1.   19th Annual Colloquium on International Engineering Education: Preparing the Global Workforce November 3 & 4, 2016,   Newport, Rhode Island
Technical German from the beginning:
Developing German language courses for international engineering students at the
Faculty of Engineering, University of Duisburg-Essen
Renate Kärchner-Ober

2. Introduction
In the third millenium: reinforcement of international cooperation between universities
Importance of multilingualism for global engineers, dominance of English to be rethought
Specialized linguistic competencies important for the labor market
Concern of universities to offer language courses for specific purposes (LSP, ESP X-SP)
In Germany, LSP courses usually designed for advanced learners (B2)
Novel approach at UDE, Faculty of Engineering: GSP (technical German) from early stages of language learning (A1)

3. Approach
Principles of multiple language learning/tertiary language didactics (transfer didactic)
Eurocomprehension, complement to conventional language teaching
Making use of prior acquired languages
Making use of subject knowledge
German L3 after English L2
Language learning: a process, not a straight line

4. If you can read English, you can already read German
Multilingualism within language families can be obtained quickly by receptive methods
Within Germanic language families people can understand each other
Making use of prior acquired linguistic + subject knowledge
Students possess command of English and have acquired subject knowledge
Focus on receptive skills
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5. Specifics of L3-learning
L3 (second foreign language/tertiary language)
Developing multilingualism, multiple literacies
Transfer of skills acquired during L2-learning, transfer of subject knowledge
L2 (first foreign language)
New learning experiences, new concepts, learning strategies, developing of biliteracy
Developing metacognitive skills, language awareness, acquiring knowledge (partly) in L1 and/or L2
L1 (native tongue(s)
Individual parameters, social context, cultural concepts
Development of language and cognition, knowledge acquisition

6. Seven sieves 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pre-/suffixes
7 sieves, EuroComGerm
7 sieves language course UDE/UKM 1
Prior acquired knowledge, international vocabulary
International vocabulary, numbers, mathematical symbols, graphics
Texts with technical vocabulary 2
Vocabulary: cognates German-English
Cognates, searching for international words, names (e.g. Bayer, Ohm…), nomenclatura 3
Sound correspondences
Special vocabulary lists, listening training, differences of sounds 4
Spelling and pronunciation
Similarities and differences, relationship of words (e.g. electric-elektrisch) 5
Syntactic structures
Typical simple structures, separable verbs (e.g. 6
Morphosyntactic elements
Typical constructions in technical German 7
Pre-/suffixes
Greek and Latin prefixes, dictionary 

7. Needs analysis Learner factor analysis Motivation
Target situation analysis
Skills that students should be able to perform, study context
Teaching context analysis
Present situation analysis
Level of students`ability to perform the tasks in a study context
Types of needs analysis

8. Participants
Convenience sample, representativ for the target popluation (South-East-Asian students of engineering)
10 Indonesian, 12 Chinese and 35 Malaysian students (n= 57, 8 questionnaires), 14 female, 43 male
20 Malaysian students wer enrolled in both, subject and language courses
Fields of engineering: electrial/mechanical/civil and computer science

9. Findings and discussion (selection)
Part II: All students are much or very much interested in taking GSP courses at an early stage of language learning. Results not really surprising
Part III:Content of material – Expectations (usefulness/importance)
Ranking according to maximal differences between study programms
e.g.: „shapes and dimensions“ Mechanical Eng: 4.476, Computer Eng.: 3.000

10. Results: Content of material
high correspondences low

11. Results: Content of material
Highest correspondences all study programmes
Lowest correspondences all study programmes
Grammar, syntax
Specific vocabulary
Describing processes
Numbers and quantities
Classifying devices and equipment
Engineering materials and properties
Problem solving
On the job
Shapes, dimensions
Engineering landmarks, buildings
Making predicitons, future trend and technical innovations
Phases of construction

12. Model Identifying target situation Students‘ needs
Needs analysis, assessing needs
Theoretical views: language
Identifying inguistic features target situation
Identification of need for teaching materials
Formulating goals/objectives
Designing materials
Focus on specific topics
Test run materials
Evaluation of materials
Modifying
Contextual realisation
Developing teaching material
Test run
Modifying teaching material
Modify course
Teaching the course
Student use the material
Re-evaluation

13. Thank you for your attention