Unit 5a Book

1. Introduction

The ability to describe how something is done is vital in technical fields. Unit 4c covered this topic from the point of view of an instructor explaining a process to a trainee orally while demonstrating the individual steps. Processes and procedures, however, can also be described more formally in writing. This is what Unit 5a focuses on first within the context of soldering and later while discussing electrolysis, which seems to be one of the most important processes in electrical engineering.

Contents:

Revision: Describing a process using a passive voice

• Before an electric direct current is passed through the electrolyte, the alumina powder is first dissolved in a molten electrolyte inside a large steel container.

Sequencers: First, then, next, after that, consequently, finally.

2. Forum: Soldering Again

Unit 4c dealt with soldering. Have you ever soldered anything? Is the skill of soldering important for electrical engineering students? Answer these questions and some additional ones in this forum.

3. Grammar: Describing a Process

How good is your memory? Unit 4c focused on giving oral instructions while demonstrating how to solder. See what you can recall by completing this task. If you have problems completing the task, go back to Unit 4c to brush off your knowledge.

While doing the task, you might have noticed that the description of the process was quite simple and took a form of instructions. This is quite natural because the easiest way to instruct someone is to use the imperative mood and sequencers, for example:

First, turn your soldering iron on and if it has an adjustable heat control, set it to 400 °C.

This form is used in oral instructions or in manuals that come with products. However, imagine a similar process is described in a book on technical processes. Maybe, the same sentence would read as follows:

The soldering iron is first turned on, and, if it has an adjustable heat control, set to 400 °C.

Can you see the difference? The second sentence definitely sounds more formal because it uses the passive voice. You will hardly ever hear it in normal everyday conversations, but you can come across it in books. Passives were covered in Unit 2a of this Moodle course and now you have a chance to revise this grammar point. If necessary, read the grammar overview here. Then convert active sentences into passive in this exercise. The context will be the same as in the first task in this Section, i.e. soldering. This will give you a chance to see the change in the level of formality of the text after the active-passive conversion. Finally, decide whether the active or passive voice should be used in these sentences. The text is about one of the fundamental processes in electrical engineering: electrolysis.

4. Listening and Reading: Applications of Electrolysis Detailed

The text in the previous task listed some applications of electrolysis. Now two of the applications will be described in more detail: converting alumina into aluminium and making steel.

The process of converting alumina (i.e. aluminium oxide) into aluminium (aluminum in American English) is sometimes called smelting. First, look at the diagram on p. 41 in your coursebook (Bonamy, D. (2013). Technical English Level 4 Coursebook. Pearson Longman). Study it carefully before listening to an expert explaining the process. You can then either listen to the related recording (no. 16) or read its transcript on p. 121. As you listen or read, complete a summary of the process in this task. Finally, in order to make a better picture of the process, watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOrGNtlN3sg , where you can also see the half equations and an overall equation of the chemical reaction happening during the electrolysis process. As you watch the video, complete this listening comprehension task.

5. Writing: Describing an Experiment

This unit has given you a chance to read as well as listen to some descriptions of various processes. Now, it is your turn to describe a process. Try to recall an experiment or a test you were running during your studies, either as part of labs or as part of your final project. In the introduction, explain the objective of the experiment/test and list materials and tools needed for it. In the body of your text, describe the test procedure using the passive voice and sequencers.  Finally, evaluate the result, discussing its significance and possible applications. Don´t forget to mention some limitations of the experiment and possible further testing necessary. Write a minimum of 250 words. Submit your text here.

6. Word list

The key terms related to the topic of Unit 5a can be found:

• in the Excel format here.
• in the interactive flash card format here. This format is particularly good for drilling the new vocabulary.
• in a zip file here. This file is downloadable, so that after unpacking it, you can drill the new vocabulary on your desktop, laptop or any other portable device where you have a browser installed. The recommended one is Mozilla Firefox. Important: after unzipping the zip file, make sure to keep all the related files in the same directory at all times. Do not change any file names and do not transfer or delete anything.

Recommendation: Remember that the best way to learn new vocabulary is to see each new word in a context; that is, seeing it in the contexts provided in the tasks you complete in the unit.

7. A printer-friendly version of Unit 5a

A printer-friendly version of Unit 5a exercises and the keys to these exercises can be found here.