English for Practical Training of Engineering Students II

About the project

The partnership of the project entitled English for Practical Training of Mechanical Engineering Students in EU companies II consists of the sending organisation (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology) and the hosting organization (Faculty of Engineering, Ostfold University College, Norway).

The objective set for the partnership as a whole is a transfer of experience with engineering subjects taught in English and with preparation of overseas engineering students for their practical training in EU engineering companies, where professional English is required as a means of communication, between Norwergian teachers and the teachers (language trainers) from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, BUT. The objective of this organisation is to support - through the above project - the continuous education of language trainers in the area of engineering English so that these trainers would be able to prepare the FME students for practical training in EU companies not only in terms of their professional specialisation but also in terms of relevant language competences in professional (engineering) English. The exchange beneficiaries are language trainers from FME BUT whose objectives are to improve and up-date (through the above project) their professional engineering English, to acquire the experience in preparing students for development of independent oral presentations and written contributions in engineering English, and to share the experience with on-line methods used in teaching and learning of professional engineering English. These language trainers will use the experience acquired throughout the project for development of new study programmes that will be taught at FME BUT in English.

The project addresses the regional/sectoral need (engineering) to improve and up-date the practical training of language specialists who teach professional engineering English at FME BUT. At present, teaching of professional engineering English is not at the level that would equip the students with sufficient language competences enabling them to undergo their practical training in EU engineering companies in the manner that would correspond to their professional knowledge acquired at FME BUT. This is often caused by a lack of specialists who do not only master the appropriate engineering terminology but who can also give lectures in English and, first of all, teach the students how to prepare their own oral presentations and written contributions in engineering English. Only well prepared teachers - both in terms of professional knowledge and language competences - can prepare the students for how to successfully meet the tasks required by European engineering companies where English is the language of professional communication.

The two partner institutions will cooperate to prepare the project; the exchange of the three language trainers from FME BUT will be realised at the Ostfold University College, Norway. Additionally the participants will visit other Norwegian tertiary institutions - NTNU and Molde Universtity College.The project is planned for 9 months; 1 January 2006 - 1 September 2006. The exchange is planned for two weeks (17 May - 30 May 2006).