Notes on the article

Dear collegues,

Recently I have read a very interesting article on the site http://www.study.ru . It is about English. I have been surprised by fresh views on the language given by its author Ilya Radchenko in May 2008. Below you will find my notes in English (the original article is written in Russian) concerning the author´s opinions with which I absolutely agree. They remind me my student´s Petr MIK remarks (see Students´ opinion (6)).

G. Vitkova

Common mistakes about studying English

Notes to the original article by Ilya Radchenko Распространенные заблуждения об английском языке

Nowadays English is the most widespread language on the Earth. It is the main communication language for people from different countries. The Internet, business, science and engineering/technologies – in all these areas you need English for successful work.

Sometimes it seems everybody is able to master English. Is English really such an easy language? Is it difficult to master English? What complicacies really exist in studying this language? And what complicacies do we fabricate ourselves?

So, when studying any European language, we as a rule pay paramount attention to grammar. And it is quite right, the grammar is a framework of each language. From the grammar point of view English is one of the simplest and logical European language. It could be considered an analytical language since it does not practically have personal endings.

Lack of personal endings in English is compensated by a quite large system of grammar tenses. Many beginners in English consider the tenses the main language barrier, which can´t be exceeded, so they stop studying English. In point of fact, the system of English tenses is legible and reasonable enough. Even if the tenses are an alphabet of the English grammar, they represent about 20 % of it.

Prepositions and articles pose another difficulties in studying English. The numerous prepositions with many functional shifts are of great importance in English. They remarkably influence lexical meaning of the text. Articles in English have important functions. They indicate singular/plural, gender or (in)definiteness of a matter. On the one hand in comparison with other European languages a number of articles in English is least of all. On the other hand the articles express (in)definiteness of an object that is obscure for us, Slavonic native speakers. Moreover, the rules regulating the article usage are innumerable with many exceptions. That is why articles can be considered a difficult part of the English grammar.

The opinion about relative scantiness belongs to another common mistakes. In fact, plenty of synonyms in English can be placed among complicacies of the language. Synonyms make evident the wealth of English. So, you may consider English easily studied. But if you do not study it seriously, you won´t master it. English may be even primitive in e-mails or SMSs, but it is ineffably beautiful when well-educated people speak it.

Students´ opinion (6)

Dear colleagues,

I would like you to pay attention to the next student´s opinion about technical English. In this essay the student emphasises limitedness of technical English. I don´t think technical English is low in expressing your professional ideas. It is only more standardised. What do you think?

Galina Vitkova

Technical English?

By Petr Mik

This is a strange title for the topic of an essay. And probably my ideas about this topic will be strange, too. I am expected to write that technical English is very interesting, but it is not true for me. The subject (content) of technical English is interesting and useful for me and everybody who is interested in similar things. But technical English has a poor structure and destroys the English language (in the Czech language the situation is similar). I must use the passive because it is often used and its using is common and normal in technical English. I work little with the rich English tenses store. In this regard I don’t like technical English. Nevertheless, I know that I will very often use this part of English in my branch and life too and its using will be necessary for me.

Second summer SKYPE conversation conference

By Galina Vitkova

The summer English conversation conferences are designated for those who want to express themselves more fluently and clearly in spoken technical English. The second such conversation conference was held on 16^th July 2008 via SKYPE. It started at 15:00 and finished at 15:40 of the Central Europe Time. All of participants were from the Czech Republic. In the course of the conference the significant topic applied to WWW was discussed. Before the conference the participants obtained detailed materials about main issues of the topic. Moreover, everybody additionally received layouts of presentations, which helped better comprehension of the topic. The audibility was sufficient for this once.

The next (third!) SKYPE conversation conference topic is

MICROPROCESSORS

The conversation will be held on 30^th July at 15:00 of the Central Europe Time.

Within the topic the following issues will be mainly discussed:

· Microprocessors – brief history

· Integrated circuits

· Typical usage of microprocessors

· Microprocessors and CPU

· Future of microprocessors

The conversation will run in actual technical English. Participating in our interactive SKYPE setting you will develop both fluency and accuracy of your English communication skills.

When preparing your contribution or comments, follow the recommendations in:

http://ctn.cvut.cz/pt/index.php?year=2008&idissue=66

http://ctn.cvut.cz/pt/index.php?year=2008&idissue=67 .

Register on the victe@volny.cz and receive all necessary data!

First summer SKYPE conversation conference

By Galina Vitkova

The conference took place a week ago, on 2^nd July 2008. Five participants joined via SKYPE at 15:00 and finished at 15:40 of Central Europe Time. All of participants were from the Czech Republic. The topic of the presentation was about Computer Architecture. The participants received prepared materials before the conference. In the course of the conference the speaker sent through SKYPE the additional material in the format of Power Point Digital Design and Computer Architecture by

Dr. Robert D. Kent. The material appeared to be absorbing, it looks like a glossary of technical English. Everybody, who is trying to comprehend basic matters connected with computers in English, could be recommended to study it. You can have it if you send your e-mail address to victe@volny.cz .

Unfortunately our first SKYPE conference was not successful. First of all we could not hear each other sufficiently well. Some of our number heard only every second word. Sometimes reverberation occurred. Moreover, the material Digital Design despite its high quality was too long and its sending and opening took too much time.

Nevertheless, the idea of live conversation through the Internet is productive and many people like it. Actually we will try to do away with equipment faults and shortcomings. Furthermore, we improve organizational conditions and preparedness. Thus the next

SKYPE conversation conference will be held on 16^th July at 15:00 of Central Europe Time. The topic is World Wide Web.

Your participation and brainwaves are welcomed!

Summer English Courses in Dubai

The courses will take place at the International Technology Education Center (ITEC) in the Knowledge Village, Dubai, United Arabian Emirates. Here is an offer from ITEC (sent by Carina Eva, Training Representative, ITEC). Pay special attention please to the business English class. It could be very useful as well for those who are interested in technical English for work.

CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH CLASS

COURSE DETAILS
Start Date:	Sunday, 13th July 2008
Timing:	6:00 – 8:00 PM
Days:	Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday
No. of Hours:	40 hours
Cost:	2000 AED

IELTS PREPARATION COURSE

COURSE DETAILS
Start Date:	Monday, 14th July 2008
Timing and Days:	6:00 – 8:00 PM every Monday and Wednesday 10:00 – 12:00 Saturday
No. of Hours:	50 hours
Cost:	2500 AED

TOEFL PREPARATION COURSE

COURSE DETAILS
Start Date:	Monday, 14th July 2008
Timing and Days:	6:00 – 8:00 PM every Monday and Wednesday 10:00 – 12:00 Saturday
No. of Hours:	50 hours
Cost:	2500 AED

BUSINESS ENGLISH CLASS

COURSE DETAILS
Start Date:	Monday, 4th August 2008
Timing and Days:	6:00 – 8:00 PM every Monday and Wednesday 10:00 – 12:00 Saturday
No. of Hours:	40 hours
Cost:	2000 AED

More details can be found on the site www.itec.ae.

Register on the site today for a free placement test!

Galina Vitkova

PS: Cost of learning is given in AED, Arabian dirhams. The exchange rate is:

1 AED = 4 Czech Crowns and 1 AED = 6 Rub. G. V.

Students´ opinion (5)

Dear colleagues,

We are continuing to publish the students´ opinion about technical English. At the same time I would like to attract your attention to the articles issued in the journal of the Czech Technical University “Pražská Technika”, numbers 1 and 2/2008:

http://ctn.cvut.cz/pt/index.php?year=2008&idissue=66

http://ctn.cvut.cz/pt/index.php?year=2008&idissue=67 .

The articles engage in the topic of giving a speech in English. Their recommendations are very insistent, at the moment especially for people who want to participate in our SKYPE conversation conferences.

The information is adapted from “Thomas N. Huckin and Leslie A. Olsen: Technical Writing and Professional Communication for Nonnative Speakers of English“ by Eva Poncová and Phillippa Denney, Fakulty of electrical engineering of the Czech Technical University.

All the best

Galina Vitkova

Why we need technical English

By Václav Blahout

Technical English is a special part of general English, which is used in technical practice. The main difference between general and technical English is in vocabulary, not in grammar. Technical English is a term for special manuals and a common computer language because not every computer can talk with a user in a language of his country. So we have to master technical English, which is a primary language in communication between a computer and a user.

Every specialist in the technical word urgently needs technical English because it’s a language of professionals. Now, it’s the time when we need English more and more in our practice to have better skills at working. Especially I need English to work with a software part of my computer and for communication with a small part of people at my school and of course for studying manuals of technical products like DVD, PC, TV etc. Naturally I need English in my work, too, because the most important devices communicate with users only in technical English. Manuals for worldwide equipment produced by companies like Siemens and others use also technical English.

Ma chief concern is improving my skills at technical English, making my technical vocabulary bigger and bigger and reading more and more technical topics to make my technical English good for myself.