Table of Contents

Lesson 1: The Basics

Reading
● scanning text in order to discover new vocabulary as an effective reading strategy
● extracting policies and procedures from a policy document efficiently by skimming
Listening
● choosing formal and informal language
● revealing credentials in conversation
Speaking
● using formal and informal language in developing relationships, continued
● creating introductions
● showcasing credentials in conversation
Writing
● writing complete sentences or “core” sentences
● using modifiers
Speech Practice
● practice speaking skills using vocabulary presented in the lesson
Test
• test your knowledge of concepts presented in the lesson

Lesson 2: Business Documents, Questions, and the Technical Pursuit

Reading
● interpreting business documents
● understanding yes/no questions
● increasing the complexity of technical language
Listening
● recognizing the meaning of questions in both standard and in contracted speech
● recognizing appropriate question format, including tag questions
● recognizing acceptable phrases for making, and responding to, questions of confirmation
Speaking
● making question formats and their social implications
Writing
● writing basic questions
Speech Practice
● practice speaking skills using vocabulary presented in the lesson
Test
• test your knowledge of concepts presented in the lesson

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Lesson 3: Engineering Concepts and Complexity
Reading
● engineering concepts
● acronyms
● restrictive adjective clauses
Listening
● Adjective clauses and acronyms
Speaking
● issues in comprehensibility
● functions of adjective clauses
Writing
● revisiting restrictive clauses and non-restrictive clauses
● Basic Sentence Formulas #1 and #2
Speech Practice
● practice speaking skills using vocabulary presented in the lesson
Test
• test your knowledge of concepts presented in the lesson

Lesson 4: The Future Tense for Technical Work

Writing
● writing future tense
Listening
● more on future tense
Speaking
● communicating with future tense
● creating contractions
Reading
● identifying sequence markers
● understanding known-to-new constructions
● Basic Sentence Formula #3
Speech Practice
● practice speaking skills using vocabulary presented in the lesson
Test
• test your knowledge of concepts presented in the lesson

Lesson 5: White Papers; Modifiers and Qualifiers

Reading
● white papers
● continued Basic Sentence Formula #3
● skimming
● describing technical components using modified nouns
Listening
● listening to nouns extended with several qualifiers in a lecture context
Speaking
● expanding sentences with qualifying phrases
Writing
● ordering of adjectives
● working with prepositional phrases
Speech Practice
● practice speaking skills using vocabulary presented in the lesson
Test
• test your knowledge of concepts presented in the lesson

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Lesson 6: Making Recommendations; Interpreting Data; Ethical Persuasion for Technical Projects
Reading
● reading a recommendation
● recognizing meaning of concession and redirection expressions
● recognizing phrases of data integration
Listening
● persuading with advocacy, concession and redirection
Speaking
● persuading with advocacy, concession, and redirection
Writing
● integrating data as part of the technical endeavor
Speech Practice
● practice speaking skills using vocabulary presented in the lesson
Test
• test your knowledge of concepts presented in the lesson

Lesson 7: Cause and Effect; Calls for Proposals

Listening
● understanding cause and effect statements
Reading
● identifying cause and effect
● reading Calls for Proposals
● reading proposals as engineering communication
Speaking
● understanding and reacting to cause-effect and hypothetical situations
Writing
● Basic Punctuation Formulas #4 and #5
● writing to expose cause and effect
Speech Practice
● practice speaking skills using vocabulary presented in the lesson
Test
• test your knowledge of concepts presented in the lesson

Lesson 8: Technical Complexity in Communication

Reading
● reading, parsing, and using technical content
● working with unfamiliar technical terms
Listening
● coping with technical details
● verification techniques
● restatements and paraphrases
Speaking
● using clarification and verification strategies
Writing
● writing and editing to meet requirements
● writing units of measurement properly
Speech Practice
● practice speaking skills using vocabulary presented in the lesson
Test
• test your knowledge of concepts presented in the lesson

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Lesson 9: Numbers, Plain English, Jargon, and Technical Terms
Reading
● working with numbers
● identifying technical terms, jargon, and buzzwords
Listening
● working with numbers
● hearing technical terms versus jargon
Speaking
● speaking for a review of work
● choosing words carefully
Writing
● finding solutions for complex writing using plain English (also known simplified English or Controlled English)
● using an organization’s style guide, if one is available--or understand how to standardize writing practices if no style
guide is available
● finessing the use of numbers and lists in writing
Speech Practice
● practice speaking skills using vocabulary presented in the lesson
Test
• test your knowledge of concepts presented in the lesson

Lesson 10: Active and Passive Structures

Listening
● appreciating uses of active and passive voice for focusing on the actor versus the result
● improving recognition of passive voice as a means for describing states and processes
● becoming more adept at identifying settings best associated with either active or passive voice
Speaking
● changing between active and passive constructions as needed for specific contexts
● using vocal pauses and pacing for strategic effect
Reading
● comprehending both desirable and undesirable functions of active and passive sentence constructions
● quickly identifying active versus passive voice sentence constructions
● analyzing the appropriateness of active versus passive sentences for different technical communication needs
Writing
● identifying active versus passive voice sentence constructions
● editing to eliminate the overuse of passives
● developing vertical lists that make sense for their context and purpose
Speech Practice
● practice speaking skills using vocabulary presented in the lesson
Test
• test your knowledge of concepts presented in the lesson

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Lesson 11: Organization Needs; Seeing the Big Picture; Negotiating
Listening
● comprehending terminology, tone, and other elements used in a video for public messaging
● recognizing language elements for negotiations in workplace hierarchies
● identifying language associated with social moves in hierarchies
Speaking
● employing techniques for negotiating social hierarchies in the workplace
● justifying thought processes and decisions with appropriate language
● using language to request, agree, disagree, redirect, and deflect
Reading
● interpreting organizational needs, expectations, and benchmarks in written materials
● understanding a written request for materials appropriate to job and/or project planning
● comprehending the organization’s “big picture” documents and their common contents and goals
Writing
● responding to management
● compound modifiers
Speech Practice
● practice speaking skills using vocabulary presented in the lesson
Test
• test your knowledge of concepts presented in the lesson

Lesson 12: Audience Needs and Assessment; Standards versus White Papers; Objectivity
Speaking
● adequately planning for a specific audience’s needs and expectations
● recognizing tools for creating audience engagement in a group meeting
● delivering a key message so as to create maximum impact
● anticipating and responding to audience questions
Reading
● deciphering how to read a standard versus a white paper
● identifying constructions of objectivity
Listening
● distinguishing main idea from subordinate ideas in an extended talk
● becoming aware of discourse markers as an aid to listening comprehension
● recognizing a speaker’s intent within portions of a talk
● recognizing appropriate ways to ask questions in a large-audience context
Writing
● strengthening written positions based on technical literature
● paragraphing with more confidence
● formatting data/reference tables
Speech Practice
● practice speaking skills using vocabulary presented in the lesson
Test
• test your knowledge of concepts presented in the lesson

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Lesson 13: Communicating within Expected Genres; Identifying Trustworthy Sources or Bias in Technical Work
Reading
● discerning differences between traditional informational patterns within work documents and research documents,
noting differences of purpose while harnessing the power of each;
● vetting relevant sources (addressing possible bias, as needed).
Writing
● writing and editing in English for more than one audience in a single message;
● inserting help for non-experts into written communication;
● negotiating between perspectives (person) when writing technical communication;
● using plain language when possible (recalling L9), understanding the compelling reasons to do so (being understood,
standardization, ease of translation).
Listening
● confirming understandings of important work developments by means of reported speech;
● anticipating communication challenges stemming from different company cultures and perspectives;
● recognizing speaker intentions and priorities in conference call settings.
Speaking
● recognizing communication challenges based on varying types of cultural differences: national, intra-company, and
inter-company;
● using techniques to bridge gaps of cultural miscommunication;
● using plain language and specificity to get the job done.
Speech Practice
● practice speaking skills using vocabulary presented in the lesson
Test
• test your knowledge of concepts presented in the lesson

Lesson 14: A Review of Major Course Takeaways

Reading: Compilation of Important Reading Strategies with Supporting Outside Resources
Listening: Compilation of Important Reading Strategies with Supporting Outside Resources
Speaking: Compilation of Important Reading Strategies with Supporting Outside Resources
Writing: Compilation of Important Reading Strategies with Supporting Outside Resources
Speech Practice
● practice speaking skills using vocabulary presented in the lesson

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