The Course “English for Biologists” and Web Page ‘APres’
How Modern Communication Technologies Help to Promote Communicative
Competence
Natalya Snytnikova
Novosibirsk State University, 2, Pirogova Street, Novosibirsk, Russia
Keywords: Communicative Competence, Communication Technologies, Academic Presentation, Independent
Learning, Specific Language Skills.
Abstract: The paper deals with the course “English for biologists”, which has been designed and developed for the
students of the Department of Natural Sciences of Novosibirsk State University. The main aim of the course
is to form specific language skills: academic listening and giving oral academic presentations. The course is
described in some detail. During the four stages of the course each student has to give four academic
presentations. The paper considers some of the ways the students use computers and the Internet in
acquiring the course. The skills are studied that are formed with the help of modern communication
technologies. To help the students cope with the course the Web page APres has been created. It provides
useful information and advice for the students and for all those people who want to learn how to give and
comprehend oral academic presentations. The Web page APres is briefly outlined.
1 INTRODUCTION
Biologists study English at the Department of
Natural Sciences (DNS) of Novosibirsk State
University (NSU). In the course of English, they are
to acquire enough knowledge and skills for the
practical use of the language. They are supposed to
learn how to: 1) read and comprehend texts on their
speciality; 2) write reports and papers; 3) give and
comprehend oral academic presentations.
The course “English for biologists” has been
designed and developed in addition to the general
course of English. It allows to form specific skills in
ESP (English for Specific Purposes). Some of them
are academic listening (listening to lectures and
other academic presentations) and giving oral
academic presentations (lectures, reports). The
course consists of four stages and lasts four
semesters. During the course, every student gives
four academic presentations. To prepare for them
students use the texts read during the semester.
The Internet is widely used in the course: the
electronic dictionaries are used to read and translate
texts; the search engines – to find some extra
information on the topics of their presentations.
Word processors are employed to prepare the written
texts of presentations.
The activity of preparing and delivering
presentations is a real challenge for non-language
students. In order to help them cope with the
problem a resource Web page has been created – the
Web page APres (Academic Presentations). It is
aimed to equip students with the necessary language
skills and communication techniques.
2 SPECIAL COURSE “ENGLISH
FOR BIOLOGISTS”
Biologists are trained in their speciality at the
research institutes of the Siberian Branch of the
Russian Academy of Sciences. The professional
training is guided by scientists who tackle major
scientific and engineering problems.
Students participate in practical and scientific
seminars, workshops, and conferences as well as in
writing reviews, reports, and collective papers.
Many scientists co-operate and communicate with
their foreign colleagues in English. Taking part in
real research work the students understand that they
have to learn how to communicate in English.
The course “English for biologists” is an ESP
course. The main objective of any ESP course is to
489
Snytnikova N..
The Course “English for Biologists” and Web Page ‘APres’ - How Modern Communication Technologies Help to Promote Communicative Competence.
DOI: 10.5220/0004350604890492
In Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU-2013), pages 489-492
ISBN: 978-989-8565-53-2
Copyright
c
2013 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)
help students acquire the linguistic and
communicative skills related to their disciplines, so a
content-based approach is especially useful.
Content-based instruction “employs authentic
reading materials which require students not only to
understand information but interpret and evaluate it
as well ...” (Brinton et al., 1989).
The Internet is a learning tool that fits well in a
content-based ESP syllabus. There are some
important benefits of the Internet use: 1) more
opportunities to interact with the target language and
content area because students spend more time on a
task; 2) increased motivation and participation by
the students; 3) greater integration of reading and
writing skills and opportunities to practice them in
meaningful contexts; 4) more self-paced
autonomous learning that is learner-controlled rather
than teacher-controlled.
The students who study English at the DNS NSU
are mostly low-intermediate students. Being adult
learners they face difficulties in mastering speaking
and listening skills. The fact is that adult learners
can speak about very serious matters and issues in
their native tongue but have very limited means to
express their thoughts and ideas in English. When
teaching we have to take into account both the
language level of the students and their command of
speciality (Hutchinson and Waters, 1992).
The course “English for biologists” is primarily
intended to form the skills of academic listening and
giving oral academic presentations.
The students are taught to communicate. The
Internet is utilized in this process as a research tool,
a conversational tool, and a production tool. Various
language skills can be practised and acquired with
the help of the Internet.
2.1 Oral Academic Presentations at the
1
st
and 2
nd
Stages of the Course
The work pattern at the 1
st
and 2
nd
stages of the
course is the same. Every student chooses a text
from the book suggested for the presentations and
once a semester gives a presentation. Then there is a
discussion. Speaking and listening skills interrelate
and interact very closely here. Reading and writing
are also involved.
For the 1
st
series of presentations the book Right
Reading (Beginning Level) by Dean Curry is taken.
The texts are short (450-600 signs), easy to read and
understand and related to biology. They outline such
topics as the wildlife, the survival of species in the
process of natural selection, etc. There are five or six
exercises in each chapter and a glossary.
At the 2
nd
stage of the course we take the book Read
On (Intermediate Level) by Dean Curry for
academic presentations. The texts tell us about such
problems as recognition of smells by animals and
people, radar system in bats, etc. The texts and
exercises are more complicated, but short and
related to biology as well.
The techniques of preparing and delivering
presentations are thoroughly elaborated. The
manuals for speakers have been developed. They
are: ‘Listening Strategies’, ‘Speaking Strategies’ and
Manual for speakers. Academic Presentations. 1
st
and 2
nd
Stages’.
2.2 Scientific Conferences at the 3
rd
and 4
th
Stages of the Course
The work pattern changes at the 3
rd
and 4
th
stages of
the course. The activity results in two scientific
conferences: “Disease. The Greatest Agent of
Natural Selection” and “Bacteria. The Workhorses
of Biotechnology”.
The 1
st
conference is held at the end of the third
semester. To prepare for the conference the students
use texts from the book “Clones, Viruses, etc.
Reading and Speaking on Biology and Medicine”
(Snytnikova, 2002; 2006) read in the semester. The
texts are rather long (1,000-1,500 signs) and related
to biology. They are dedicated to such academic
topics as the causes of diseases, the nature of
viruses, etc. The texts are read aloud, translated, and
thoroughly analyzed in class. All the exercises that
accompany the texts are fulfilled. All the four
language skills are acquired here. Subject-specific
lexical items are accumulated.
A number of conversational gambits are studied,
which can be useful in the course of an academic
presentation. The students get to know when and
how to take the floor, how to introduce a topic or
change the subject, etc. (Nunan, 1992).
2.2.1 3
rd
Stage. Conference “Disease. the
Greatest Agent of Natural Selection
Every student chooses a text that he will use to
prepare an academic presentation for the conference.
Students write the texts of presentations making use
of the key points from the text and special
conversational gambits.
They employ their skills in Multi-Skills Reading
in the process. The following reading skills are
involved: 1) skimming for key words; 2) scanning
for specific information; 3) reading in meaningful
units; 4) recognition of clues, which signal phrases.
CSEDU2013-5thInternationalConferenceonComputerSupportedEducation
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The students use the writing skills they have
acquired and organize the content at the level of the
paragraph reflecting the given information.
Finally, students give oral presentations at the
conference “Disease. The Greatest Agent of Natural
Selection”. The topics are “Disease”, “Virus”,
“Cancer”, etc. Some new speaking skills are
involved here: 1) using appropriate conversational
formulae and filters; 2) skills in taking short and
long speaking turns. New Oral Communication
Skills for Academic Purposes are formed: 1) an
acceptable degree of fluency, and 2) transactional
and interpersonal skills. All students prepare one or
two questions on the topic of each report. They are
asked in the discussion after the reporter has given
his presentation.
2.2.2 4
th
Stage. Conference “Bacteria. the
Workhorses of Biotechnology
The conference “Bacteria. The Workhorses of
Biotechnology” is the ultimate aim of the course. It
is held at the end of the 4
th
semester. The material is
the article from National Geographic named
Bacteria. Teaching Old Bugs New Tricks (Candy,
1993). The article is big – 30,000 signs. It is studied
thoroughly during the semester both in class and at
home: it is read aloud, translated, and discussed.
Then the students are offered a list of
presentation topics. The themes relate to various
modern biotechnologies using bacteria. For
example: 1) Microbes as factories making
pharmaceuticals, pesticides, solvents, and plastics;
2) Using bacteria for bioremediation, etc.
To prepare for the presentation every student has
to look through the whole article again, find all the
information concerning the given topic, analyze it,
decide, which part of it to include into the report.
After that he writes his report and presents it at the
conference. While presenting he is to use
Conference Lexicon properly.
Everyone also makes up a list of questions on all
topics in advance. After the presentation there is
always a question-answer session and a discussion.
The whole group takes part in it.
2.3 How the Internet and Computers
Are used in the Course
English for Biologists”
In their work with the course “English for
biologists” students widely use computers and the
Internet.
While reading and translating the texts they
make use of electronic dictionaries but not the paper
ones. It is faster, more comfortable, and cheaper.
You can also find transcriptions of any words on any
speciality in on-line dictionaries whereas English-
Russian special paper dictionaries do not give
transcriptions. Many on-line dictionaries provide not
only quick search, but also high quality sound. So
one can read the word, hear it, and pronounce it
properly after the computer.
When preparing for the conferences at the 3
rd
and
4
th
stages of the course my students and I regularly
exchange e-mail letters. The students send me rough
copies of their conference reports. Having checked
and corrected them I send them back. It allows me
to carry out individual distance teaching providing
my students by a feedback channel.
One of the students is chosen to be the secretary
of the Conference. He is responsible for the printed
materials. All students send him e-mails with the
titles of their reports and some other necessary
information like their names and surnames in
English spelling, etc. He, then, makes up the
conference program and prints it out.
We publish conference proceedings. Reports to
be included into the proceedings are often e-mailed
too. The students write all this outside class. Thus,
they always have some extra practice in English.
Some of the skills acquired with the help of the
Internet and other modern communication
technologies are: reading (reading for detail,
reviewing and predicting); writing (copying parts of
information, expressing opinions); speaking (talking
about current scientific news), etc.
The information in the Internet is obtained
immediately, which provides strong motivation for
careful reading. You can even write a letter to the
author of the article or the editor of the journal
(Teeler, 2000).
Students use a word processor to prepare the
texts of the presentations in written form. It helps
them develop writing and editing skills.
3 WEB PAGE ‘APres’
Modern communication technologies greatly extend
language-learning opportunities. The Internet is
suitable for any language course designed around the
specific needs of a particular group of students.
The Web page APres (Academic Presentations)
is aimed to provide useful information and advice
for students who take the course “English for
biologists” and for everyone who wants to learn
how to prepare and deliver an academic
TheCourse"EnglishforBiologists"andWebPage'APres'-HowModernCommunicationTechnologiesHelptoPromote
CommunicativeCompetence
491
presentation. It equips students with the necessary
language skills and communicative techniques.
APres consists of eight sections: 1) General
information; 2) Conference lexicon; 3) Presentation
techniques; 4) Conferences; 5) Photos; 6) Poster
guidelines; 7) Notes for writers; 8) Feedback.
Section 2 contains the necessary conversational
gambits. Section 3 is dedicated to the ways of
preparing and delivering academic presentations.
Section 6 teaches how to make a good poster. Other
sections are equally relevant. All the sections are
linked together.
The Web page APres is most purposeful and
effective as it is learner-centred, based on authentic
communication and connected to a larger goal –
developing academic skills. It is a multimedia
resource and communication tool, which both
supports class-based learning and helps to develop
independent learning skills in students and improve
their language competence.
4 CONCLUSIONS
The course “English for biologists” is an ESP
(English for Specific Purposes) course. The aims of
the course are to help students to form linguistic and
communicative skills related to their discipline. The
course is based on the content of the subject and on
the use of authentic materials. The students’
linguistic needs and learning styles are considered
carefully.
Every student gives four academic presentations
during the course. Presentations are popular with the
students. All the four language skills (listening,
speaking, reading, and writing) interrelate and
interact very closely here. The students also acquire
communicative competence. They learn to be
effective while communicating on professional
topics.
The given course can easily be transformed into
a course for ecologists, chemists, etc., if you change
the content, as the course is content-based.
The technologies of computer-aided learning,
such as the Internet and e-mail, help the students
greatly in acquiring necessary linguistic and
communication skills here.
The Web page APres has been created as a
supplement to the course. This Web page is a kind of
blended learning environment, in which modern
technologies both support class-based learning and
help to develop independent learning skills in
students. It also helps to promote their
communicative and language competence.
REFERENCES
Brinton, D. M., Snow, M. A., and Wesche, M. B., 1989.
Content-based second language instruction, Heinle
and Heinle. Boston.
Candy, T. Y., 1993. Bacteria. Teaching old bugs new
tricks. In National Geographic Vol. 184, No. 2.
Hutchinson, T., Waters, A., 1992. English for Specific
Purposes. A learning-centered approach, Cambridge
University Press. Cambridge.
Nunan, D., 1992. Designing tasks for the communicative
classroom, Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.
Snytnikova, N. I., 2002. Clones, viruses, etc. Reading and
speaking on biology and medicine, Novosibirsk
University Publishing House. Novosibirsk.
Snytnikova, N. I., 2006. Clones, viruses, etc. Reading and
speaking on biology and medicine, Vostok–Zapad
Publishing House. Moscow, 2
nd
edition.
Teeler, D., 2000. How to use the Internet in ELT,
Longman.
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