Course detail

Contrastive Analysis of Professional Texts

FEKT-HCATAcad. year: 2012/2013

This course offers a deeper look at different ways of expressing not only linguistic meaning in English and Czech through their comparison at lectures and seminars. The basic language material on which the analyses are carried out are different technical English texts, which allow for an analysis and comparison of linguistic means in general and the analysis of style specific features as well. The lecture always introduces a particular linguistic phenomena which are then practically dealt with during the seminars.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

5

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

Mgr. Miroslav Kotásek, Ph.D.

Department

Department of Foreign Languages (UJAZ)

Learning outcomes of the course unit

Students will realize the different possibilities opened for English and Czech and they should be able to use this knowledge for example in translations, but in ordinary language usage as well.
Students will get more confidence in using English.
Their abilities to recognize and use correctly different stylistic means of professional English will improve, both in English and in Czech.
They will improve English text understanding.

Prerequisites

Secondary school level knowledge and lower intermediate knowledge of English are required.

Co-requisites

Not applicable.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Teaching methods depend on the type of course unit as specified in Article 7 of BUT for Studies and Examinations.

Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes

75% attendance, active participation in seminars, doing homeworks, course test, exam

Course curriculum

The difference between analytic and synthetic languages and general consequences as far as expressing meaning in Englsh is concerned; the element of culture in technical English texts. Case in English and Czech; nominalization; word-formation. Modality of utterances. Aspect; the passive; tenses. Syntax I - types of sentences, complex and compound sentences; intricate syntactic constructions
Syntax II - functional sentence perspective. Cohesion and coherence; pragmatic aspects in professional language communication. Terminology a phraseology of technical texts. What makes a style?
Different sub-genres of technical or professional language and their specifics. Practical exercises in composition and grammar.

Work placements

Not applicable.

Aims

The course offers an insight into the issues of different ways of expressing not only linguistic meaning in Czech and English. Students will be able to get to know and test in practice the variety of both languages from grammar through pragmatic to cultural dimensions of given languages. The course will show the students different sub-genres of prosfessional texts (style of professional English) through their analysis.

Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences

The content and forms of instruction in the evaluated course are specified by a regulation issued by the lecturer responsible for the course and updated for every academic year.

Recommended optional programme components

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Dušková, L.: Mluvnice současné angličtiny na pozadí češtiny. Praha 1994
Krhutová, M. The Language of Electrical Engineering as a Special Province. Brno 2007.
Kol. autorů: Příruční mluvnice češtiny. Praha 1995, 1996, 2000.
Urbanová, L.: Stylistika anglického jazyka. Brno 2008.

Recommended reading

Not applicable.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme AJEI-H Bachelor's

    branch H-AEI , 2. year of study, summer semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Mgr. Miroslav Kotásek, Ph.D.

Fundamentals seminar

26 hours, compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Mgr. Miroslav Kotásek, Ph.D.