Engineering graduates require an ever-increasing range of skills to maintain relevance with the global environment of the new millennium. Communication skills are a vital component of this, recognized by academia and industry alike. English language skills are also important given its wide spread status across the globe as a lingua franca. Indeed, multilingual skills are considered a salient element in the make-up of the new global engineer. English for specific purposes focuses the learner’s attention on the particular terminology and communication skills required in the international professional field. Communication skills are an essential component in the education of engineering students to facilitate not just students’ education but also …show more content…
Engineering communication skills basically constitute several core elements such as the fluency in the English language and the fundamentals of visual communication. Evidence indicates that communication skills are what helped Homo sapiens evolve beyond our related ancestors, and that these skills have helped humankind develop into the advanced societies on Earth today. However, these skills have become stifled in the very discipline that has brought so many engineering advancements.
There is ample evidence that graduate engineers lack the required standard of communication skills, particularly when compared to the needs of industry internationally. This can also be determined when considering related disciplines offered at universities and professional colleges (eg engineering & business). This is so much so that the Dean of Engineering at Duke University stated that engineers who are adept at communications have a considerable advantage over those who are not. Furthermore, this lack of communication skills only serves to undermine the whole profile of the professional
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A course in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) will enhance English language training and an engineering student’s communication skills. It will also aid in the globalisation of education and the internationalisation of practicing engineers. The concept of ESP achieves more in the education of engineering student s by focusing the learner’s attention on the particular terminology and communication skills required in the professional field. While English is currently a prime language in facilitating communication between international cultures, particularly intercontinental, the increasing growth of regional languages indicates that native English speakers need to learn additional and communication skills, preferably in at least one of the regional tongues. In this case, monolingualism is likely to be an impediment for future graduate engineers in a world where intraregional connections provide stepping stones to facilitating
Basic foreign language skills are important in communicating with people. With new technologies, we can communicate with people who do not speak English. In recent years, the number of people in the United States who do not speak English has also risen. Also, only ten percent of the world's population speaks English. Although one year of a foreign language will not allow students to...
Giving international students a permit to work-off campus offers them a chance to interact with residents at work place where interaction is very essential. This gives the students a chance to develop their communication skills because they get a chance to talk and improve on their English language. It is observed that most of the students shy away from speaking with the residents due to fear of displaying their accent while communicating which may sound funny at times. Developing communication skills especially in English language which is very diverse Worldwide and is the language used while teaching in class helps the students so much. Research reveals that most of the students are from English-speaking countries, which makes it an added advantage. It helps build confidence in speaking and a good command in writing, these skills are important when applying for jobs and writing curriculum vitas.
A world-class engineering student, also known as an “expert learner,” is characterized by taking charge of their learning process, being active in their approach to learning, being motivated and disciplined as well as setting specific goals for themself. Becoming a world-class engineering student is a process that takes time and diligence. In order to become a world-class engineering student, I will have to identify where I stand currently in terms of goal setting, community building, academic development and personal development, where a world-class engineering student would be in each of those areas, and what I have to do in order to become a world-class engineering student.
Regardless of the career choice, today’s organizations are looking for people in the workforce who can write, listen, persuade others, and demonstrate good interpersonal communication skills and technical knowledge. Business leaders suggest taking a basic course in communication as the first step in making perspective personnel more marketable. Skills needed for the workforce in the 21st century include techniques to communicate technical information clearly and simply to non-technical people. Communication skills are practical for easy understanding. These explanation skills are essential for the concise communication of the workforce’s areas of expertise, which is practical for understanding, and valued as a needed ability by industry to willingly contribute information to other team members. Employees are looking for people who display the right attitude, along with these technical skills and who exercise these skills with effectiveness.
These qualities are the ability to solve problems, good communication skills, and general knowledge. The ability to solve problems is crucial to the engineering process. This quality is linked jointly with both knowledge and communication. Knowledge is definitely needed to solve problems and communicating ideas with others is essential. Communication skills are needed in nearly every aspect of this occupation.
Communication can be defined as the transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver in an understandable manner (Sanchez, N, 2009). An example of communication in healthcare is between clinical professionals and staff, patients and their relatives or carers, professionals doctors, occupational therapists, social workers, midwives, physiotherapists and administration staff (Darley, 2002). For their communication to be effective, each of them needs to put the responsibility for clear communication on himself (Healthcare Benchmarks & Quality Improvement 2009) which means that each of them should endeavour to send clear messages and to receive messages with as little distortion as possible (Mind Tools Ltd, 2009).
In my life as a student I believe that success, as an engineer in this day and age, requires technical competence and a combination of leadership, communication, and management. I am fortunate that I have gained much of these skills when I was elected and duly appointed as one of the Student's Representative Council (SRC) members in my high school. Being a leader, I have learned and trained myself the importance to have a good discipline, communication and managing skills. With that good foundation at high school I hope to reach academic excellence, leadership and a deeper understanding of the world in which I live when I experience university life through dedication, maximum effort, and hard work and eventually participating and contributing towards university’s strategic plan of global excellence education. Therefore, with the commitment that I put on the university I hope it will cultivate the university diverse and inclusive community.
Effective communication is essential when working with a client. There are many ways a communication can go wrong. Good communication is a major component of collaboration and collaborating with the client is what a professional should be working towards. The purpose of this discussion is to demonstrate effective communication using one scenario. The scenario, in this case, is as follows:
During the course of this semester; the variety of writing styles and essays assigned to me in my communication skills class encouraged the development of my writing skills, as well as provided me with more self-assurance in my abilities. My writing, research, and presentation abilities enhanced through practice, determination, and the understanding I gained during this course. With every single writing assignment, I learned new innovative approaches and skills, which enhanced my abilities to improve my thoughts logically, enabling me to write more clearly, and to organize my papers more effectively. At the beginning of this semester; despite the fact that I already knew the terminology MAP: message, audience, purpose; I never really understood the significance of MAP. For this reason, my writing lacked clarity, organization, and my writings appeared less focused on the topics. As a result my research papers and essays did not flow as smoothly from one passage to the next. Furthermore, I was unaccustomed with the precise procedures used when writing an essay. For instance, my previous classes before college, although requiring a reference page, did not require me to include proper citations in my writings. After evaluating the quality of my writing toward the end of the semester, I recognized vast improvements in several areas of my writing. By concentrating on the beginning stages of my writings, I could distinguish ahead of time my audience and my message. As a result, my essays are clear, and I remain on topic. In addition to that using transition phrases efficiently also helps my writing to flow smoothly. The proper use of transitions makes my writings easy to follow from one topic to the next. I also learned that pre-writing...
English is the common thread that binds people in this industry. But many people from different cultural background are not exposed to the language. As a result, language training is required for efficient and smooth working of the industry. National pride and cultural barriers should be overcome and that too quickly.
Good communication is an essential skill to have in engineering and it is the key to success in life. There are many types of communication used within the engineering business. Most of them are either verbal or non-verbal. Oral and written communication is a type of verbal communication that is always used in the engineering business.
Obstacles had never been obstructing my effort to succeed in life. As an engineer to be, it is important to me to be prepared for the hurdles in the real world. The world nowadays needs a person who could compete and has great abilities to stand on the same level as others. Multiple skills and critical opinion of an issue are essential for an engineer to jump into this challenging career. For me, a strategic planning and full preparation need to achieve the aim of being an expert engineer.
From the past to nowadays, the way of communication can affect a people life seriously. The communication skill of a person may bring his career to a success or a failure. In this world, unless you have become the world last human-being, good communication skill is required for us to achieve a better life and even a better world. Therefore, communication skill is very important for one’s future.
Communication is one of the most important factors in our lives. It dictates the relationships formed with the individuals in personal and professional lives. Effective communication provides a foundation for trust and respect to grow. It also helps better understand a person and the context of the conversation. Individuals often believe that their communication skills are much better than what they actually are. Communication appears effortless; however, much of what two people discuss gets misunderstood, thus leading to conflicts and distress. To communicate effectively, one must understand the emotion behind the information being said. Knowing how to communicate effectively can improve relationships one has at home, work and in social affairs. Understanding communication skills such as; listening, non-verbal communication and managing stress can help better the relationships one has with others.
...), 2012. Principles and Practices of Teaching English as an International language. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.