English Course
OVERVIEW
The English course will provide participants with both general and technical English. They will be provided with
course books that are tailored to pre-intermediate level learners and will also benefit from materials that
UGRU language instructors have designed for UAE nationals. These are student-centred and designed to
maximise usage of target language in the classroom. Moreover, we have designed—and will continue to do so
throughout this and future courses—a series of materials that are bespoke to aviation manufacturing
environments with an emphasis on the usage of composite.
» Communicative language skills
In essence this entails raising the given participant’s level of general English to a level at which they will be
capable and confident in conversing in English with their mentors, peers and line managers. The emphasis
will therefore be on verbal competency but it will also cover the reading and writing of sector/industry
related instructions and memos.
» Technical English
Among other things, this will provide participants with a series of vocabulary lists (including phrases and
abbreviations and synonyms) that will be learnt per se and in contextually relevant situations. The proposed
themes are: Aviation; STRATA’s HSE; Materials; Metrology; Physics; Tools and STRATA jargon.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The course aims to provide foundation level students with the necessary level of English to (a) be able to
understand, actively participate in and successfully complete the other foundation level courses and (b) to be
confident/capable of understanding mentors and supervisors when on-the-job training starts.
PROPOSED ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK MECHANISMS
 Assessments: In addition to regular vocabulary tests we plan to carry out an initial sample assessment in
Week 1 and a final sample assessment in Week 14; this will provide a clear indication of the progress made
by each individual participant.
 Attendance
 Completion of extra-curricular tasks
 Participation
 Portfolio: Each participant will be responsible for compiling a portfolio of the work they produce and the
hand-outs that they are given during the course.
Proposed Course Assessment Structure
»
General and Technical English Test 1 (Tech. Vocab./Gap-fill; Listening, Reading and Short Written Responses)
25%
»
General and Technical English Test 2 (Tech. Vocab./Gap-fill; Listening, Reading and Short Written Responses)
25%
»
General and Technical English Test 3 (Tech. Vocab./Gap-fill; Listening, Reading and Short Written Responses)
25%
»
Homework and Portfolio (cumulative, i.e. 1% for each completed homework and 5% for a good portfolio)
15%
»
Attendance, Punctuality and Participation in Pair/Group Work activates
10%
*
Initial and Final Sample Assessments do not contribute to final grades
---
Page 1 of 5 | STRATA Foundation Program, English Course
SUGGESTED PREREQUISITES FOR PARTICIPANTS
 Punctuality
» Arriving on time at the beginning of the day
» Returning to the classroom on time after breaks
» Submitting homework by the deadlines set
 Active participation
» Attempting to complete all tasks set by the teacher
» Willingness to speak in the classroom (as part of joint and group presentations)
» To take part in role-play activities (key to communicative learning)
» Willingness to use computers and the internet
 Brining the following items each and every day (Fostering Responsibility)
» A4 Paper
» Pens, pencils a ruler, an eraser and a calculator
» The course book (etc.) that UAEU provides participants with
» A paper dictionary
BOOKS REQUIRED FOR THE COURSE
Technical English: Course Book Level 1
This course book is to be provided to participants by UGRU. It is designed specifically for students in technical
education. It covers the core language and skills that students need to communicate successfully in all
technical and industrial specialisations.
–
–
–
–
–
Technical concepts are clearly presented using motivating texts and clear illustrations.
Topics reflect the latest developments in technology and are relevant to student’s needs.
The course uses core language common to a range of specialisations.
Grammar is regularly practised and there is a comprehensive grammar summary section.
It has reading tasks, listening tasks, speaking tasks as well as vocabulary building tasks
Oxford Wordpower Dictionary for Arabic speakers of English (3rd Edition)
This is a highly successful dictionary for Arabic learners of English. This dictionary has clear English definitions
and Arabic translations to help build vocabulary and boost confidence.
COURSE OUTLINE
There will be 160 direct contact hours with a highly qualified and regionally experienced Native English
Speaker, over a proposed period of 14 weeks. The following is illustrative of the syllabus we plan to deliver.
Week 1
Initial Assessment: What do you know about STRATA?
»
Focus: In the first week the focus will be on participants getting to know one another and completing a number of
tasks based upon materials that introduce both STRATA and the airline/aviation industry in general terms.
»
Learning objectives: To foster a relaxed and productive learning environment; for students to have familiarised
themselves with the subject of aviation in the UAE; for students to complete a short assessment (Initial Sample) on the
Page 2 of 5 | STRATA Foundation Program, English Course
subject of STRATA – this will comprise a number of closed and short open ended questions as well as a short written
report on the company.
»
Materials: Greetings; How to ask questions (Where, Why, What etc.); UGRU Technical Vocab. Lists; Technical English 1
pp. 4-5; various hand-outs and role-play activities; PPT multi-media; Initial Sample Assessment document.
Week 2
»
Focus: Schedules, Punctuality and Timelines / Getting to know Airbus and Boeing
»
Learning objectives: To enable learners to work effectively by means of good time-management; to improve their
communicative skills related to planning events; helping them to write schedules; introducing them to airline
manufacturers that they will ultimately supply composite parts to.
»
Materials: Webquests for group activities to use internet etc. to build up two fact files one on Airbus and one on
Boeing (groups to prepare and present on these two companies); UGRU Technical Vocab. (10 words to be taught);
Technical English 1 pp. 7-9 and 18; various UGRU and Pearson hand-outs and role-play activities; PPT multi-media.
Week 3
»
Focus: Materials and Tools / Getting to know Emirates and Etihad
»
Learning objectives: To familiarize learners with tools that are essential for manufacturing aircraft parts; to enable
learners to talk about and ask for tools in a factory setting; helping them to understand and follow instructions when
handling tools; in terms of general English learners will be tasked to find information on the UAE’s two national carriers
and focus on the language of compare and contrast (including comparative and superlative grammatical structures).
»
Materials: Webquests for group activities to use internet etc. to collate facts and figures on Etihad and Emirates
(groups to prepare short reports on each); UGRU Technical Vocab. (10 words to be taught); Technical English 1 pp. 2023, 33-34 and 52-55; various UGRU and Pearson hand-outs and role-play activities; PPT multi-media.
Week 4
Assessment 01: General and Technical English
»
Focus: Materials and Measurements / Getting to know DBX and AUH
»
Learning objectives: Introducing learners to properties of materials and ways to test materials; introducing them to
general materials that are used when building aircraft wings; the learners have to work in groups in order to produce
posters about various materials which they will use when doing a presentation about the various materials; they will
also be familiarized with the layouts of airports and ways to book a ticket for a plane trip by means of role play
activities.
»
Materials: Webquests for group activities to use internet etc. to collate facts and figures on Abu Dhabi and Dubai
international airports; UGRU Technical Vocab. (10 words to be taught); Technical English 1 pp. 42-45 and 50; various
UGRU and Pearson hand-outs and role-play activities; PPT multi-media; Materials for creating posters.
Week 5
»
Focus: Health and Safety at the Workplace
»
Learning objectives: To assist learners to work safely in a work environment by being alert, responsible, taking
precautions and using their own initiative during emergencies; to enable learners to report work related dilemmas to
others in person or via other communication media ( email, phone etc ); to enable them to speak about damaged
equipment with their mentors and line-managers.
»
Materials: UGRU Technical Vocab. (10 words to be taught); Technical English 1 pp. 58-61 and 66-67; various UGRU and
Pearson hand-outs and role-play activities; PPT multi-media.
Week 6
»
Focus: components of aircraft wings and tails, putting parts together
»
Learning objectives: The learners have to be able to identify the parts of general mechanisms in order to use them
Page 3 of 5 | STRATA Foundation Program, English Course
correctly when working in a factory setting. They also need to be able to identify the various parts of aircraft wings and
tails when manufacturing them. Learners will also gain skills to follow or give instructions when assembling parts and to
order them from a peer in a factory setting.
»
Materials: UGRU Technical Vocab. (10 words to be taught); Technical English 1 pp. 10-13 and 19-21; various UGRU
hand-outs that cover in detail the constituent parts of e.g. airplane wings.
Week 7
»
Focus: Dimensions, quantities and describing an Airbus aircraft in terms of its weight and dimensions, speaking about a
future aircraft project
»
Learning objectives: To enable students to measure the dimensions and quantities of large structures and work
materials; to use vocabulary to describe dimensions and quantities; to get learners to describe aircrafts during a
conversation and in writing; to enable them to speak about future projects that might affect their careers or the
aviation industry in general.
»
Materials: Course book pp. 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 64, 65, worksheets
Week 8
Assessment 02: General and Technical English
»
Focus: Gathering data, collecting data about an aircraft
»
Learning objectives: Learners will gain the skills to gather data about a machine in order to determine how relevant it
is for specific uses. They have to do a written assignment about gaining data of an aircraft. Learners will become able to
speak about the specific qualities that a structure has in terms of its performance. Learners will also gain vocabulary
related to gathering data with a partner.
»
Materials: Webquests for group activities to use internet etc. to collate facts and figures on aircraft; UGRU Technical
Vocab. (10 words to be taught); Technical English 1 pp. 90-95; various UGRU and Pearson hand-outs and role-play
activities; PPT multi-media.
Week 9
»
Focus: Physics, directions and movements, learning how aeroplanes fly, investigating problematic plane flights ( nearmiss incidents etc. )
»
Learning objectives: To introduce learners to the general physics terminology and principles; to relate it to aircrafts, to
be able to describe the movements and specifications of aircrafts as they undergo a journey; to be able to describe
movements of tools and objects when communicating in a factory setting.
»
Materials: UGRU Technical Vocab. (10 words to be taught); Technical English 1 pp. 78-82; various UGRU and Pearson
hand-outs and role-play activities; PPT multi-media.
Week 10
»
Focus: Temperatures; enabling learners to understand how an aircraft is designed to regulate temperatures
»
Learning objectives: To measure temperatures and to use vocabulary related to temperatures when communicating;
to identify and explain different cooling and heating systems that are relevant to a factory setting; getting learners to
understand how temperatures affect an aircraft itself.
»
Materials: UGRU Technical Vocab. (10 words to be taught); Technical English 1 pp. 36-41; various UGRU and Pearson
hand-outs and role-play activities; PPT multi-media.
Week 11
»
Focus: workflow processes, following processes when making aircraft parts
»
Learning objectives: Introducing learners to different workflow processes; enabling them to describe the processes
that will lead to the final aircraft parts which they will be manufacturing, teaching them to read and produce diagrams
Page 4 of 5 | STRATA Foundation Program, English Course
of workflow processes.
»
Materials: UGRU Technical Vocab. (10 words to be taught); various UGRU and Pearson hand-outs and role-play
activities; PPT multi-media
Week 12
Assessment 03: General and Technical English
»
Focus: Operating machinery, understanding user guides and speaking to a technician, reporting progress when
operating machinery
»
Learning objectives: The learners will gain the speaking skills needed to report problems about malfunctioning
machinery to technicians; and the ability to read and write user guides related to machines and equipment that they
will use in a factory setting. They will learn general terminology that is related to operate machines and the ability to
communicate to their peers if they are having difficulties operating machines or using mechanisms.
»
Materials: UGRU Technical Vocab. (10 words to be taught); Technical English 1 pp. 68-73; various UGRU and Pearson
hand-outs and role-play activities; PPT multi-media
Week 13
»
Focus: Cause/Effect; understanding how aircraft wings and tails enable an aircraft to take off and stay airborne.
»
Learning objectives: To introduce basic cause and effect principles related to equipment used in a factory and plane
mechanisms, enabling learners to explain cause and effect principles during conversations with partners
»
Materials: UGRU Technical Vocab. (10 words to be taught); Technical English 1 pp. 89-97
Week 14
Final Assessment: What do you know about STRATA?
»
Focus: Firstly to “bring it altogether” and secondly to finalise portfolios and prepare for the final assessment.
»
Learning objectives: The last week will be used to review the most important work done throughout the course, to
give the details of the final examination to the learners and to write the examination. Learners will also be asked to
complete forms about how they have experienced the STRATA foundation program in general.
»
Materials: Final Sample Assessment document.
Page 5 of 5 | STRATA Foundation Program, English Course