Course detail
Language as Discourse in Science and Technology
FEKT-HJDTAcad. year: 2020/2021
The course is focused on the style of technical, popular scientific and scientific texts, especially electrotechnical ones, on introduction to stylistics, basic concepts and style classification, on classification of formality degrees typical of texts in electrical engineering and on presentation of specific lexical, grammar and other features of such texts. The above-mentioned theoretical exposition will be illustrated with a large amount of examples and will be accompanied by reading (with the use of specialized reading techniques and strategies) and by analyzing technical texts.
Supervisor
Department
Learning outcomes of the course unit
The students will learn how to analyze and comprehend professional texts in the field of electrical engineering and they will get profound information on stylistic and other features typical of such texts. They will improve reading skills, techniques and strategies of mastering English texts for academic and professional purposes, they will get acquainted with different kinds of texts and will enrich both their general and specialized vocabulary.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of the English language at level B1 -B2 intermediate. Introduction to Linguistics.
Co-requisites
Not applicable.
Recommended optional programme components
Not applicable.
Recommended or required reading
Krhutová,M.: The language of electrical engineering as a special province
Glendinning,E.H.: Information Technology, O.U.P.
Krhutová, M.: Parameters of Professional Discourse, Tribun EU, 2009
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Teaching methods depend on the type of course unit as specified in Article 7 of BUT Rules for Studies and Examinations
Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes
For successful completion of the course the students are required to do assignments given by the teacher during the course, they are supposed to master the content of lectures (incl.the basic literature) and the analysis of an electrotechnical text, in the form of a semester test (40 points max. and 20 points min.) and the final examination (60 points max. and 30 points min.)
Language of instruction
Czech
Work placements
Not applicable.
Course curriculum
1) Introduction to pragmastylistics
2) Linguistic means of communication
3) Extralinguistic means of communication
4) Functional styles, specific discourse in science and technology, popular-scientific style
5) Objectivity, subjectivity, formality, informality
6) The Cooperative Principle
7) Communication agreement
8) Structure and analysis of scientific technical text
9) Genres typical of English for Specific Purposes
10) Producer´s approaches to discourse production
11) Speech acts in spoken and written discourse
12) The Politeness Principle
13) Revision
4) O
Aims
The aim of the course is to get familiar with the style and other features typical of electrotechnical texts, to master the analysis and comprehension of technical texts (both popular scientific and scientific) with the possibility of making use of the knowledge when creating one´s own scientific text in English.
Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences
The content and forms of instruction in the evaluated course are specified by a regulation issued by the lecturer responsible for the course and updated for every academic year.
Type of course unit
eLearning
eLearning: currently opened course