40} Business English tec tai Elementary Teacher’s Book Vicki Hollett OXFORD Contents Introduction Unit1 Unit2 12 Unit3 15 Review and Remember1 18 Unit4 19 Unit5 23 Unit6 27 Review and Remember2 30 Unit7 31 Units 35 Unit9 38 Review and Remember3 41 Unit 10 42 Unit 11 45 Unit 12 48 Review and Remember4 52 Unit 13 53 Unit 14 56 Unit 15 s9 Review and Remember5 62 Unit 16 Unit 17 68 Unit 18 71 Review and Remember6 74 Unit 19 75 Unit 20 78 Unit21 81 Review and Remember7 85 Appendix1 Working with Tech Talk 87 Appendix 2 Games and activities for changing the pace 90 Introduction English at school, or who have already taken a Who is Tech Talk for? basic general English course, will find the Tech Talk is a course for people who need both technical contexts and vocabulary add a new general English and English for technical jobs. It practical dimension to their English. is suitable for technicians, engineers, and scientists working in a wide variety of technical fields, for example, light and heavy engineering, The approach construction, IT (information technology), materials engineering, chemical engineering, Tech Talk Elementary has been designed to meet and pharmaceuticals. Typical users might be the needs of both learners and teachers.
Whilst engaged in production, planning, maintenance, it includes technical language at an elementary purchasing, testing, laboratory work, project language level, it also assumes that English work, and quality issues. teachers may have little specialist knowledge or direct experience of science and technology. Several elements in particular have shaped its The course approach. The main emphasis throughout Tech Talk is on Making meanings clear New vocabulary is introduced in context and extensive use is developing speaking and listening skills.
made of illustrations to promote understanding. Another important skill area is reading and understanding technical documentation and Employing authentic content Many real emails. products and processes have been included to Tech Talk Elementary is designed for groups of promote technical credibility. elementary level learners and it can be used in Drawing on the students’ creativity The two ways.
students are encouraged to contribute their own * From start to finish It takes approximately ideas in many activities, and thus contribute to 65-70 hours to complete the course from the course content. beginning to end. It assumes users have at Fostering a positive learning atmosphere The least a false-beginner level at the start, and focus in the course is on activities and games the book progresses fairly speedily. New which involve a lot of student-to-student language is introduced systematically and interaction, facilitating thorough practice and recycled at regular intervals, so using the developing a positive group dynamic.
book from start to finish will provide learners with a sense of progression and ensure regular review. * Asa dip-in resource Each unit and each The syllabus section of the course is free-standing, so Our goal is to provide learners with the sections can be selected and used out of language they need for early practical sequence according to the needs of communication. Teachers familiar with other particular students. Using the book in this elementary level English courses will find the way will enable teachers to cater to very Tech Talk Elementary syllabus covers many particular student needs and interests.
similar basic language points. However, the technical nature of the course means there are Tech Talk Elementary can also be used as a some key differences. Learners who had a little. nroduction 1 The language of instructions receives particular emphasis, to better prepare Course components learners for understanding and explaining Tech Talk Elementary consists of the following work tasks, and also for reading instructional components.
materials such as manuals. Student’s Book This is the core book that 2. Similarly, the language of numbers and students will need for class work. See below for measurement receives substantial attention information on its structure and features.
3 Technical communication tasks have driven Teacher's Book This provides a range of the syllabus, and consequently some suggestions for exploiting the course materials linguistic forms that might have been left effectively. It acts as a guide through the until a later stage in a general or business exercises and offers optional ideas for English course have been covered early. It provides extra guidance good example is the dropping of the -s in for teachers who are new to teaching technical adjectival expressions of quantity, e. four English, and some ideas that we hope will be metres, but a four-metre ladder.
stimulating for experienced technical English teachers too. 4 The same thing applies to technical vocabulary, and the course includes many For practical ideas about working with Tech Talk, words that would not normally be included there is an appendix at the back of this book on in an elementary level general English page 87. For example, verbs such as raise, There is also an appendix of games and rotate, and loosen, and adjectives such as activities at the back of this book on page 90 rusty, chipped, and bent have been included. that can be used to supplement the activities in Similarly you will find separable phrasal the teaching notes.
verbs such as turn it on and lift it up. Workbook This contains additional language The needs of the technical learner have practice activities along with answers. It is an influenced the syllabus design in other key excellent source of self-study work and review ways too. materials that learners can complete in their © Whilst learners using Tech Talk Elementary own time.
It can provide further practice during will need English primarily to operate in the the course, or can be used for review when the workplace, we expect their needs to extend course is completed. It can also be used as a beyond just these contexts. The syllabus also source of additional classroom exercises. includes what might best be termed Recordings Recordings of all the listening ‘survival’ language, such as basic language materials in Tech Talk Elementary are available for travelling, buying food, and asking for in either audio cassette or audio CD form.
* We expect that many learners will need to The Student's Book communicate with non-native speakers as The Student’s Book has 21 four-page units and well as native speakers of English.To prepare each unit takes approximately three hours of classroom time to complete. Each unit is students for this, the recordings contain a subdivided into two, three, or four free-standing variety of non-native and native speaker sections according to the language points accents. * Tech Talk Elementary focusses on language that is acceptable in both British and Key language points are presented in the form American English so that learners have the of a listening or reading text. The material is flexibility to cope with different varieties of generally exploited in the following way.
When new items of vocabulary are 1 Listening or reading for contentA task-based introduced which differ in British and activity helps the students to pick out American, they are glossed on the page they specific points of information from the text. There is also a British-American 2. Listening or reading for language The focus glossary on page 115 of the Student's Book. shifts to vocabulary or forms of the language Introduction and students pick out specific words and phrases.
Further practice This is performed in many technical Eng h different ways, including drill-type activities, information gap activities, and games. Many Technical terminology of the practice activities involve pair or small Tech Talk Elementary aims to provide vocabulary group interaction to maximize the amount that will be useful across groups of learners of practice learners receive. working in a variety of different technical contexts. Review and Remember In addition to the 21 standard units, there are It assumes that individuals will meet also seven Review and Remember sections.
They specialized terms during their work that they follow every third coursebook unit. These will need to learn on their own, outside this sections generally take around an hour to course, Every area of science and technology complete and they revisit and consolidate some contains a large number of specialized terms. key language from earlier units, and introduce a For example, someone working on aircraft skin little more vocabulary, providing opportunities damage might need to know words such as for review and extension. They also prompt a pitting, faying, pillowing, exfoliation, etc.
However, change of pace because, although they still these terms may be of no interest to a person involve interaction, they also involve more working on an aero-engine on the next bench solitary ‘thinking’ work. who needs to know another completely different set of terms. Therefore Tech Talk Other features Elementary does not attempt to include There are a number of additional features at the specialized technical terms. back of the Student's Book, and you may wish to draw your students’ attention to them at the As well as having differing needs, learners may start of the course.
have different expectations as to what words they will learn on their course and this will Information file (pages 102-114) Additional probably need explanation and class discussion information for pairwork activities and early on. You should be ready to make the suggested answers to some exercises. Directions rationale clear. This explanation can be done for when to use each file appear at the either in English or the learners’ mother tongue.
appropriate point in the Student’s Book. Metric-imperial conversions (page 115) Quick One approach is to collect together some conversion tables. The book contains a variety technical words that your students need for of both metric and imperial measurements. Write them on the board or on slips British English / American English glossary of paper, then ask the students to brainstorm (page 115) A list of terms in Tech Talk more and group them as to whether they are: Elementary that differ in British and American * specialized technical terms - words English.
specialists need; Numbers (page 116) Information on how we say * general technical terms - words lots of and write different numbers (cardinal numbers, technicians and engineers need. ordinals, decimals, fractions, and prices). Point out that actually there is another group of Irregular verbs (page 117) A reference list of words that they need for their job that are not irregular Simple Past forms. Many of the most particularly technical at all.
common verbs in English are irregular. Listening script (pages 118-127) A numbered Then construct a diagram with circles, showing script of all the listening materials. overlaps if appropriate. Explain that you will be focussing on useful general words and general technical terms ~ not the specialized terms.
* Whilst precision is appreciated, ambiguity is not. Unless it impinges on accuracy, ‘exfoliation erythropoietin wherever possible, yes or no answers should cardio-puimonary resuscitation be favoured over maybes. amplitude On a related but personal note, as I switched fying from business to technical English to write this piloving book, I embarked on a steep technical learning bydraulie curve. I’m delighted to report that it was a picting wonderful experience.
Not only did the solder technical content matter turn out to be hugely ‘output klegram interesting to work with, but in my experience, electromagnetic gauge rotate the technical English learner brings cyinder antenna horizontal unsurpassed creativity and good humour to the General technical classroom. We had huge fun developing and ‘terms piloting these materials, and earnestly hope other users experience the same enjoyment. A technical approach to language Be aware that teaching technical English students can be rather different from teaching business or general English students. Obviously every learner brings their own individual personality to the learning process, so generalizations are dangerous.
But during our research for this book sufficient teachers (and students) mentioned the points below for us to feel they are worthy of mention here. * Practical problem-solving tasks are appreciated over tasks that involve sharing experiences or developing social relationships.