OVERVIEW

English is the primary international language of naval architecture both in scientific research and the working environment.

In the light of this, the degree course ('Laurea Triennale') in Naval Architecture establishes B1+ of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) as the minimum level of competence in English as a foreign language

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course's principal objective is to raise students' awareness of the importance of increasing their communication skills in English by not only using sector-specific content but crucially by exploiting the knowledge and competences acquired during their degree courses.  

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to consolidate the basis of B1+ competence and move the student closer to the advanced communicative skills needed to study the topics in the degree syllabus and those required by the labour market.
Main objectives:
- Improve productive skills using existing receptive skills as input;
- Raise awareness of function, structure and organisation in naval architecture texts for writing
- Prepare the skills needed to obtain a recognised ESOL certificate at B1+ level.

The aim is that the student, at the end of the course, will not only have consolidated basic language skills but will also have developed greater sectorial linguistic competence in maritime and naval terminology and syntax typical of sector-specific texts, and will be able to approach linguistic content of any kind (written, oral, multimedia) inherent to the world of naval engineering with greater mastery and confidence.

PREREQUISITES

The minimum level of competence in English as second language needed to access the course is B1 (CEFR).

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures in the classroom with the use of texts and audiovisual material relating to topics in the field of naval engineering for the development of subsequent individual and group work; e.g.: text comprehension with questions and answers, work on terminological comprehension by means of glossaries and definitions of terms, text completion, sentence reorganisation, ... .

All the types of exercises proposed in classes will be the same as those that will be presented at the final examination.

Attendance is strongly recommended.

Active participation in the lessons is required where students will be asked to read, express themselves and reflect in English.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

During the lecture hours in the classroom, various topics and themes belonging to the world of naval architecture and maritime engineering will be addressed, in English, which are of interest to students from both a future work and academic perspective, as some of the topics addressed will re-emerge in other lectures during the bachelor degree course.
Some examples: excerpts from IMO international conventions (SOLAS, MARPOL, Hong Kong C.), fire on board, Safety and Security, ships‘ audit, ships’ Flag State Control and Port State Control, case studies on accidents or near misses, ship terminology, ship recycling, Class Societies and their inspections.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

All material used during the lectures and recommended readings will be available on the Aulaweb.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

CHIARA ALBERICCI (President)

LAURA SANTINI (President Substitute)

SANDRA CHRISTINE VLASTA (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Classes are scheduled to begin in the first semester.

Any changes for the day of the first lessons will be announced on Aulaweb.

classes hours for the first semester: Tuesday, h 4-7 PM.

Class schedule

ENGLISH B1+

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Non-attendind students: oral exam + written exam. Passing the oral examination gives access to the written examination.

Attending students: written exam.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The annual duration of this course is 60 classroom hours, divided equally into 30 hours of lesson in each semester.
Students who attend at least 40 out of 60 hours will be able to take only the written examination at the end of the course.
Attendance will be taken in the classroom by roll call at the beginning of each lesson.
Those who do not reach the attendance of at least 40 hours or those who cannot attend will have to take an oral examination in order to proceed to the written examination.
The written examination is the same for attending and non-attending students and is graded in thirtieths, and the score gotten in this written exam will be the final grade for this course.
The oral examination for non-attending students consists of questions in English on material related to the study areas of this course. The oral examination has no grade: if you pass it you will be admitted to the written exam of the chosen roll, otherwise you will repeat it at the next roll. The study material will be uploaded to Aulaweb by the end of November 2024.
Each exam roll, if it is assumed that both attending and non-attending students are booked, will therefore take place over several days: first the oral questions and then the final written part. 

The written examination consists of several exercises of different types. Most of the types of exercises will have already been covered in class during lessons. For each exercise in the written exam, it will be indicated how many points it is worth. The sum of the points will be 30.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

The online attendance to lessons on Teams will not be activated. Lessons will take place only with in-person classes.

Only students who have passed the English B1 assessment test (OFA) in their first year are admitted to the examination.

The examination for this course is preparatory to the English B2 examination in the third year of the degree course.