverse and versatile engineering disciplines, combining creativity, knowledge and analytical tools. Focusing on human needs, mechanical engineers must be able to understand and apply fundamental concepts from electrical engineering, chemistry, physics, thermodynamics, structural analysis, civil engineering etc. and, therefore, develop new technologies for a wide range of industries including manufacturing, transport, healthcare, energy generation, construction, automotive, aerospace and robotics.

Adapted from Engineering and Mechanical Engineering

1. UNDERSTANDING LANGUAGE

1.1. Check (√ ) which of the following statements are true about Engineering. [Download]

… 1. Engineering is a discipline with many branches.

… 2. Engineering solves Math problems.

… 3. Engineering has got many applications in people’s lives.

… 4. Engineers are people who design and make tools.