Task 1: Engineering team meeting & Written feasibility report
In this task you’ll learn brainstorm, analyse pros & cons (DAFO) to assess the feasibility of an idea, write the feasibility report and present your idea at an informal departmental team meeting.
Activity 1 – Brainstorming for ideas on innovative products
Activity 2 – Carrying out market research
Activity 3 – Becoming familiar with a team meeting
Activity 4 – The language of comparison and contrast
Activity 5 – Writing a paragraph as an overview of alternatives
Activity 6 – Becoming familiar with a feasibility report
Activity 7 – Writing a short version of a report section
REAL-LIFE TASK: Participating in an engineering team meeting to discuss product proposals and writing a feasibility report (VR)
Learning objectives for task 1:
SKILLS
READING
– B1. I can read through longer texts in my field to gather information and opinion from different texts in order to complete a specific task.[1]
– B1. I can identify the different sections of specialized articles: abstract, introduction, methods, discussion, conclusions, acknowledgements and references; and recognize key information within each section.
– B1. I can identify different types of reports and their purpose, within my fields of interest.
– B2. I can adapt my style and speed of reading to different texts and purposes and consult appropriate reference sources selectively.
– B2. I can understand articles on specialized topics of my interest occasionally using a dictionary and other reference sources to check specific vocabulary.
– B2. I can extract the information in the different sections of a report within my own field, if I can reread difficult sections and consult the dictionary.
– B2. I can understand a fairly wide range of specific and more complex texts, with the occasional use of a dictionary, if I can re-read difficult sections.
WRITING
– B2. I can write a report evaluating different ideas or solutions to a problem, using polite, academic language with occasional errors.
– B2. I can plan, review and check my pieces of writing with the help of a dictionary and other reference sources.
– B2. I can write clear and detailed texts such as short essays, reports and texts of presentations on topics related to my fields of interest, varying my vocabulary and style according to the kind of text.
LISTENING
– B1. I can understand the information content of the majority of recorded or broadcast audio material on topics of scientific or professional interest delivered in clear standard speech.
– B1. can understand the main points of a discussion on topics related to my field (e.g., in a seminar, at a round table, or during a television discussion), if the participants use clear standard language
– B2: I can use a variety of strategies to achieve comprehension, including listening for main points and using contextual clues.
SPEAKING AND INTERACTION
– B1. I can show agreement or disagreement about what has been said, politely.
– B2. I can initiate, maintain and end discourse naturally with effective turn-taking.
– B2. I can work in a team exchanging detailed factual information and opinion on matters within my field of interest
LANGUAGE
· Vocabulary: word building relative to product development and to Research & Development;
· Grammar and discourse: Passive voice in formal descriptions of product; informal/ formal phrases in meetings
· Pronunciation: Sentence stress and intonation in discussions. Usual mispronunciations among students.
GENRES: informal meetings (as opposed to formal ones), feasibility report.
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE (IC): raising awareness about the different behaviors expected across cultures in terms of participation (different nationalities in team meetings, team meetings held through Skype in different countries); coping with times (different time zones) hedging when disagreeing; levels of formality
Virtual Reality activity: Informal team meeting
[1] The descriptors are based on the ACPEL (Academic and Professional English Language Portfolio) developed for engineering students. Source: https://www.etsist.upm.es/uploaded/110/Banco%20de%20descriptores.pdf