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Which of the following learning strategies do you regularly use?

(the response to each item is ideally “yes”):

I think about my mood to get the most out of what I am studying.

When I don’t understand something in this subject I go back over it again.

I make plans for how to do the activities in this subject.

I draw pictures, mind-maps, or diagrams to help me understand this subject.

When I am learning something new in this subject, I think back to what I already know about it.

I organize my time to manage my learning in this subject.

I make a note of things that I don’t understand very well in the subject.

When I have finished an activity in this subject I look back to see how well I did.

I discuss what I am doing in this subject with others.

I think about my thinking, to check if I understand the ideas in this subject.

I practice things over and over until I know them well in this subject.

I explore multiple possibilities and approaches for generating new concepts.

I always make sure I get lots of rewards.

I make up questions that I try to answer about this subject.

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Study Cases

Think of a problem you have while studying.

Topics for discussion: Time Management - Syllabus Management - Note Taking - Test Preparation - Decision Making - Class Presentations - The key to happiness, etc.

To solve it apply technique of brainwriting.

Like brainstorming, brainwriting is a great way to share and develop innovative ideas. Here are the basic steps for brainwriting:

1.At the top of a sheet of paper write down a clear problem statement.

2.Hand out paper to the group participant to write down ideas for solving your problem using information about learning strategies. He or she writes down their ideas about a question for a few minutes without talking.

3.Then he passes the paper to another person.

4.In the end, take your brainwriting page and choose the best ideas.

Everyone is writing ideas at the same time.

A popular form of brainwriting is known as 6-3-5. During a 6-3-5 session, brainwriting exercises are split into several rounds. In each round, six people write down three ideas each within five minutes.

After the first round, everyone swaps their piece of paper with someone else, reads what's on it, and then writes down three more ideas. These can be new ideas, or build on ideas that have already been shared.

After six rounds, the pieces of paper are collected, and all the suggested ideas are discussed and next steps agreed.

Although this example uses six people, you can invite any number of people to your brainwriting session. Other details can also be adapted to suit your needs, including the number of rounds and the amount of time given for each one. But most people find that aiming for three ideas in each round brings the best results.

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Invent Ideas

Your English Profile

Why do you learn English?

Answer the questions.

1. What is the background to your English learning?

·When did you last study English?

·Were you good at English at school? Why? Why not?

·Did you like English at school?

·Do you like English now?

2. When do you use English?

Write in the figures for you:

I use English for:

Studying □ % Work □ % Travel □ % Pleasure □ %

3. Why do you need English?

I need English for:

Studying □ % Work □ % Travel □ % Pleasure □ %

In what kinds of situation do people in the field of Civil Engineering need to use English at work?

_________________

4. How important is English to you?

3 = very important 2 = quite important 1 = not very important 0 = not at all important

5. Which are the most important areas of English for you to work on?

Speaking □ Listening □ Reading □ Writing □

Pronunciation □ Vocabulary □ Grammar □

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Defining general targets

1.Complete the sentences below.

2.Talk about your reasons with a partner.

My English is now good enough to ...

For example:

•introduce myself

•answer the phone

•write a simple email

•buy tickets

•book a hotel room

Your ideas __________________________

I want my English to be good enough to ...

•make a simple presentation

•take part in a meeting

•talk about the technologies

•explain an instruction

Your ideas

__________________________

I am going to improve my rate of progress on this course by ...

For example:

•participating actively in the class

•asking and answering more questions in the class

•reading more English outside class

Your ideas

__________________________

__________________________

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Fixing targets and making plans

Work with a partner to answer the questions. Then report back to the class. 1. What is your general level in English now?

2 . Which general level would you like to have in English?

3.Which level do you need for your studying and future job?

4.How long do you think it will take for you to reach this level?

Level of English

0.I do not speak English.

1.I have a few words of English.

2.I can only do very simple things in English.

3.I can communicate in English only It people speak very slowly and clearly.

4.I can communicate in English but I make a lot of mistakes and I often have to ask people to speak more slowly.

5.I can work in English but I often have problems understanding and sometimes people have problems understanding me.

6.I can work quite well in English but I know I sometimes make mistakes.

7.I don't have any big problems in English but I sometimes make small mistakes.

8.I speak English as well as a lot of native speakers.

Time

I plan to give_______minutes to my English every day.

Long-term

My current level is _______

My target level is _______

My target level is _______

My long-term targets are to be able to: in English.

My reward to myself for reaching these targets will be _______

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Medium-term

My medium-term targets are to be able (by the end of this course) to:

1_______________

2_______________

3_______________

in English.

My reward to myself for reaching these targets will be _______________ .

Short-term

My short term targets are to be able (by the end of this week) to:

1_______________

2_______________

3_______________

My reward to myself for reaching these targets will be _______________ .

Self-Reflection Questions

Questions about Content of the Topic

So What?

• What are the important ideas you explored? What new discoveries emerge?

What Next?

•What new questions do you have?

•How can we use what you know?

•What else do you want to explore?

Questions about Process

So What?

• What strategies did you use to learn? Which worked well or didn't work well?

What Next?

•How can you use what we learned to do better next time?

•What will you do next? Where else can you apply what you now know and can do?

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Challenges of Civil Engineering

Explore Topic

Quest

The key to Civil Engineering

You need a piece of paper and a pen to complete the exercises. Place the sheet horizontally so the association diagram unfolds to the right.

Steps

1. For the quest to be effective, it must be performed individually.

Let go of yourself and freely write down the association words that come to mind in connection with the concept Civil Engineering. Write this concept at the top of the sheet.

Think of it as something that applies to you personally and as an abstract concept. Write down 16 associations to this word in the first column - any words, phrases, catchphrases.

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The association can be any, not necessarily logically related to the previous words. Try to find your own, rather than generally accepted associations.

Do not discard words, even if they do not seem right to you. Try not to repeat yourself, the word association can be used only once.

2. Then combine the obtained 16 associations into pairs, as in a picture: 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, etc.

When the words are combined, start working with each pair separately, without being tied to the main word.

For each pair of words, find a common association - a word that combines these two for you personally.

3. Combine in pairs 8 received words and write down in the next third column 4 associations that arise in connection with each of the pairs. Now there will be 4 of them.

4.Again combine the words and bring out the associations that arise for each of the 2 received pairs.

5.Finally, by combining the last two words, we have a final association. The last word is the key!

When you take the quest again (after a few days, weeks, months), the result will be different.

Extension activities

Work group. Choose words from your table and make a word cloud "Civil Engineering" with your group mates.

Make up sentences combining words from the cloud (at least 2 in one sentence). How many words can you combine in one sentence?

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Discover Content

Civil Engineering Treasure Hunt

Read the questions and use the Internet to find the answers. Create a glossary of relevant terms.

What are you expecting to find?

1.What is the word "Engineer" derived from? What is its meaning?

2.Which branches of engineering have more demand nowadays?

3.What is civil engineering?

4.What do civil engineers do?

5.What skills and knowledge should a civil engineer possess?

6.What sub-disciplines does civil engineering profession involve?

7.Who are the most influential civil engineers throughout history?

8.Which discipline of civil engineering is most preferred for better future prospective?

9.What challenges do civil engineers face?

10.What ways are there to solve these challenges?

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Study Cases

Driving Question: How do engineers communicate to achieve goals?

A. Before you read the cases, talk about these questions.

1.How important is communication for engineers? Evaluate on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).

2.What are the signs of effective engineering communication?

Let's move to real examples of engineering communication.

Case study 1

William LeMessurier and Clear Engineering Language

In 1977, a novel work of architecture and engineering, Citicorp Center, opened in Manhattan. The office tower was built on a corner lot owned and occupied by a Lutheran church. The church agreed to the new structure, provided that Citicorp rebuild the church as a freestanding unit on one corner of the site. In order to have the tower occupy the entire block, architect Hugh Stubbins and structural consultant William James LeMessurier designed a building that would cantilever out over the church. It was supported by four massive pillars. Each located in the centre of one of the outside walls rather than at a corner, and by diagonal braces along the outside walls.

In 1978, LeMessurier received a call from an engineering student who was wondering about the location of the pillars. The student said that a professor of his believed they were in the wrong place and that the building would therefore fall