Learning Scientific and Technical Terminology (STT)
for Successful Professional Communication
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Learning Scientific and Technical Terminology
(STT) for Successful Professional Communication
© 2013 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
S Rukmini*
English language and communication skills are gaining importance on
a par with technical subjects in higher education and corporate sector.
Due to Globalization/Internationalization, English language teaching in
Engineering, Sciences and IT education has become mandatory and is
accorded equal importance along with other basic and applied sciences.
Good command in English language and communication skills has
become the mantra for high employability among engineering and
management students. Amongst the various language skills, Professional
Communication (PC) skills are considered very important for engineers
and IT professionals for excelling in their profession. Poor PC skills have
been identified by the corporate sector as one of the main factors for the
gap between education and employability. Professional communication
differs from general communication, in that it requires command over
Scientific and Technological Terminology (STT) and domain knowledge.
Professional grooming integrates STT along with the required English
language and communication skills. The present paper aims to discuss
the basics of PC, its importance, the role of STT and how to integrate it
into English Language Teaching (ELT). Learning STT serves twin benefits:
it not only develops skills for effective PC, but also helps the vernacular
medium students to grasp the concepts of basic sciences and technology
with complete understanding.
* Assistant Professor, Department of English, Gitam Institute of Technology, Gitam University,
Visakhapatnam 530045, India. E-mail: rukminikrishna123@gmail.com
Introduction
Professional Communication (PC) refers to the usage of English for communication in
‘professional’ or ‘business situations’. English being the lingua franca in a globalized
close-knit community, it has become mandatory for every individual to learn English
in order to communicate to a larger audience. English language pervades all areas of
personal and professional life. The urge to learn English has led to students’ shifting
from vernacular medium to English medium education at college and university level.
In spite of the demand for English medium institutions, teaching standards have not