1. Introduction Megerdoumian Sharif University of Technology Computer Engineering Department 2013 Fall Semester

2. Outline Why study English for Computer Engineering? Purpose of course Textbook Schedule and grading English learning toolbox Some remarks

3. Why study English for CE? Your future life depends on being able to effectively deal with technical English ▫Whether you will be in academia or industry You can't depend on translations ▫Most of the important content never gets translated ▫Things change so fast - you can't wait for translations to be out  Unlike many other majors Computer engineering-related literature is so diverse ▫Even if you become an academic, you'll still need to read magazines and practitioner literature, listen to interviews and watch oral presentations to update yourself ▫Much of the content is interdisciplinary by nature

4. Purpose of course Mostly, reading comprehension ▫The most essential ▫Of most use to you ▫Includes vocabulary and idioms, collocations, sentence patterns, “tone” detection, etc. Writing is also important Listening and speaking will get a limited (but not insignificant) coverage

5. Common types of computer engineering-related texts in English Academic ▫Textbooks ▫Research Papers and Books Technical documentation and manuals News reports, popular science and technology ▫e.g. magazines, newspapers Informal writings ▫e.g. blogs, forums Transcripts of speech ▫e.g. interviews, presentations Other ▫e.g. encyclopedias, software licenses, advertisements

6. Textbook 41 two-page units ▫Most sessions will cover three units Good coverage of vocabulary Will be complemented by separate, more technical reading exercises

7. Grading 12 points for exams ▫Midterm: 5 points ▫Final: 7 points Maximum of 8 points for other things ▫Assignments: 7 points ▫Semester project: 3 points ▫Class activity: 3 points Class attendance is mandatory! ▫Only a maximum of three sessions of non- attendance is allowed

8. English learning toolbox English-to-English dictionary Bilingual dictionaries ▫English-to-Persian dictionary ▫Persian-to-English dictionary Dictionaries of common phrases and collocations, slang, idioms Thesaurus Dictionaries of computing vocabulary ▫Dictionaries of suggested Persian equivalents for computing terms  e.g. by the Persian Language and Literature Academy (persianacademy.ir) Web search engines!

9. Some Remarks This is (hopefully) going to be one of the most useful courses you ever take This is not a trivial course! Vocabulary understanding and reading comprehension ability only build with practice over time – there is no shortcut. Feel free to seek help