VI Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2014

Communication skills are an essential component in the education of engineering students to facilitate not just students’ education but also to prepare them for their future careers. In this article, the author discusses various important communication skills required of modern engineers, such as foreign language skills. Suggestions for communication skills development are made, including the posit that communication skills be integrated across the curriculum, rather than include it as a stand-alone subject in already packed engineering curricula, so as to reinforce student learning. Various potential areas for further research are also made [1; 5].

Introduction

Engineering graduates require an ever-increasing range of skills to maintain relevance with the global environment of the new millennium. Communication skills are a vital component of this, recognized by academia and industry alike. Such skills are essential for an engineer who aspires to carry out his/her professional practice in the global arena. Multilingual skills are considered a salient element in the make-up of the new global engineer. Yet there is ample evidence that graduate engineers lack the required standard of communication skills, particularly when compared to the needs of industry internationally. [2; 3].

Communication skills are a regular feature of an engineer’s job in industry; some graduates employed in industry have identified that education in communication skills needs to be improved given the demands encountered in industry [3]. Indeed, communication skills are considered to be a valuable career enhancer. Inadequate and ineffective communication skills reflect badly on the individual and the profession. An insufficient level of communication skills instruction in engineering education generally only serves to undermine the whole profile of the professional engineer.

It has been stated that communication skills should be fostered in engineering education ... because they are the qualities that employers look for ... [and] should be part of any tertiary education [4].. Communication is multifaceted and incorporates various elements, such as oral, written, listening, visual, intercultural, interdisciplinary, etc. These need to be considered when examining communication engineeringeducation.

English globalization and engineering

In this age of globalization, international projects are increasing, and cross-cultural communication and collaboration is rising; especially in the now international practice of engineering. English is accepted as the most widespread language in the world (the most widely spoken) [5]. The number of people who speak English with at least some degree of proficiency exceeds any other language [6]. This is important for engineering students as this indicates that English may be more useful internationally than almost any other language due to its spread.

English is cited as the …major language of international business, diplomacy,and science and the professions. English is the prime means for communication, and can often serve as the global language between two people from two different cultures where English is not the native tongue. For example, French engineers communicated with Egyptian engineers in English during the building of the Cairo subway [7].Some multinational firms with bases in continental Europe use English as the prime form of communication in the office. In this sense, multinational corporations can be seen to indirectly influence the educational policies in foreign lands by their value creation of particular languages through global economic power.

This also delivers a strategic advantage to those institutions in non-English speaking countries with effective English language instruction. European students, when recently surveyed, stated that they felt working in a foreign language was a necessary activity in an international career. The implications of this are apparent; the English language maintains extremely strong relevance now and in the future, particularly as a secondary language to facilitate communication between two cultures. Future engineers need also be aware of the potential for so-called cultural imperialism, which involves the systematic penetration and dominance of other nation’s communication and informational systems, and educational institutions [8]. This goes beyond language hegemony.

However, the importance of multilingualism for the global engineer is not confined to learning English.Multilingualism in an engineering course is increasingly focusing on regional communication skills, where the main languages from within that country’s regionare becoming just as important as learning English.

Communication issues

Four sources of weakness that can significantly impact on an engineer’s communication skills education were identified as:

• Students’ attitudes to communication;

• Insufficient course content;

• Deficient or inappropriate teaching methods;

• Lack of opportunity for engineering students to practice communication skills. [9].

English for Specific Purposes

While English is currently a prime language in facilitating communication between international cultures, particularly intercontinental, the increasing growth of regional languages indicates that native English speakers need to learn additional and communication skills, preferably in at least one of the regional tongues. In this case, monolingualism is likely to be an impediment for future graduate engineers in a world where intraregional connections provide stepping stones to facilitating globalization.

Graduate Feedback

A Melbourne report found that most graduates felt that they had gained analytical and problem-solving skills, subject-specific knowledge, research and improved decision-making abilities through their degrees. Yet despite this, much fewer felt that their graduate degree provided:

• Oral communication skills;

• Awareness of the social implications of their

discipline’s developments;

• Management skills;

• Understanding of other points of view and other

cultures;

• Confidence and competence to work in international environments. [10].

Notably, oral communication skills were considered very important in the graduates’ new work environments, but this was in the face of the low level of oral communication skills imparted during their studies. However, neglecting learning opportunities can engendera shallow level of understanding in the graduate if he/she does not see the broader picture. Communication skills teaching needs to go beyond the standard elements described above and incorporate reasoning

Foreign language skills

Jensen states that employers want: … a number of new competencies, with an emphasis on an increased ability to communicate … and good foreign language skills [11]. This is reinforced in Grünwald’s study of competences required by the engineer of tomorrow, which includes hard skills like good foreign language skills. He goes further claiming that cross disciplinary language skills are not sufficiently taught [12]. This indicates a lack of a direct fit between graduate skills and those required by industry.Engineers can relate the same theories of mathematics, of mechanics and technology, but the modern engineer must also be able to communicate effectively in a shared tongue.

This is especially important given that engineering projects are now planned an implemented across national and cultural borders.The USA has a resilient monolinguistic culture of instruction in English, which may well impact on that nation’s future competitive capacity internationally.There seems to be a similar culture in Australia where multilingual education is somewhat of an advantage, but is not compulsory. This differs to the compulsoryeducation in the English language education establishedin many mainland European schools. However, monolingual dominance is brought into question at a time when employers are demanding new competences, including communication and foreign language skills, and not just from engineering candidates in European nations [12].

Graddol found that regional languages will become increasingly important in the 21st Century. He identified the big languages to be Chinese (Mandarin), Hindu/Urdu, English, Spanish and Arabic, with the regional languages being Arabic, Malay, Chinese, English, Russian and Spanish [7]. The future scenario indicates the reduced prominence of English as an international language in favor of the regionalized language dominance of Chinese, Hindu/Urdu, Arabic and Spanish. Such a future would mean that students’and industry needs in English as a First Language (EFL) countries would be best served by fostering additional language skills so that engineering graduatescan operate across borders in an increasingly globalised and multinational industry and society.

As such, it is my opinion; this is an important issue that must be addressedin engineering curricula.Possible areas for further research in this areainclude the following:

• Identifying where and how second language skills can be fused in the already packed engineering curriculum;

• Fostering engineering students’ understanding of international linguistic diversity and the need for broader language skills given the increasing level of globalization;

• Identifying dominant regional second languages and how many engineering projects are developed in these linguistic areas;

• Cataloguing instances of international engineering projects and how communication was facilitated;

• Encouraging student exchanges with countries that have the dominant regional language as the main form of communication;

• Facilitating increased opportunities for foreign language immersion for students as a component of the curriculum (e.g. during semester breaks);

Conclusion

The prime language of Internet sites is becoming increasingly regionalized. Although English remains the dominant language with regard to Web content, it is interesting to note that the proportion of non-native English speaking online population has steadily increased and surpassed that of native English speakers. This has clear implications for engineering education. Language will no longer be the prime determinant for access to engineering education based on traditional European structures because large, previously under-represented communities will gain greater representation. Furthermore, this expanded access to the Internet builds a new dimension in theeducation process in this era of globalization: by combining language education with technology education. This also generates a greater element of regionalization as these large underrepresented groups in Asia and Africa demand the skills required to operate competitively in the world. However, language still remains a strong barrier.

List of references

1. Jensen, H.P., Strategic planning for the education process in the next century. Global J. of EngngEduc., 4, 1, 35-42 (2000).

2. Grünwald, N., Quo vadis German engineering education. Proc. 2nd Asia-Pacific Forum onEngng. and Technology Educ., Sydney, Australia, 371-374 (1999).

3. Keane, A. and Gibson, I.S., Communication trends in engineering firms: implications for undergraduate engineering courses. Inter. J. of Engng. Educ.,15, 2, 115-121 (1999).

4. Beder, S., Valuable skills learned from basket weaving. Engineers Australia, March, 46 (2000).

5. Kitao, K., Why do we teach English? The Internet TESL J., 2, 4, 1-3 (1996),http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/ (accessed 12.12.2013).

6. World Language, http://www.worldlanguage.com (accessed 22.12.2013).

7. El-Raghy, S., Quality engineering education: student skills and experiences. Global J. of Engng.Educ., 3, 1, 25-29 (1999).

8. Snow, N., Propaganda, Inc.: Selling America’sCulture to the World (2nd edn). New York: Seven Stories Press (2002).

9. Roulston, J.D. and Black, R.W., Educating engineers: what’s happening to communication?Proc. 4th Annual Convention and Conf. AustralasianAssoc. for Engng. Educ., Brisbane,Australia, 190-193 (1992).

10. Illing, D., Wanted: skills in communication. The Australian, 24 January, 23 (2001).

11. Jensen, H.P., Strategic planning for the education process in the next century. Global J. of EngngEduc., 4, 1, 35-42 (2000).

12. Grünwald, N., Quo vadis German engineering education. Proc. 2nd Asia-Pacific Forum onEngng. and Technology Educ., Sydney,Australia, 371-374 (1999).

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