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UDK 378.016:81'243
Blyznychenko A.S., Korniush H. V., Blyznychenko O.M. Ukrainian Engineering Pedagogics Academy,
Kharkiv, Ukraine DOI: 10.24411/2520-6990-2020-11635 THE ROLE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN THERMAL POWER ENGINEERING AS AN EMPLOYABILITY AND EXPERTISE BOOSTER
Близниченко А.С., Корнюш А.В., Близниченко Е.Н.,
Украинская инженерно-педагогическая академия,
Харьков, Украина
РОЛЬ АНГЛИЙСКОГО ЯЗЫКА В ТЕПЛОЭНЕРГЕТИКЕ КАК ФАКТОРА, СПОСОБСТВУЮЩЕГО ТРУДОУСТРОЙСТВУ И РОСТУ ПРОФЕССИОНАЛИЗМА
Аннотация
Статья посвящена вопросам значения английского языка в теплоэнергетической отрасли. Отмечены преимущества владения английским языком во время профессионального общения, а также при интерпретации технических процессов и инструкций к эксплуатации оборудования. Рассмотрены вопросы важности знания и уровня владения деловым и техническим английским языком для инженеров и руководителей теплоэнергетических предприятий. Даны рекомендации по освоению студентами технического английского языка.
Abstract
The article focuses on the role ofthe English language in the thermal power engineering industry. The authors highlight advantages of the English language proficiency in professional communication or while interpreting technical instructions for equipment operations. Special emphasis is put on the question of importance of technical and business English for engineers and managers of thermal power enterprises. The article contains recommendations regarding teaching English to students specializing in power engineering.
Ключевые слова: английский язык, теплоэнергетика, профессиональное общение, технический перевод, навыки.
Keywords: English language, thermal power engineering, professional communication, technical translation, skills.
The leading role of the English language in today's world is undeniable, as it is a tacit language of international communication. The age of globalization has come - a time when no industry is free of interdependent international connections and English is more important than ever. Knowing a foreign language benefits employability of a specialist and significantly increases the "value" of a company's employee, directly affecting his or her potential salary. This fact clearly determines the need for English as a second language after the mother tongue. This language, whose popularity is constantly increasing, has become an indispensable means of international communication, especially in the business world and in a number of rapidly developing industries (IT, economy, engineering, etc.).
At the same time it should be noted that the field of power engineering and related work positions always remain topical due to the fact that mankind needs more and more energy resources, their economical and competent distribution every day. Therefore, it is necessary to build new electric facilities, develop cost-effective power generation schemes, and introduce new technologies. In that regard, work in this area involves constant personal and professional development, ob-
taining new knowledge and skills as well as regular internships, which will all ensure promising career and business growth. In order to develop the energy industry in Ukraine without barriers, power plants need staff with an in-depth knowledge of English [2].
As we have already noted, proficiency in English is an important requirement in employment. It is in English that negotiations, meetings, seminars, workshops and presentation of new technologies are increasingly taking place. A person who speaks English has great potential and career opportunities in the energy industry - he or she can occupy better-paid positions and get a chance to go on business trips or work abroad [1].
Knowing English today is as important as reading and writing skills in the native language. Once you are in an international environment, you will be completely helpless without English skills. English empowers employees both professionally and personally. It also brings people together and helps to gain knowledge from large sources of information. Moreover, it is well-known that regular memory training is necessary for professional and personal development, with learning foreign languages being one of the most effective and useful methods of memory training. The more time a
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person devotes to memory development, the better it works. In the information age, more than ever, every specialist needs a good memory, which can be trained when learning foreign languages.
In order to be able to communicate freely in English, conduct negotiations or professionally related seminars and trainings, specialists require not only theoretical knowledge, but also experience and necessary skills for practical communication with international partners. Sharing knowledge makes it possible to improve both communication skills in English and the qualification level of engineers and managers of power enterprises.
Taking into consideration constant development of this industry, it should be underlined that new expressions and concepts regularly appear, some technical definitions acquire new meanings, which conditions the need for professionals in the industry to be able to get acquainted with the latest information from primary sources. Analysis of the current situation in the power engineering industry in Ukraine allows saying that in order to stay well-informed modern employees are expected to be able to read specialized literature in the original because only a small part of relevant sources is translated into Ukrainian or Russian, which deprives employees of the opportunity to learn valuable brand-new information. Moreover, even if educational materials and professional literature are translated into other languages, the translation is usually delayed by 1 or 2 years, which is the average period of preparation and translation into Ukrainian, so the information that readers get is already outdated. It should be emphasized that most specialized sites are also in English. Consequently, knowledge of the language (even partial) significantly increases the ability to obtain topical information. In addition, the Internet has expanded communication opportunities as never before and simplified communication with people from any country. Knowledge of English helps to build up a network of professional contacts, attend professional webinars and get information from the leading foreign experts in the field of power engineering.
So, being able to communicate in English and staying informed in the realm of thermal power engineering gives a number of advantages. It ensures freedom in professional communication and greatly facilitates understanding between partners without intermediaries and interpreters. If a power engineering specialist knows technical and business English, he or she can make presentations, conduct and take part in negotiations with foreign partners, hold professional meetings without awkward language barriers, describe principles of modern power plants, give characteristics of individual parts of various devices of the energy complex. Understanding technical and business English allows one to be fluent in modern conditions of the energy industry as well as to orient oneself to topical professional literature, instructions and technical documentation. However, for the effective application of language skills, it is important to understand how common English vocabulary differs from specialized vocabulary. The energy industry is in dire need of special-
ists with knowledge of English, especially for companies with foreign capital with representative offices in Ukraine, whose business is associated with the export and import of goods or technologies. English speaking employees are required in the areas of procurement, production management and engineering [3].
Ukraine actively uses imported equipment and technologies in the energy sector. Operation of imported equipment (like blowers, industrial cooling systems "Evapco" (North America), vacuum pumps "Apollo-Góssnitz GmbH" (Switzerland), diesel generators "JCB Power Systems" (UK), screw air compressors "Hanwha Techwin" (Republic of Korea), components for wind generators "Vestas" (Denmark) which are widely used at modern energy enterprises of Ukraine such as thermal power plants and nuclear power plants, Dnipro cascade of hydroelectric power stations, JSC "Ukrnafta", State Enterprise "Lvivhasvydobuvannia", JSC "Dnistrohidroenerho", Industrial Association "Yuzhmash") requires knowledge of technical English to properly understand all the nuances and details of its functioning. When purchasing foreign equipment, any enterprise may require pointers and instructions in Ukrainian. It is not surprising that the translation of instructions has become a separate area of technical translation. Work with such texts implies compliance with special requirements. It should be highlighted that when translating, it is necessary to take into account all the subtleties of the foreign language and peculiarities of the way equipment functions. Thus, adequate interpretation of technical specifications and pointers into another language requires not only linguistic but also technical knowledge. This can best be solved by engineers who work in the field of thermal power engineering and speak English at a high level.
We agree with V. A. Usachev [6, p. 178-181] that the main features of translation of technical pointers and instructions are manifested in mandatory knowledge of all terms related to a specific technical field of translation. A specialist working with technical texts should understand the meaning of the words to be translated and take into account all the nuances of their application. One of the most difficult types of translation is scientific and technical translation, as correct interpretation of material into another language requires not only linguistic but also technical knowledge. Technical translation is the translation of texts of technical subject matter, in particular, documents of different specialization, all kinds of reference literature, dictionaries, certificates of product conformity, operating instructions, engineering plans, scientific and technical articles, business contracts and other commercial technical proposals. Instructions may describe stages and rules of operation of the product, precautions and other details of use of the equipment. Such texts may contain a large number of specific terms, and therefore translation of instructions requires knowledge of the terminology. To provide a quality result, the translator must have a clear understanding of what the equipment is used for and how it works. If phrases are translated into Ukrainian literally, they will be either incomprehensible or completely meaningless. Therefore, employees
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of power plants must have at least a basic level of technical text translation skills in their industry [5]. Technical translation from one language to another must be accurate and logical. It is very important not only to convey the essence of the text, but also to avoid any inaccuracies. Quite often, technical translations into English encounter problems because of the lack of translators and interpreters who have a perfect command of technical terminology and developed linguistic abilities. Of course, there is another option of translation with the help of special equipment for simultaneous interpreting, which is increasingly used at conferences, seminars and other events attended by foreign partners. However, such equipment appears to be quite expensive. What is more, no high-quality equipment will ever surpass the human brain, and in situations when it is necessary to define words within the context, the device may not provide an accurate translation, and as a result inaccuracies will occur, and the status of the company may decrease in the eyes of its partners [5]. Thus, a perfect power engineering specialist is the one who knows English and has technical expertise. If a worker's technical and linguistic knowledge is not sufficient, he or she has to work in conjunction with an experienced editor-translator who corrects all the inaccuracies, which this is not profitable for the company either because it necessitates additional expenses. However, incorrect instructions will lead to incorrect operation of the equipment, which can lead to breakdowns or even more serious consequences.
We strongly believe that particular emphasis must be placed on language training of future power engineering students at universities in the context of General English, Business English and ESP courses. According to A. L. Lugova [4, p. 3-5], students specializing in power engineering should acquire English language skills sufficient to describe individual parts (pieces of equipment), explain the operation of devices, give characteristics of modern power plants and their equipment. Thus, a top-class specialist should be able to talk about professional topics and read specialized literature in the original, extracting from it information necessary for his or her professional activity. As a result, activities aimed at forming the basis of future specialists' professional vocabulary must play a very important role in their academic training since rich vocabulary is important for further mastering of technical and business English. Students should also be encouraged (by English language university teachers and university teachers of specialized technical subjects) to study systematically necessary terminology, namely descriptions of individual parts and equipment elements, characteristics of operating devices for various purposes, etc. Besides reading and translation of text materials of
different conceptual and linguistic complexity, instructional materials for ESP courses should be aimed at developing and deepening soft skills of future power engineers as well as their skills of oral and written communication on professionally relevant topics.
Having analyzed the current situation with the English language in the thermal power engineering industry, it is possible to draw the following conclusion: knowing English is a must for power engineering workers of all ranks as it guarantees better career opportunities, improved communication with foreign partners, more accurate interpretation of pointers and instructions, constant professional growth and experience exchange. Special attention should be paid to the level of language training in universities preparing future specialists for the thermal power engineering sector. Suggestions for further research in the area include experimental studies on the existing level of English among power engineering students of higher education institutions in Ukraine, development and practical verification of methodological recommendations and instructional tools aimed at improving their corresponding language skills.
References
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2. Elektroenergetika i elektrotehnika: kem rabotat i chto predpochest [Electric power and electrical engineering: who to work as and what to prefer]. MadEn-ergy.Ru : website. URL : https://madenergy.ru/stati/el-ektroenergetika-i-elektrotexnika-kem-rabotat-i-chto-predpochest.html.
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6. Usachev, V. A. Aktualnye problemy perevoda nauchno-tekhnicheskikh tekstov v angliiskom iazyke [Actual problems of translation of scientific and technical texts in English]. Donetsk, 2013: Visnyk do-netskoho natsionalnoho universytetu ekonomiky i to-rhivli imeni Mykhaila Tuhan-Baranovskoho, no. 2(58), pp. 177-190.
