On the primacy of the English language in the hard sciences

Today, as the globalization continues, English plays an increasing important role in our lives. And nowadays English language competence also somewhat determines a student’s academic life and prospective career. Therefore, as for us engineering students, it seems to be essential and beneficial to crack this universal language.

Firstly, an opportunity for peer communications would be offered if engineering workers obtain good English language skills. It is generally acknowledged that academic exchanges have greatly motivated the process of scientific and technical innovations. As a potential engineer, if we study alone and seldom communicate with others, we will unavoidable narrow down our creativity and repeat the work already done by others. Moreover, it would be frustrated when we try to acquire the experiences of our predecessors, which may waste us a multitude of time and energy. However, when a potential engineer excellent In English meet questions, he can make a consultation to the pros in other countries; when he try to work out a problem or make a project, he can team up with his peers in other countries and communicate well with his teammates; and more importantly, thanks to English, an academic platform for intellectuals who care the some issues can be gathered together, so that they can be understood and progress the technology forward together.

Secondly, Academic integrity in the Anglo-English culture is often misunderstood by non-native English users because of varying cultural beliefs or differing academic and cultural backgrounds, but good English can eliminate this gap as much as possible. Compared with western education systems, textbook knowledge is more commonly emphasized and exams are more commonly used to gauge what students have learnt in the semester in the Mandarin-based education system. And since the cultural difference, oriental students are less encouraged to express their own thoughts and discuss or doubt the knowledge they get from books. As a result, students from different educational backgrounds tend to perform in different way in the upcoming work, which will influence their prospection in their future work, especially to those individuals who prefer to work in the foreign country. But a good language skill may offer you some cultural background, which may help you adjust quickly; and also a good foreign language makes you easier to be admitted by an foreign college, which may bring you devising culture and education backgrounds.

Thirdly, Plagiarism, collusion, and similar practices are shaped by a student’s educational background and cultural beliefs, and organizational ethics. But an uniform language environment may minimize these side-effects. Suppose that if every scholar uses the same language to write their research paper, once someone plagiarize others ideas, he will be found soon and become notorious; if every researchers of social science knows some Anglo-English language and background culture, the collisions and academic assaults will become fewer so that researchers can put more energy onto their studies; and if every workers know more about English, colleagues can be respected by each other, a more tied relationship will be formed and less misunderstood will be caused.

To conclude, learning English well would be the prior for us potential engineer of hard science in the current society. So it is better for us to make more efforts on it.