Shahin Sultana

Technical Writing for Engineers: Teaching Writing Through an Integrated Approach to the Technical Learners Shahin Sultana

Technical learners have to be adequately equipped with communication skills, especially the writing skills. So they should be trained to communicate their ideas effectively in writing. In order that they develop the ability to communicate,they should be provided opportunities for interpreting, interacting and conveying the messages. These opportunities can be provided in the form of well designed tasks. Tasks for eliciting information, expressing opinions, exchanging information will engage them in meaningful interactions. These tasks give them practice in the use of language to enable them to meet the demands of their target situation. The multilevel language abilities of learners facilitate more of interaction between them during small group work and negotiation of meaning and build up peer relations. The group work they carry out in performing these types of tasks affords them practice in collaborative work which they have to do later on during their real-life activities. Their socio-linguistic competence also gets developed. Thus an ESP teacher can develop the writing skills of the technical learners by devising graded tasks.