So far, I have learnt that an interactive teaching/learning activity that will value my students’ interventions should focus on creating a scientific context that would stimulate the debates within my ESP seminars and lectures.
The textbook is a compilation based on the authentic texts adapted from websites and magazines (USA, UK, Canada) and is intended for civil engineering students. One of the aims of this project has been to develop materials both for testing the foreign language competence of civil engineers and for teaching them the language that they need to require for their professional certification.
I do not assume that my users will have an in-depth knowledge of civil engineering works. Therefore, the units have been devised to help students improve their knowledge and use of English in an engineering environment. Each unit covers vocabulary related to a certain topic area- ranging from basic civil engineering vocabulary to roads, architecture, bridges, types of foundations and so on- and is designed to reinforce and improve their communicative skills.
I have come to realize that the more realistic situations and contexts I will focus on, the more realistic my teaching materials and methods will become. My lectures are addressed to intermediate and upper intermediate students that already have basic knowledge of English grammar and, therefore, they are thematically centered on developing the reading, writing, speaking and listening/viewing abilities that they need in order to communicate in their studying field. In other words, the lectures aim to help them:
Increase their knowledge of technical English.
Discuss familiar things, key engineering concepts and principles.
Communicate with fellow students and engineers in other countries.
And, nevertheless, become more fluent and accurate in a wide range of technical fields.
Introduction/5
Chapter 1. Standard operating procedures of hand tools /9
Chapter 2. Tools and equipment used in civil Engineering/17
Chapter 3. Safety equipment. Safety at work/27
Chapter 4. Building materials/37
Chapter 5. Types of structure. Parts of a residence/ commercial building/ 47
Chapter 6. Site investigation and layout/ 58
Chapter 7. Cranes and rigging on a building site /69
Chapter 8. Excavation and types of foundations/ 80
Chapter 9. The building process: formwork, framing and mold/93
Chapter 10. Plans, sketches and blueprints/ 103
Chapter 11. Civil engineering careers/ 113
Chapter 12. Concrete works/124
Chapter 13. Steel, concrete and timber frames /135
Chapter 14. Insulation materials and methods /145
Chapter 15. Types of roofs/ 155
Chapter 16. Architecture/ 166
Chapter 17. Types of bridges/ 177
Chapter 18. Types of roads/ 188
Chapter 19. Types of pavements / 197
Chapter 20. Road and bridge maintenance/ 209
www.editurauniversitara.ro