Guía Docente 2020-21
INGLÉS TÉCNICO PARA ARQUITECTOS

BASIC DETAILS:

Subject: INGLÉS TÉCNICO PARA ARQUITECTOS
Id.: 30602
Programme: GRADUADO EN ARQUITECTURA. PLAN 2009 (BOE 21/03/2015)
Module: DISEÑO DE ARQUITECTURA
Subject type: OPTATIVA
Year: 5 Teaching period: Primer Cuatrimestre
Credits: 3 Total hours: 75
Classroom activities: 33 Individual study: 42
Main teaching language: Inglés Secondary teaching language: Inglés
Lecturer: MEENAN , KARLA (T) Email: kmeenan@usj.es

PRESENTATION:

This subject is focused on specific (not general) English in the field of Architecture. In this way, the content will have as its main objective to consolidate and improve the students' skills in English within an international professional environment where English is the lingua franca. This will allow students to communicate with clients and other professionals in the area as well as accessing  texts written in the English language (level B1-B2).

 
The course, then, will consist of carrying out a series of activities whose main objective is the development of linguistic skills (listening and reading comprehension and oral and written production) of the English language. For this, students will have the opportunity to consolidate and improve their knowledge through activities such as, for example, talks led by experts in the field of Architecture on which students will have to give their opinions or debate, reading comprehension activities, preparation of questions and answers for a job interview or training activities for words in English or grammatical aspects, as a complement and reinforcement to the rest of the activities that will be carried out.
 
Attendance and participation in classes are essential to complete the course satisfactorily.
 

PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCES ACQUIRED IN THE SUBJECT:

General programme competences G01 Effectively use language skills to express views and formulate arguments both orally and in writing Ability to express opinions and propose arguments effectively both orally and in writing in student's native language and English.
G03 Ability for autonomous learning and self-criticism.
G04 Ability to transfer the knowledge acquired in practical work and skills to the field of work.
Specific programme competences E01 Ability to: Apply the graphic procedures to the representation of spaces and objects (T); Design and represent the visual attributes of objects and master proportion and drawing techniques, including computer-based techniques (T).
Regulated profession competences P11 Adequate knowledge of the industries, organisations, regulations and procedures involved in translating design concepts into buildings and integrating plans into planning.
Learning outcomes R01 Be proficient in the technical vocabulary used in English for the development of professional activity as an architect.
R02 Have sufficient knowledge of the English language to access professional information in this language.
R03 Express clearly in English, the thought and ideas necessary for the exercise of professional activity as an architect.
R04 Be able to exchange data and information on international labour framework.
R05 Attend job or project offerings in English.

PRE-REQUISITES:

 

There are no prerequisites for taking the course, but it is highly recommended that students have a basic-intermediate level of English (A2-B1) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in order to carry out the course activities and fulfill subject expectations. Those students who do not have this level must enrol with the General Academic Secretary in the A2 English course that the university offers free of charge to all  San Jorge University students. Even if you have a higher level, this course will give you the opportunity to expand your vocabulary and improve the four language skills in areas you have studied before.
 
If you have problems following the subject it is advisable to attend tutorials with the teacher and / or sign up for general English courses taught by the Institute of Modern Languages.

SUBJECT PROGRAMME:

Subject contents:

1 - Arquitecture Design Process
2 - Describing a Project
3 - Academic English
4 - Applying for a Job
5 - Presentation skills

Subject planning could be modified due unforeseen circumstances (group performance, availability of resources, changes to academic calendar etc.) and should not, therefore, be considered to be definitive.


TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODOLOGIES AND ACTIVITIES:

Teaching and learning methodologies and activities applied:

Teaching-learning methodologies:

 
Classes are practical and are taught entirely in English. Students are expected to participate actively in class using English and practicing it in communicative learning activities. Although this may be difficult at the beginning of the course, your language skills will improve rapidly. Many of the activities in class will be in pairs and in groups with different types of activities: information gaps; project preparation; Problem resolution; simulations; presentations; etc. This methodology allows the student to participate and practice as much as possible in class. It also encourages collaborative learning and meaningful interaction among students, as well as the development of academic and professional skills.
 
Tutoring: Do not hesitate to ask your teacher for tutoring (in class or by email) if you have doubts, want to clarify concepts or ask for any other type of academic help related to English. Your teacher will inform you about tutoring schedules.
 
Homework: You must prepare for each class, read and study the materials and work on the PDU. It is your responsibility to check the schedule and submission dates of the tasks on the PDU. The teacher will verify that you have submitted them and will correct them.
 
Academic requirements: Dishonest academic acts will not be tolerated and will lead to failure (there will be no second chances). These include: using someone else's ideas without referencing the sources properly; inventing or pretending to have consulted a bibliographic source; inventing research results without having done the research; etc. This inappropriate behaviour will be taken into account especially when copying texts from the Internet or when using automatic translation services (automatic translation is easy to detect). ALL your work must be original, without the help of third parties.
 
Assignments/ Tasks: All assignments will be delivered in Word format, using Microsoft Office. Assignments written by hand or delivered after the deadline will not be accepted. All files must include the student's name, followed by a hyphen and the title of the assignment. For example:
 
James Smith_BuildingAnalysis Task 1.doc

 

Student work load:

Teaching mode Teaching methods Estimated hours
Classroom activities
Master classes 11
Practical work, exercises, problem-solving etc. 2
Debates 8
Coursework presentations 6
Films, videos, documentaries etc. 2
Assessment activities 4
Individual study
Tutorials 4
Individual study 12
Individual coursework preparation 8
Group cousework preparation 8
Research work 4
Compulsory reading 2
Recommended reading 4
Total hours: 75

ASSESSMENT SCHEME:

Calculation of final mark:

Written tests: 20 %
Individual coursework: 40 %
Group coursework: 10 %
Final exam: 30 %
TOTAL 100 %

*Las observaciones específicas sobre el sistema de evaluación serán comunicadas por escrito a los alumnos al inicio de la materia.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND DOCUMENTATION:

Basic bibliography:

CHING, Francis: A Visual Dictionary. New York: John Wiley, 1995.
OLGIATI, Valerio: The Images of Architects. Luzern: Quart, 2013.
Oxford English for Careers - Technology 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.
PUTNAM, R.E.; CARLSON, G.E.: Diccionario de Arquitectura, Construccion y Obras Publicas. Madrid: Paraninfo 2009.

Recommended bibliography:

Revistas/ Journals Croquis: Go to the recommended website below.
ARNHEIM, Rudolf: Visual Thinking. Los Angeles and London: University of California Press 2014 (first published 1969).

Recommended websites:

Arcspace http://www.arcspace.com/
El Croquis http://www.elcroquis.es/Shop
TED http://www.ted.com/topics/architecture
Brikbase https://www.brikbase.org
American Institute of Architects http://www.aia.org/index.htm
Archello http://www.archello.com/en/project/okm
Cambridge Advanced Learner\\\'s Dictionary http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/
Oxford Advanced Learner\\\'s Dictionary http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/
Visual Dictionary Online http://visual.merriam-webster.com/index.php