HS3151 Professional English - 1 Syllabus | Anna University

Course Objectives:

To improve the communicative competence of learners
To help learners use language effectively in academic /work contexts
To build on students’ English language skills by engaging them in listening, speaking and grammar learning activities that are relevant to authentic contexts.
To develop learners’ ability to read and write complex texts, summaries, articles, blogs, definitions, essays and user manuals.
To use language efficiently in expressing their opinions via various media.

Introduction to effective communication:

What is effective communication? (There are many interesting activities for this.)
Why is communication critical for excellence during study, research and work?
What are the seven C’s of effective communication?
What are key language skills?
What is effective listening? What does it involve?
What is effective speaking?
What does it mean to be an excellent reader? What should you be able to do?
What is effective writing?
How does one develop language and communication skills?
What does the course focus on? How are communication and language skills going to be enhanced during this course? What do you as a learner need to do to enhance your English language and communication skills to get the best out of this course?

UNIT 1

INTRODUCTION TO FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION

Listening - for general information-specific details- conversation: Introduction to classmates - Audio / video (formal & informal); Telephone conversation; Listening to voicemail & messages; Listening and filling a form

Speaking - Self Introduction; Introducing a friend; Conversation - politeness strategies; Telephone conversation; Leave a voicemail; Leave a message with another person; asking for information to fill details in a form.

Reading - Reading brochures (technical context), telephone messages / social media messages relevant to technical contexts and emails.

Writing - Writing emails / letters introducing oneself

Grammar - Present Tense (simple and progressive); Question types: Wh / Yes or No/ and Tags

Vocabulary - Synonyms; One word substitution; Abbreviations & Acronyms (as used in technical contexts).

UNIT 2

NARRATION AND SUMMATION

Listening - Listening to podcasts, anecdotes / stories / event narration; documentaries and

interviews with celebrities.

Speaking - Narrating personal experiences / events; Interviewing a celebrity; Reporting / and

summarizing documentaries / podcasts/ interviews.

Reading - Reading biographies, travelogues, newspaper reports, Excerpts from literature, and

travel & technical blogs.

Writing - Guided writing-- Paragraph writing Short Report on an event (field trip etc.)

Grammar –Past tense (simple); Subject-Verb Agreement; and Prepositions

Vocabulary - Word forms (prefixes & suffixes); Synonyms and Antonyms. Phrasal verbs.

UNIT 3

DESCRIPTION OF A PROCESS / PRODUCT

Listening - Listen to a product and process descriptions; a classroom lecture; and advertisements

about products.

Speaking – Picture description; giving instruction to use the product; Presenting a product; and

Summarizing a lecture.

Reading – Reading advertisements, gadget reviews; user manuals.

Writing - Writing definitions; instructions; and Product /Process description.

Grammar - Imperatives; Adjectives; Degrees of comparison; Present & Past Perfect Tenses.

Vocabulary - Compound Nouns, Homonyms; and Homophones, discourse markers (connectives & sequence words)

UNIT 4

CLASIFICATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Listening – Listening to TED Talks; Scientific lectures; and educational videos.

Speaking – Small Talk; Mini presentations and making recommendations.

Reading – Newspaper articles; Journal reports –and Non Verbal Communication (tables, pie charts etc,)

Writing – Note-making / Note-taking (*Study skills to be taught, not tested; Writing recommendations; Transferring information from non verbal (chart , graph etc, to verbal mode)

Grammar – Articles; Pronouns - Possessive & Relative pronouns.

Vocabulary - Collocations; Fixed / Semi fixed expressions.

UNIT 5

EXPRESION

Listening – Listening to debates/ discussions; different viewpoints on an issue; and panel

discussions.

Speaking –group discussions, Debates, and Expressing opinions through Simulations & Role play.

Reading – Reading editorials; and Opinion Blogs;

Writing – Essay Writing (Descriptive or narrative).

Grammar – Future Tenses, Punctuation; Negation (Statements & Questions); and Simple,

Compound & Complex Sentences.

Vocabulary - Cause & Effect Expressions – Content vs Function words.

COURSE OUTCOMES:

At the end of the course, learners will be able

To listen and comprehend complex academic texts
To read and infer the denotative and connotative meanings of technical texts
To write definitions, descriptions, narrations and essays on various topics
To speak fluently and accurately in formal and informal communicative contexts
To express their opinions effectively in both oral and written medium of communication

TEXT BOOKS:

English for Engineers & Technologists Orient Blackswan Private Ltd. Department of English, Anna University, (2020 edition)
English for Science & Technology Cambridge University Press, 2021.
Authored by Dr. Veena Selvam, Dr. Sujatha Priyadarshini, Dr. Deepa Mary Francis, Dr. KN. Shoba, and Dr. Lourdes Joevani, Department of English, Anna University.

REFERENCES:

Technical Communication – Principles And Practices By Meenakshi Raman & Sangeeta Sharma, Oxford Univ. Press, 2016, New Delhi.
A Course Book on Technical English By Lakshmi Narayanan, Scitech Publications (India) Pvt. Ltd.
English For Technical Communication (With CD) By Aysha Viswamohan, Mcgraw Hill Education, ISBN : 0070264244.
Effective Communication Skill, Kulbhusan Kumar, R S Salaria, Khanna Publishing House.
Learning to Communicate – Dr. V. Chellammal, Allied Publishing House, New Delhi,2003.

HS3151 Professional English - 1 Syllabus | Anna University | Code Venue