Communication English Micro Syllabus (ENSH 251)
A Comprehensive Micro Syllabus for Second Year Engineering Students
Course Code: ENSH 251
Year: II
Part: II
Lecture: 3
Tutorial: 0
Practical: 1
Syllabus at a Glance
Course Objectives
The primary goal of this course is to focus on English as a communication tool. It is specifically designed to enhance the use of English for professional communication in engineering contexts. The course aims to improve students’ English language abilities for tasks such as using appropriate research formats, developing concept papers, preparing research proposals and abstracts, setting research questions, writing a literature review, identifying research gaps, linking ideas, writing technical proposals, preparing reports (both formal and informal), and engaging in project work and seminars/conferences.
Course Contents
1. Technical Communication (2 hours)
1.1 Definition, nature and scope of technical communication
1.1.1 Definition
1.1.2 Nature
1.1.3 Scope
1.2 Professional ethics in communication
1.2.1 Ethical issues
1.2.2 Plagiarism and copyright concern
1.2.2.1 Global plagiarism
1.2.2.2 Verbatim plagiarism
1.2.2.3 Paraphrasing plagiarism
1.2.2.4 Patchwork plagiarism
1.2.2.5 Self-plagiarism
1.2.3 Honesty
1.2.4 Transparency
1.2.5 Clarity
2. Writing Skills (8 hours)
2.1 Principles of effective technical writing
2.1.1 Unity
2.1.2 Coherence
2.1.3 Conciseness
2.1.4 Clarity
2.1.5 Length
2.2 Grammar
2.2.1 Pronoun and its antecedent
2.2.2 Subject-verb agreement
2.2.3 Non-finite verbs
2.2.4 Sentence construction
2.2.4.1 Simple into compound
2.2.4.2 Compound into simple
2.2.4.3 Simple into complex
2.2.4.4 Complex into simple
2.2.4.5 Compound into complex
2.2.4.6 Complex into compound
2.2.4.7 Mixed into complex sentences
2.2.5 Error analysis
2.2.5.1 Noun
2.2.5.2 Adjective
2.2.5.3 Conjunctions
2.2.5.4 Verbs
2.2.5.5 Adverbs
2.2.6 Punctuation
2.2.6.1 Comma
2.2.6.2 Full stop
2.2.6.3 Semi-colon
2.2.6.4 Colon
2.2.6.5 Inverted commas
2.2.6.6 Apostrophe
2.3 Bias free language guideline, reducing bias
2.3.1 Guidelines for bias free language to reduce bias
3. Technical Writing (15 hours)
3.1 Technical proposals
3.1.1 Title page
3.1.2 Memo of transmittal/letter of transmittal
3.1.3 Table of contents
3.1.4 List of illustrations
3.1.5 Executive summary/abstract
3.1.6 Introduction
3.1.6.1 Problem
3.1.6.2 Solution
3.1.6.3 Objectives
3.1.6.4 Background
3.1.6.5 Data sources
3.1.6.6 Scope and limitations
3.1.7 Discussion
3.1.7.1 Methods
3.1.7.2 Scheduling
3.1.7.3 Materials and equipment
3.1.7.4 Cost
3.1.8 Conclusion and recommendations
3.1.9 Appendix
3.1.10 List of references
3.1.11 Glossary
3.2 Research proposals
3.2.1 Title
3.2.2 Executive summary
3.2.3 Introduction
3.2.4 Statement of the problems
3.2.5 Objective of the study
3.2.6 Review of literature
3.2.7 Hypothesis or research questions
3.2.8 Research methodology
3.2.9 Research plan
3.2.10 Limitation of the study
3.2.11 Timeline and budget
3.2.12 References
3.2.13 Appendices
3.3 Research Report
3.3.1 Title
3.3.2 Abstract
3.3.3 Introduction
3.3.4 Methods
3.3.5 Results
3.3.6 Discussion/interpretation of results
3.3.7 Conclusion
3.3.8 Recommendations
3.3.9 References
3.3.10 Appendices
3.4 Technical Reports
3.4.1 Cover page
3.4.2 Title page
3.4.3 Preface
3.4.4 Acknowledgements
3.4.5 Table of contents
3.4.6 List of figures and tables
3.4.7 Abstract
3.4.8 Introduction
3.4.9 Discussion or description
3.4.10 Conclusion
3.4.11 Recommendations
3.4.12 Appendix
3.4.13 List of references
3.4.14 Glossary
3.4.15 Index
3.5 Short Reports
3.5.1 Letter report
3.5.2 Memo report
3.5.3 Progress report
3.5.4 Feasibility report
3.6 Case study
3.6.1 Title
3.6.2 Author
3.6.3 Abstract
3.6.4 Introduction
3.6.5 Literature review
3.6.6 Study area
3.6.7 Data collection and analysis
3.6.8 Findings and discussion
3.6.9 Conclusion and recommendations
3.6.10 References
3.7 Manuscript for journal
3.7.1 Title
3.7.2 Author
3.7.3 Abstract
3.7.4 Introduction
3.7.5 Methods
3.7.6 Results
3.7.7 Discussion
3.7.8 Conclusion
3.7.9 List of references
3.8 Citation and referencing
3.8.1 In-text citation
3.8.1.1 Direct quote citations
3.8.1.2 Indent citation
3.8.1.3 Indirect citation
3.8.1.4 Citing from books and journals
3.8.1.5 Citing multiple authors in a single text
3.8.1.6 Citing multiple texts from the same author
3.8.2 Using numerical
3.8.3 Pagination
3.8.4 Preparing a reference page
4. Business Correspondence (10 hours)
4.1 Writing formal letters
4.1.1 Job applications
4.1.2 Letter of inquiries
4.1.3 Letter of complaints
4.1.4 Letter of orders
4.2 E-mails
4.2.1 Structure
4.2.2 Etiquette
4.2.3 Tone
4.3 Notice, minutes, and memos
4.4 Resume and cover letter
4.5 Press release/communique
4.6 Calling tender and responding to it
5. Listening and Oral Communication (4 hours)
5.1 Active listening
5.1.1 Barriers
5.1.2 Strategies
5.2 Effective speaking skills
5.2.1 Clarity
5.2.2 Tone/intonation
5.2.3 Pace
5.3 Oral presentation skills
5.3.1 Structuring a presentation
5.3.2 Handling questions
5.4 Group discussions
5.4.1 Guidelines
5.4.2 Active participation
5.5 Public speaking and speech delivery techniques
6. Use of visual aids in communication (6 hours)
6.1 Tables
6.2 Graphs
6.3 Charts
6.4 Diagrams
7. Practical (15 hours)
7.1 Listening skill test
7.2 Visual skill test
7.3 Reading skill test
7.4 Oral communication test
7.5 Presentation skill test
7.6 Research proposals and project proposals
7.7 Team-based technical writing and presentations
8.Presentation
8.1 Presentation on the prescribed texts (But other passages can also be practised.)
8.1.1 “Which is More Important When Designing a Building, Beauty or Function?” from Unlock: Reading and Writing Skills by Chris Sowton
8.1.2 On Being Modern-minded (Bertrand Russell)
8.1.3 “A Fable of Tomorrow” from The Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
8.1.4 Religion and Science (From The World as I See It- Albert Einstein)
8.1.5 “The Tamarisk Hunter” from Metatropolis by Paolo Bacigalupi
8.1.6 Artificial Intelligence from The Art of Doing Science and Engineering by Richard W. Hamming
8.1.7 Guglielmo Marconi and the History of Radio. Part II (Gerald A. Isted)
8.1.8 Human-Centered Design (From The Design of Everyday Things- Don Norman)
8.1.9 “The Paper Managerie” from The Paper Managerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu
8.1.10 “The Algorithm Will Save Us” from The New Voices of Fantasy by Sam J. Miller
8.1.11 Beauty by Susan Sontag
8.1.12 The New Physics by Fritjof Capra
Evaluation Scheme
Final Exam Marks Distribution
| Chapter | Hours | Marks Distribution* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 2 | 8 | 10 |
| 3 | 15 | 20 |
| 4 | 10 | 10 |
| 5 | 4 | 10 |
| 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Total | 45 | 60 |
*There may be minor deviation in marks distribution.
Detailed Question Breakdown
| Units | Testing Items | No. of Questions | Type of Questions | Marks Distribution | Total Marks | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 & 2 | Technical communication, Writing skills | 1, 2 | Short questions and grammar | 5, 10 | 15 | 1 short question from 1.1 or 1.2; 1 short question from 2.1 or 2.3 and grammar from 2.2 |
| 3 | Technical writing | 3 | Long questions | 7+7+6 | 20 | 1 long question (7 marks) from 3.1, 1 long question (7 marks) from 3.3, and 1 long question (6 marks) from short reports/manuscript/citation |
| 4 | Business correspondence | 2 | Short/long questions | 5+5 | 10 | 1 question from 4.1 or 4.3 and 1 question from 4.2/4.4/4.5/4.6 |
| 5 | Listening and oral communication | 2 | Short questions | 5+5 | 10 | 1 question from 5.1/5.2 and 1 question from 5.3/5.4/5.5 |
| 6 | Use of visual aids in communication | 1 | Short questions | 5 | 5 | Only 1 short question from 6.1/6.2/6.3/6.4 |
Evaluation Scheme for Lab
| Units | Testing Items | No. of Questions | Type of Questions | Marks Distribution | Total Marks | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Listening | 2 | Objective | 5+5 | 10 | Listening to instruction, description, or conversation, followed by multiple choice or fill-in-the-gaps questions |
| II | Speaking | 2 | Subjective | 5+10 | 15 | Includes a 5-mark round table discussion and a 10-mark talk or brief oral report |
Prescribed Textbook
Yadav, R.K., Adhikari, U., & Yadav, V.K. (2025). A Course Book of Technical Communication English. Kathmandu: Trinity Publications.
References
Markel, M. and Selber, S. A. (2018). Technical communication (12th edition). Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Ingre, D. (2017). Engineering communication: A practical guide to workplace communications for engineers (2nd edition). Cengage Learning.
Weisman, H. M. (2000). Technical communication for engineers: A handbook for engineers, scientists, and technicians. Prentice Hall.