Writing Skills for Science and Technology, Elementary Level, First Edition

Writing Skills for Science and Technology, Elementary Level, is designed for learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) who study scientificand technical English, as well as for those who work or are interested in thesefields.

The underlying philosophy of the book is the author’s conviction that

basic organizational skills and modes of communication need to be taught at a very early stage to all students, regardless of whether they are native or nonnative speakers of a language. Putting off this crucial concept until grammatical mastery has been achieved results, in my view, in the acquiring of a narrow focus on language which becomes difficult to rectify later in their careers when students are expected to produce samples of extended writing that communicate coherently.

Remember: since Chomsky in the 1950s, grammar is not language; grammar is merely a description of the way most native speakers use the language.

To this end, early on the text adopts an approach to meaningful writing

using step-by-step explanations and exercises that guide the student towards the desired goals. This is done by teaching the mechanics of writing; sentence

structure; kinds of sentences; describing dimensions and properties; and

writing a paragraph. Then students are taught to write in seven practical and

academic writing formats: Definitions, Classification, Processes and

Procedures, Describing Experiments, Comparing, Contrasting, and Cause

and Effect.

Examples illustrating the use of the language pattern being examined are

presented in boxes along with relevant explanations. These are followed by a

wide variety of stimulating topics and exercises that develop the writing skills of students. In the first four units, focus is placed primarily on writing correct

sentences. Then the book focuses on expanding those writing skills by writing

about various practical and academic endeavours that ultimately lead to writing connected scientific and/or technical paragraphs. In addition, great care has been taken to maintain an appropriate level of vocabulary and simplicity of grammar so that the explanations, directions, and readings are all easily accessible for elementary and lower-intermediate students.