Difficulties in English writing for engineering classes

Like other academic writings, English writing for engineering classes requires students’ good writing skills, but also needs articles written in a formal style of writing. However, in addition, English writing for engineering classes in some way differ from other writing styles and it has got the unique characteristic difficulties. After entering the university, I start realize that it is really hard to write well for engineering classes.

First of all, English writing for engineering classes demands much more logic and analysis. It is usually to explain some scientific phenomena and even design process to manufacture a material given some properties in a rational way, rather than to simply express one’s idea and introduce a concept. For example, for course MLE1101, some questions ask students to design such a material which is flexible, light and has high strength. To answer such questions, we must get known of properties of each material, integrate all the information we have, and finally express the analysis process step by step. Therefore, students should pay more attention to the logic and rational organizations in English writing for engineering courses.

Furthermore, many engineering students are annoyed at those disgusting lab reports. I heard from my seniors that till a sophomore and above, we may need to write a lab report for up to 35 pages- long. To write such a long report, we must make it very well-organized and elaborate ourselves clearly. The target readers of the lab reports are the lab instructors who have read plenty of lab reports, possibly for the same experiment. The lab reports, which they are very impressed on, should be both written in a skillful and academic manner, but also creative and innovative. It means that students can use the current knowledge to deduce other possible phenomena and dare to make assumption.

All in all, engineering is not just about repeated theories and formulas. It is a branch of learning, which enables students analysis problems more logically and improve their senses of innovation. English writing for engineering classes is more about description and explanation. It is a special part of academic writing, which requires clear logic and creative ideas.