English (UNICERT ? advanced prep. course 1)

Course guarantor:

Sandra Giormani

Lecturer:

Tutor:

Sandra Giormani, Kateřina Konečná, Raquel Nogueira Rizzotto Falcäo

Supervisor:

Department of Languages

Synopsis:

CERTIFIED ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSES

UNIcert® Certificate

- English for Civil Engineers and Architects, UNIcert® III (level C1)

General information

- Enhance language skills useful for professional employment

- Focus on skills: scientific writing, presentation skills, reading comprehension and Use of English

- Current professional topics in the world of civil engineering

- After completing the two-semester course, it is possible to apply for the C1 level certified exam

The C1 level course is suitable for:

- PhD students and students already in the Bachelor's degree programme

- students who are going on a internship abroad

- future researchers

- prospective employees of foreign construction companies

- if you want to deepen and improve your professional English, you can take only one semester without taking the certificate

Requirements:

necessary B2+ language level in English

Syllabus of lectures:

This course is not a lecture but practical session:

Course code: 104XA1T

Duration: 4 hours / 1 semester

For more information see Outline and Syllabus of Exercises

Syllabus of tutorials:

UNICERT II Syllabus WINTER

This course consists of 3 parts:

1- Introduction to academic English and grammar

2- Presentation skills

3- Introduction to professional English for architects and CE

1-Introduction to academic English and grammar

0)Placement; Introduction to presentation skills; overview of the principles of academic English

1)Placement test correction; Introduction to presentation skills; overview of the principles of academic English

GR Placement test correction; basic principle of presentation skills; making a presentation: vocabulary

AE the specifics of academic English (U1);

SELF-STUDY Key nouns (U2)

SPEAKING SKILLS: presentations: brainstorm questions; making a presentation (video)

2)The basics of formal and informal language 1+2

GR nominalization; using It; There and I, we, you, one; formal verbs, nouns, adjectives; other formal phrases and structures; Being formal review (challenge yourself)

AE - Academic writing 1 Academic vocabulary + IELTS vocabulary sets Academic writing 2 Paragraphs + Organising your writing (U39)

SELF-STUDY Key verbs (U3)

Listening: the properties of materials (Mr G)

SPEAKING SKILLS: individual students presentations

3)The language of argumentation and persuasion 1

GR Scope; thesis statement; presenting , supporting arguments and counterarguments ; expressing advantages and disadvantages; conclusions and recommendations

AE Academic writing 3 Writing assignments + Sources (U23)

SELF-STUDY Key adjective (U4)

SPEAKING SKILLS: individual students presentations

4)The language of argumentation and persuasion2

GR the language of argumentation review (challenge yourself)

AE Academic writing 4 Argumentation + Facts, evidence and data (U24)

SELF-STUDY Key adverbs (U5)

SPEAKING SKILLS: individual students presentations

5)Tense review 1

GR present; past

AE Academic writing 5 Citation skills + reporting what others say (U32)

SELF-STUDY Phrasal verbs in AE (U6)

SPEAKING SKILLS: individual students presentations

6)Tense review 2

GR future; review

AE Verbs and the words they combine with (U12)

Listening, speaking: Phrases that express speculation/hypothesis

SPEAKING SKILLS: individual students presentations

7)Comparing and contrasting

GR comparative and superlative adj/adv; comparisons; modifying adj/adv; expressing similarity and contrast;

AE Key quantifying expressions (U7)

SELF-STUDY Words with several meanings (U8)

Listening, speaking: What are the differences and similarities between architects and civil engineers?

SPEAKING SKILLS: individual students presentations

8)Noun phrases 1

GR articles and quantifiers

AE Academic writing 6 Essay writing + nouns and the words they combine with (U10)

SELF-STUDY Adjective and noun combinations (U11)

SPEAKING SKILLS: individual students presentations

9) Noun phrases 2

GR ADJ+nouns; noun+noun; noun+prep. Phrases; noun+ noun clauses

AE nouns and prepositions (U15)

SELF-STUDY Prepositional phrases (U13)

Listening, vocab, written assignment: tackling environmental issues

SPEAKING SKILLS: individual students presentations

10)Stating facts and opinions

GR facts and figures and giving others´/own opinions

AE statistics (U26)

SELF-STUDY Fixed expressions (U16)

Listening, speaking: Comparing thermosets and thermoplastics

SPEAKING SKILLS: individual students presentations

11) Stating facts and opinions

GR facts and figures and giving opinions

AE graphs and diagrams (U27)

SELF-STUDY Verbs and prepositions (U14)

Paragraph matching; gap fill Design

SPEAKING SKILLS: individual students presentations

2 and 3 - Presentation skills and

Introduction to professional English

2- Presentation skills and introduction to professional English

A)Sustainable Architecture and Engineering

1)Architecture and Indoor Environment

Indoor environment quality current problems & possible solutions

Residential buildings sustainable design principles & examples

2) Renewable Sources of Energy and Alternative Materials

Renewable and alternative sources of energy

Off-grid houses principles, solutions & examples

Building materials in terms of sustainability alternative and green materials

3) Building Services

Water management in buildings current approaches and possibilities

Smart solutions & technologies possibilities & examples

4) Urban Design

Smart cities principles & examples

Urban planning - heat islands, greenery and water management

Brownfields redevelopment

B)Civil Engineering - Structures and Technology

5) Transportation Engineering

Transportation Infrastructure roads, railways, bridges, harbours, airports

Use of concrete and steel in transportation engineering

Reconstruction and maintenance of road and railway Structures

6) Hydraulic and Offshore Structures

Dams and reservoirs architecture, structure, materials

Offshore structures issues and examples (oil rigs, artificial islands, etc.)

7) Technologies and Innovations

High rise buildings structures, materials & construction process

Innovative materials & technologies - 3D & 4D printing, permeable concrete, biomimetics etc.

C)Development of Architecture and Civil Engineering

8) History of Architecture

History of masonry structures

Most influential buildings of 19th & 20th century in terms of architectural and structural development

9) Restoration and Maintenance of Historical Buildings

Historical buildings in the Czech Republic renovation & maintenance, refurbishment & retrofitting

10) Modern Technologies and Approaches

Building information modelling (BIM)

Virtual reality and laser scanning in civil engineering

13)Into the Future

Space architecture space stations and space hotels, a long-term stay in space influence on human body

Mars and Moon colonies outer worlds colonisation related problems, architectural conceptions

Study Objective:

The aim of the course is to consolidate all the necessary skills in both academic and professional language at C1 level; to promote students' ability to use the acquired knowledge in practice

Study materials:

Bibliography:

Specific resources in the area of Civil engineering and Architecture

YULE, G., Oxford Practice Grammar Advanced, OUP 2015

PATERSON K., WEDGE R., Oxford Grammar for EAP, OUP 2017

CHAZAL de E., MOORE, J., Oxford EAP (Advanced), OUP 2017

IBBOTSON, M., Cambridge English for Engineering, CUP 2009

IBBOTSON, M., Professional English in Use, CUP 2009

M. MCCARTHY, F. O´DELL: Academic Vocabulary in Use, CUP, 2007

Note:

Further information:

https://departments.fsv.cvut.cz/k104/index.php/certifikat-unicert/

Time-table for winter semester 2024/2025:

Time-table is not available yet

Time-table for summer semester 2024/2025:

Time-table is not available yet

The course is a part of the following study plans: