A systematic approach to writing EFL self-study books for engineersby Michihiro Hirai (Kanagawa University) |
Abstract |
In writing two self-study EFL books for Japanese engineers (one on technical presentations and the other on meetings), the author emulated the process of product development in terms of four basic phases: market environment analysis, design, production, and quality assurance. Central to success, either in writing a practical book or in developing a new product, is differentiation, which is one of the key criteria in defining value for the market. Thus, in market environment analysis, the author first studied the strengths and weaknesses of existing self-study books, thereby identifying the possible areas of differentiation: content, ease of use, and readability, which were then carefully addressed in the design phase. In content, the author’s decades-long experience as a technical coordinator in an export project brought a real-life flavor to the model situations and presentation. Ease of use was enhanced by quick-access indexes and tables sorting model sentences according to grammatical structures and engineering-specific situations. Readability was achieved by inserting relevant and intriguing episodes. In production, a spreadsheet-based table of contents made the actual writing process more visible and manageable. This article concludes by suggesting this approach is conducive to writing publishable books that meet the market’s needs. Keywords: material writing, professional communication, technical presentation, technical meeting, self-study materials ![]() |
[ p. 52 ]
"Compared with the plethora of books on general English, and those on business English to a lesser extent, the range of texts on technical English has long been notably limited." |
Book Writing | Product Development | ||
Phase | Questions to be asked | Phase | Actions to be undertaken |
Market environment analysis | Value of a new book? Potential demand? Other books? |
Market environment analysis | Needs analysis Competitive analysis |
Design | Features of the book? How will it stand out? |
Design | Drawing up of specifications Detailed design |
Writing | What to/not to write? How to handle legal issues? |
Production | Coding Intellectual property check Product liability check |
Quality Assurance | How to ensure quality? | Quality Assurance | Design review Debugging & testing |
[ p. 53 ]
Abbreviations: Text ratings by author |
E = excellent; G = good; F = fair; IS = insufficient; &bsp; NC = not covered G1 good, but insufficient in terms of technical expressions. G2 goof, but overly technical * = potential areas of differentiation for a new book |
Texts rated |
FN = #1 in Appendix A YN = #2 in Appendix A FS = #4 in Appendix A JC = #8 in Appendix A KC = #10 in Appendix A YH = #12 in Appendix A |
[ p. 54 ]
Phase Two – Design"[the] differences between writing and presenting. . .[are] overlooked by most existing books" |
[ p. 55 ]
"[There is a] widespread misperception that . . . meetings do not require anything more than general conversation skills." |
Abbreviations: EVL = Overall book ratings |
E = excellent; G = good; F = fair; IS = insufficient; NC = not covered G = good F = fair NA = not applicable * = potential areas of differentiation for a new book |
DIF = Possible areas of differentiation |
* = positive merit noted |
[ p. 56 ]
Phase Two – Design & Differentiation[ p. 57 ]
Conclusion
Acknowledgements For the book on technical presentations, the author thanks Mr. Stephen Park of the Hitachi Institute of Management Development for reviewing the draft and providing valuable insights into presentation style. For the book on technical meetings, the author expresses his appreciation for the valuable advice and proofreading services offered by the co-author Mr. Francis Kurdyla, president of F. J. Kurdyla and Associates Co., Ltd. |
Main Article | Appendix A |
[ p. 58 ]