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ENGLISCH FÜR INGENIEURE
ESP Conference Ulm
September 2009

HANDOUT ESP CONFERENCE ULM 2009

English for Engineers

Behind the Scenes of
the Magazine Approach

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NEWS & TRENDS Exploitation

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PICTORIAL Crossword
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AUDIO Video
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PRESENTATION Slides
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www.engine-magazin.de

Bild: Enicycle
Exercise 1
Provide the participants with pictures of the
products together with key words. Participants
must then prepare a two minute presentation
on the product. Alternatively, they could write
a short description of the picture they have.
Key words:
Enicycle – electric-powered
self-balancing unicycle
gyroscope, built-in computer
to measure vertical angle and accelerate/
decelerate wheel – to balance vehicle
speed control – lean forwards or backwards
steering – push footrests
learning time – 30 minutes, says inventor
small, lightweight
range – 30 km
www.engine-magazin.de
News
& Trends
Original Article
Kids love their unicycles, no question. But once they grow older they want
something more substantial, something that has an engine. Aleksander Po-
lutnik from Slovenia might have had the right idea at the right time when he
came up with his Enicycle, an electric-powered, self-balancing unicycle.
Riding the Enicycle is much easier than mastering a unicycle because
a gyroscope and a built-in computer constantly measure the vertical angle
and accelerate or decelerate the wheel to balance the vehicle. The speed is
controlled by leaning forwards or backwards. Steering is done by pushing the
footrest on either side. This takes some time getting used to, but the inventor
is promising a learning time of less than 30 minutes. Small, light and with a
range of up to 30 kilometres, the Enicycle has the potential to become the poor
man’s Segway.
Exercise 2
Having done that, provide the participants with the original text for com-
parison. The text might also be used as a gap fill for vocabulary practice,
focussing on more technical vocabulary.
speed - ange - built-in - angle - decelerate - powered - engine - steering
Kids love their unicycles, no question. But once they grow older they
want something more substantial, something that has an ____________.
Aleksander Polutnik from Slovenia might have had the right idea at the
right time when he came up with his Enicycle, an electric- ____________,
self-balancing unicycle.
Riding the Enicycle is much easier than mastering a unicycle because a
gyroscope and a ____________ computer constantly measure the vertical
____________ and accelerate or ____________ the wheel to balance the
vehicle. The ____________ is controlled by leaning forwards or backwards.
____________ is done by pushing the footrest on either side. This takes
some time getting used to, but the inventor is promising a learning time of
less than 30 minutes. Small, light and with a ____________ of up to 30 kilo-
metres, the Enicycle has the potential to become the poor man’s Segway.
 
 News
& Trends

Exercise 3
Same as Exercise 2 but focussing on more general vocabulary:

pushing - become - measure - balance - takes - came up with -

accelerate - mastering

Kids love their unicycles, no question. But once they grow older they
want something more substantial, something that has an engine.
Aleksander Polutnik from Slovenia might have had the right idea at
the right time when he ____________ his Enicycle, an electric-powered,
self-balancing unicycle.
Riding the Enicycle is much easier than ____________ a unicycle be-
cause a gyroscope and a built-in computer constantly ____________ the
vertical angle and ____________ or decelerate the wheel to ___________
the vehicle. The speed is controlled by leaning forwards or backwards.
Steering is done by ____________ the footrest on either side. This
____________ some time getting used to, but the inventor is promising
a learning time of less than 30 minutes. Small, light and with a range of
up to 30 kilometres, the Enicycle has the potential to ____________ the
poor man’s Segway.
Follow-up work:
Each article has a web
site which can be
used to obtain further
information on the
products and companies.

Exercise 4
Information exchange:
In groups of four or five, each participant has a different text from the
News and Trends selection. Having read their text, they must then
explain what their invention/development/product is to the others.
Once all texts have been discussed, each participant must complete a
questionnaire concerning all of the products.
Give headings and brainstorm what the item might be about.
Provide articles and ask participants to match them to the headings.
Compare original articles with brainstorming ideas. Alternatively, give
articles without headings. Ask the participants to think up headings,
then compare with the originals.

Exercise 5
Vocabulary work using the glossary:

• take out German translations and participants provide their own,

using highlighted words in the context of the articles
• take out the English words and participants find them in the texts
to match the German translations
• combination of both ideas.

www.engine-magazin.de  
Pictorial

body

windscreen sun roof roof door pillar saloon (GB)/sedan (US)

hood

A-pillar trunk
notchback/hatchback
Motor Vehicles wing
door door handle

0ART¬ fuel tank

flap
rear view bumper estate car (GB)/
mirror body station wagon (US)
cylinder drive-train
types
valve
spring rocker arm
differential wheel
gear convertible/cabriolet
tread rim
valve camshaft
cardan shaft
tire
spark
plug
minivan/minibus SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) sports car

valve
wheel drum brake
piston
nut
return wheel
con(necting) rod brakes spring cylinder

brake
car engine clutch manual transmission lining
flywheel pressure plate diaphragm shoe
camshaft drive oil dipstick
spring hold-down
train gear stick
fuel injection spring
brake
synchronizer shoe
shift fork
brake drum
throw-out adjuster
insput
input
bearing
shaft
disc brake

belt caliper
cylinder
output bracket hub
gear caliper
shaft
clutch
disk
bellhousing

piston
counter shaft transmission rotor
crankshaft housing brake pad
clutch fork

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 Video

Cary Fowler:
One Seed
at a Time
Listen to the presentation excerpt and tick the correct box(es)
for each section.

1 Svalbard is located

87° North in Greenland ®
78° North below Norway ®
78° North in Greenland ®
78° North above Norway ®
2 According to Mr. Fowler, which of the following
advantages does Svalbard have?

It’s safe. ®
®

It’s remote but accessible.
®

It’s close to the polar ice cap.
®

It needs little or no mechanical refrigeration
®

It’s cold.
It belongs to Norway. ®
3 Which of the following statement(s) are true?

The tunnel is 130 metres below the surface. ®

The safety doors are 130 metres apart. ®
The tunnel is 130 metres long. ®
The tunnel has 130 safety doors. ®
4 Which of the following statement(s) are true?

The vault contains 500,000 samples of unique crop varieties. ®

The vault contains 425,000 samples of different varieties of rice. ®
The vault contains 425,000 samples of unique crop varieties. ®
The vault contains 70,000 samples of different varieties of rice. ®
5 What is the ultimate aim for the seed vault?

500 samples of every variety of agricultural crop. ®

500,000 samples of every variety of agricultural crop. ®
1 million samples of every variety of agricultural crop. ®
500 seeds of every variety of agricultural crop. ®

www.engine-magazin.de  
 Crossword

Crossword Vokabeln lassen

sich nicht nur mit
Karteikasten und
What is the mysterious X? All of the words in the puzzle can be found in the articles in this Oktavheft pauken.
issue. See if you can complete the crossword to find out an IT system that can transfer large Wie wär‘s denn mal
amounts of data without the use of cables. You will find the answers on page 54. mit einem Kreuz-
worträtsel?

X
Í
1. Another word for quickly.

2. Not real, man-made.

3. A person or company involved in a

specific task in a construction project.
4. To put something completely into a
liquid.
5. To use, or to give someone work.

6. A warning.

7. It can be seen, it is _____________.

8. Pushing or pulling material through an

opening to create a pipe, for example.
9. It can be heard, it is _____________.

10. To check, or to follow the progress of

something.
11. To remember.

12. Where a rocket starts its journey into

space: Launch ________.
13. The possibility of something being
done, maybe in financial terms.
14 To calculate roughly, to make a guess.

15. This is attached to a wall and is used

to hold up a shelf.
16. Very valuable, also used for metals.

17. A computer calculation program in

the form of a table.
18. If you want to put holes in paper, you
use a hole __________.
19. Immovable property, e.g. buildings and
land.
20. The usefulness of something, or an
electric or water supplier.
21. Value.

22. A device that connects communication

systems to make up a larger net.
23. A change, or an amendment.

24. Supplied in a way that it is ready to

switch on and use.

www.engine-magazin.de  
 Crossword

Exploiting the Crossword

The crossword is taken from a previous issue of the magazine. Here are a few ways of exploiting
the crossword with learners:

Clues 1 – 6

Normal crossword! Fill in the answers with the given clues. Alternatively, for weaker learners,
provide the answers so the participants can match them to the clues. Don’t forget to add a few
‘red herrings’, making sure that they have the same number of letters as the required answers.

alert deploy claim

swiftly sharply constructs
synthetics employ immerse
artificial include contractor

1. Another word for quickly.

2. Not real, man-made.

3. A person or company involved in a

specific task in a construction project.
4. To put something completely into a
liquid.
5. To use, or to give someone work.

6. A warning.

Clues 7 – 12

Jumble up the letters. Once again, add a few ‘red herrings’, making sure that they have the same
number of letters as the required answers.

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dap bilvsie alp
unrtsioni ogtfre bladuei

7. It can be seen, it is _____________.

8. Pushing or pulling material through an

opening to create a pipe, for example.
9. It can be heard, it is _____________.

10. To check, or to follow the progress of

something.
11. To remember.

12. Where a rocket starts its journey into

space: Launch ________.

www.engine-magazin.de  
 Crossword

Clues 13 – 18

Delete the clues and provide the participants with the completed crossword. Ask the partici-
pants to write appropriate clues for the answers. Alternatively, for weaker learners, give the
clues and ask the participants to match them to the answers in their completed crossword, again
including some wrong clues.

Very valuable, also used for metals.

A very loud noise.
A computer calculation program in the form of a table.
This is attached to a wall and is used to hold up a shelf.
Of very little value.
If you want to put holes in paper, you use a hole ___________.
A skill needed to find the way.
A cover you can put over a bed.
To calculate roughly, to make a guess.
A friend from an eastern country.
The possibility of something being done, maybe in financial terms.
Another word for a boxing glove.

13. v i a b i l i t y
14 e s t i m a t e
15. b r a c k e t
16. p r e c i o u s
17. s p r e a d s h e e t
18. p u n c h

Clues 19 – 24

‘Split’ the crossword. One participant receives half of the answers, another participant the
remaining answers. They then write clues on a separate piece of paper for the answers they
have in front of them and exchange the clues. Each participant can then complete the crossword.
Alternatively, the activity can be done orally.

19. Immovable property, e.g. buildings and r e a l _ e s t a t e

land.
20. The usefulness of something, or an u t i l i t y
electric or water supplier.
21. Value. w o r t h
22. A device that connects communication r o u t e r
systems to make up a larger net.
23. A change, or an amendment. a l t e r a t i o n
24. Supplied in a way that it is ready to t u r n e y
switch on and use.

www.engine-magazin.de  
 Internet
Resources

Linksverkehr

General Audio
www.seibt.de www.uh.edu/engines
Database of industrial manufacturers, suppliers Short radio reports about the history of technology. The
and service providers. Good for finding specific source for engine’s ‘History-Audio Datei’.
products or competitors of your student’s company. www.theworld.org/technology
‘Classification’ very useful for building systematics or Weekly radio show on all kinds of technology and science. A
dictionaries. collection of news items each 3-4 minutes long.
www.wlw.de www.abc.net.au/rn/scienceshow
Similar to the one above. Like above, but some news are Australia related.
www.sciam.com/podcast
News & Trends Scientific American podcast with longer shows on mainly
www.gizmag.com scientific subjects.
Very good source for short articles on all kinds of www.planetary.org/radio
technical products and emerging technologies. Space related radio show, often with interviews.
Sections include, among others, automotive, home www.podcastalley.com
entertainment, spy gear, aeronautics. www.podcastdirectory.com
www.engadget.com www.apple.com/itunes/whatson/podcasts
Short reports on mainly computer and Sources to search for more technology related podcasts.
telecommunication gadgets.
www.wired.com Video
Website of the technology magazine ‘Wired’ with www.ted.com
short technology news but also podcasts and videos. Annual conference of the ‘world’s greatest thinkers and
www.treehugger.com doers’. Many videos of their talks. Not only technology, but
The name says it all: technology news with an also social science or art. Very interesting, very inspiring and
ecological touch. very addictive.
www.inhabitat.com www.ted.com/index.php/talks/robert_lang_folds_way_
Mainly news on architecture and design. new_origami.html
www.popsci.com Robert Lang’s talk about Origami
http://us.gizmodo.com www.poptech.org
http://dvice.com Similar conference to the one above, but more technology
More sources for short reports on technology and centred.
gadgets. www.gadgetoff.com
www.idw-online.de Videos and presentations from an annual conference with
Informationsdienst Wissenschaft with mostly the motto: Bringing the smart and the useless together.
German but also English research news from German www.sciencentral.com
Universities Videonews with short Youtube clips on all kinds of
www.alphagalileo.org technology.
A good resource for European research news
www.newswise.com Technical Dictionary
Worldwide research news from medicine, science, www.industrie.seibt.com
business, and the humanities. Bilingual classification of products and industries. Good
starting point for building a dictionary.
Pictorial
http://images.google.com Technology Basics
Always your friend when searching for images. For www.howstuffworks.com
technical drawing try adding ‘drawing’, ‘assembly’ or Explains, well, how stuff works. Many, many elaborate and
‘section’ to the item you search. easy to understand articles on all kinds of technology, but
www.ingenious.org.uk/See also general subjects. Very useful as background information.
A historic image collection with photos from the www.engineeringtoolbox.com
fields of transport, entertainment, science, medicine A little odd collection of articles on engineering basics
and industry. including, electronics, mechanics and many other subjects.

www.engine-magazin.de 