Challenges engineers-to-be encounter in reading specialized texts

Abstract

In the endeavor to find the most efficient ways to enhance learning of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) by engineering students, we have focused on exploiting the specialized text as the most peculiar way of conveying scientific and technical knowledge in academic settings. However, specialized text comprehension is often hindered by text structure itself, for instance, text layout, abundance of domain related terminology used in “science-specific” grammar structures, or students’ lack of experience to tackle expository/subject-oriented texts. The present article discusses challenges students encounter in specialized text reading highlighting the main difficulties students struggle with. It also brings up the peculiarities of the technical text, which make this piece of writing difficult to cope with.