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Professional English I

Course developer

Course abstract

The study course is aimed at the development of students’ foreign language (English) knowledge and skills necessary for comprehending, interpreting and evaluating professional information, explaining and comparing processes, participating in discussions, giving presentations in professional and academic environments as well as for communication with foreign students, specialists and academic staff. The focus is on the terminology related to wood science, timber and furniture production, environmentally friendly technologies. The English language proficiency level corresponds to at least level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for foreign languages.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Knowledge and understanding of terminology in the following fields:
- tree and its structure, roots, trunk, foliage and their functions, types and species of trees (Test No 1);
- structure of wood, chemical composition of wood – cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, texture, fibrosity, grain of wood, mechanical properties of wood,
defects of wood and their classification (Test No 2).
Skills: students are able to define terms, select professional information, think critically, participate in discussions applying professional terminology and communication skills: in written form - writing descriptions, summaries, business letters; orally - in discussions, dialogues, giving a presentation.
Competence of professional and academic English language in order to apply it creatively in spoken and written communication for student mobility, professional and academic activities in international environment.
The assessment according to the 10 point scale.

Course Content(Calendar)

1. Introduction to professional foreign language. 2h
2. Dictionaries and glossaries of forest sector terminology. 2h
3. Higher education. Studies at the Forest Faculty. Wood processing speciality. 2h
4. The Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. 2h
5. The tree and its structure. 2h
6. Division of trees into conifers and deciduous trees. Names of trees. 2h
7. Test 1. General characteristics of Latvia`s forests. 2h
8. Structure of wood. Chemical composition of wood. 2h
9. Texture, fibrosity, grain of wood. 2h
10. Mechanical properties of wood. 2h
11. Defects of wood. Classification of defects of wood. 2h
12. Test 2. Moisture of wood. Drying of wood. 2h
13. Logging. Transportation of timber to sawmills. 2h
14. Sawmills. Technical equipment of modern sawmills. The biggest sawmills of Latvia. 2h
15. Basic principles of making Power Point presentations. 1h
16. Presentation about a topic related to the speciality. 3h

Requirements for awarding credit points

Assessment: Test (pass / fail).
It is made up of cumulative assessment.
Successfully written 2 tests, the glossary of terms for each topic, timely completed home works, completed individual work (reading of professional texts, presentation on a selected topic, the glossary of terms, summary). Tests and home works shall have a positive evaluation. The number of the missed classes shall not exceed 20%.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

Individual work:
1. Reading of the independently chosen professional texts (the amount: 20 000 characters);
2. A written summary (the amount – 2000 characters);
3. Prepared PPoint presentation and oral presentation (8-10 minutes) in front of the class;
4. Submitted glossary of terms (30 terms- translated, 20 terms- defined/ explained).

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

The cumulative assessment (pass / fail) is composed of the grades in tests, home assignments, assessment during classes and a presentation of the individual work. The grade in tests is successful if at least 60% of the answers are correct.

Compulsory reading

1. Evans V., Dooley J., Styles N. Career Paths Natural Resources I Forestry. Express Publishing, 2015. 42 p. ISBN 978-1-4715-3943-5
2. Ridsdale C.,White J, Usher C. Trees. New York: DK Ltd., 2005. 360 p. ISBN 1405326980
3. Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material. General Technical Report. USDA, Madison. 2010, 508 p.[tiešsaiste][Skatīts 31.01.2021] Pieejams: https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fpl_gtr190.pdf
4. Wood. [tiešsaiste] [skatīts 31.01.2021.] Pieejams: https://www.explainthatstuff.com/wood.html

Further reading

1. Forest Sector Terminology. Glossary of forest sector terminology used in the European Union and other international legislation. English - Latvian - English. TTC, Meža attīstības fonds. Rīga: Madris, 2007. 151 p. ISBN 978-9984-31-433-4
2. Glossary of joinery and woodworking terms. [tiešsaiste] [skatīts 31.01.2021.] Pieejams: https://www.bwf.org.uk/choose-wood/glossary-of-joinery-and-woodworking-terms/
3. Latvijas Valsts Meži. [tiešsaiste] [skatīts 31.01.2021.] Pieejams: https://www.lvm.lv/en/
4. Mežtehnikas, mežsaimniecības un kokrūpniecības terminu vārdnīca. Rīga: Antera, 1998. 671 lpp. ISBN 9984-9313-0-7
5. Understanding working wood defects. [tiešsaiste] [skatīts 31.01.2021.] Pieejams: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/best-practices-guide/solid-wood-machining/understanding-working-wood-defects

Periodicals and other sources

1. Baltic Timber Journal. ISSN-1691-0494.
2. Big Swedish export sawmill. [tiešsaiste] [skatīts 31.01.2021.] Pieejams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxcOz6glk_g
3. European Journal of Wood and Wood Products. [tiešsaiste] [skatīts 31.01.2021.] Pieejams: https://www.springerprofessional.de/en/european-journal-of-wood-and-wood-products/4941462 ISSN: 1436736X, 00183768
4. Journal of Wood Science. [tiešsaiste] [skatīts 31.01.2021.] Pieejams: https://jwoodscience.springeropen.com/articles ISSN: 1611-4663

Notes

The study course is included in the compulsory part of the professional Bachelor’s degree programme “Wood Processing”.