Skills to be developed

The basic skills to become a civil engineer is:

1. You must have a good resistance in your body- the work may be of roaming all over the world of
different climatic condition. So your body must be fit.
2. Innovative thinking- on seeing a land you must have a good plan of constructing a perfect buildind. It
might be concrete, bick or steel. You must know all aspects of construction.
3. Dictatorship-rather than communication, you should be like a dictator. It will help U to gain your needs
or other demands from the customer. The sub-engineers also obey your words.
These three are from my experience. Moreover, you should also hhave some basic knowledge in
Mathematics.

Expand all

ExpandedCivil Engineer - 233211

Job details
Job
description

Skill level

Skills
assessment
authority

Information
Plans, designs, organises and oversees the construction and operation of dams, bridges,
pipelines, gas and water supply schemes, sewerage systems, airports and other civil
engineering projects. Registration or licensing may be required.

This occupation has a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher
qualification. At least five years of relevant experience may substitute for the formal
qualification. In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be
required in addition to the formal qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 1).

Before you can migrate to Australia as a skilled migrant you must have your skills assessed
by the relevant national assessment authority. The assessment authority for your occupation
is Engineers Australia.

The work
As a civil engineer, you could work in any one of the following specialist areas of
engineering:

structural dams, buildings, offshore platforms and pipelines

transportation roads, railways, canals and airports
environmental water supply networks, drainage and flood barriers
maritime ports, harbours and sea defences
geotechnical mining, earthworks and construction foundations.
These branches sometimes overlap but your regular tasks could include:

planning requirements with the client and colleagues

analysing survey, testing and mapping data using computer modelling software
creating blueprints using computer aided design (CAD)
judging whether projects are feasible by looking at costs, time and labour
requirements
assessing the environmental impact and risks connected to projects
preparing bids for tenders, and reporting to clients, public agencies and planning
organisations
managing, directing and monitoring progress during each stage of a project
making sure that sites meet legal guidelines, and health and safety
requirements.
You would normally work on projects alongside other professionals, such as architects,
surveyors and building contractors.

Skills, interests and qualities

To become a civil engineer, you will need to have:

excellent maths, science, and IT skills

the ability to explain design ideas and plans clearly
the ability to analyse large amounts of data, and assess solutions
a confident decision-making ability
excellent communication skills
project management skills
the ability to work within budgets and to deadlines
good teamwork skills
full knowledge of relevant legal regulations.

ExpandedStructural Engineer - 233214

Job details

Job
description

Skill level

Skills
assessmen
t authority

Information

Analyses the statistical properties of all types of structures, tests the behaviour and durability
of materials used in their construction, and designs and supervises the construction of all
types of structures. Registration or licensing may be required.

This occupation has a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher
qualification. At least five years of relevant experience may substitute for the formal
qualification. In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be
required in addition to the formal qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 1).

Before you can migrate to Australia as a skilled migrant you must have your skills assessed
by the relevant national assessment authority. The assessment authority for your occupation
is Engineers Australia.

Work activities[edit]
Depending on which career the construction engineer has chosen to follow, an entry-level design
engineer normally provides support to project managers and assist with creating conceptual designs,
scopes, and cost estimates for the planning and construction of approved projects. It should be
noted that a career in design work does require a professional engineer license (PE). Individuals
who pursue this career path are strongly advised to sit for the Engineer In Training exam (EIT) while
in college as it takes five years (4 years in USA) post graduate to obtain the PE license.
Entry-level construction manager positions are typically called project engineers or assistant project
engineers. They are responsible for preparing purchasing requisitions, processing change orders,

preparing monthly budgeting reports, and handling meeting minutes. The construction management
position does not necessarily require a PE license; however possessing one does make the
individual more marketable, as the PE license allows the individual to sign off on temporary structure
designs.

Abilities[edit]
Construction engineers are problem solvers, they help create infrastructure that best meets the
unique demands of its environment. They must be able to understand infrastructure life cycles and
have the perspective to solve technical challenges with clarity and imagination. Therefore individuals
should have a strong understanding of maths and science, but many other skills are required,
including critical and analytical thinking, time management, people management and
good communication skills.

Educational requirements[edit]
Individuals looking to obtain a construction engineering degree must first ensure that the program is
accredited by EAC or Technology Accreditation Commission (TAC) of theAccreditation Board for
Engineering and Technology (ABET). ABET accreditation is assurance that a college or university
program meets the quality standards established by the profession for which it prepares its students.
In the US there are currently twenty-five programs that exist in the entire country so careful college
consideration is advised.[2]
A typical construction engineering curriculum is a mixture of engineering mechanics, engineering
design, construction management and general science and mathematics. This usually leads to
a Bachelor of Science degree. The B.S. degree along with some design or construction experience
is sufficient for most entry level positions. Graduate schools may be an option for those who want to
go further in depth of the construction and engineering subjects taught at the undergraduate level. In
most cases construction engineering graduates look to either civil engineering, engineering
management, or business administration as a possible graduate degree.

Job prospects[edit]
Job prospects for construction engineers generally have a strong cyclical variation. For example,
starting in 2008 - continuing until at least 2011 - job prospects have been poor due to the collapse of
housing bubbles in many parts of the world. This sharply reduced demand for construction, forced
construction professionals towards infrastructure construction and therefore increased the
competition faced by established and new construction engineers. This increased competition, and a
core reduction in quantity demand is in parallel with a possible shift in the demand for construction

engineers due to the automation of many engineering tasks, overall resulting in reduced prospects
for construction engineers. In early 2010 the United States construction industry had a 27%
unemployment rate, this is nearly three times higher than the 9.7% [3] national average unemployment
rate. The construction unemployment rate (including tradesmen) is comparable to the United States
1933 unemployment rate - the lowest point of the Great Depression - of 25%.[4]

COMMUNICATION TASKS

1. Using Communication Tasks to Enhance Speaking Performance

George Vassilakis
Director Language Certification
2. Speaking: Where, When, How
3. Speaking Skills Development
Holistic language practice
Focus on the message, not the forms
Learners have choice over what language forms to use
Learner-centred interaction
Success depends on:
o language
o 4. discourse management
o 5. fluency
o 6. interaction
Speaking skills focus or mere language practice?
7. Speaking skills focus or mere language practice?
The learners work in pairs.
Learner A gets a picture, Learner B gets a pencil, paper and an eraser.
Learner A has to describe, but is not allowed to show, their picture to Learner B, who has to
draw it.
Learner A cannot look at what Learner B is drawing.
8. Genuine Communication
o
o

Unpredictable language use

9. Focus on what is said, not how it is said

o 10. Communicative purpose: a reason for talking

o 11. Outcome
Communication Tasks
o the emphasis is on the message
o 12. there is some communication problem to solve
o 13. there is a tangible outcome
A problem solving task
A man is lying awake in bed. He makes a phone call, says nothing, hangs up and goes to
sleep.
The man is alone.
He was unable to sleep before he made the phone call.
Something was bothering him, which stopped as soon as he made the call.
He is in a hotel room.
At this hotel, the room phone numbers are based on the room numbers.
14. Is this a communication task?
The students are given the two pictures below and the teacher asks them to make sentences
about the differences between the two pictures; different students are then asked to say their
sentences.
15. Is this a communication task?
Were planning an end of term party for our English class. Here are your notes about what
kind of party to have. Make some definite decisions about the party
16. Selecting tasks
TOPIC
LANGUAGE LEVEL
COGNITIVE DEMANDS
17. Would you use this task?
Students work in pairs. They get one picture each, which they cant show to their partner, and
they have to describe their picture to each other to find the differences.
COGNITIVE DEMANDS?
LANGUAGE LEVEL?
18. Would you use this task?
STUDENT 1
1. You are a shop assistant in a department store. Your partner is a customer. He/She wants
to buy a suitcase. Think about:
the sizes and colours you have
the price of each suitcase
2. Work with your partner. Role-play the conversation. You start the conversation:
Can I help you?
STUDENT 2
1. You are a customer in a department store. Your partner is a shop assistant. You want to

buy a suitcase. Think about:

the size and colour you want
how much money you want to spend
how you want to pay.
2. Work with your partner. Role-play the conversation. Your partner will start the conversation
19. Communication task types
problem-solving
information gap
opinion exchange
roleplay
20. Setting up the task
Use short simple sentences. Make sure there is one key point in each sentence.
Use demonstration rather than explanation whenever possible.
Use mime and gesture whenever possible.
Check that the learners have understood what you have asked them to do
21. Setting up the task
Do not state the obvious (e.g. I am now giving you a handout).
Do not say what they do not need to know (e.g. that you are going to do more communicative
practice later!)
Do not give them any materials until after you are sure they know what to do with them.
Do not assume theyve all understood because a couple of them nodded.
Do not use tags like ok, right.
Do not talk to yourself!
22. Language Preparation
In pairs, talk about the different gifts in the picture. Decide which one you should buy your
best friend for their birthday.
23. Language preparation options
Listening to people doing a similar task
Revising vocabulary and useful phrases
Practising useful phrases in a controlled context
Planning what to say and how to say it
24. What do I do during student centred tasks?
Listen to a bit of interaction from each pair. Make notes of what they do well AND what they
do less well
You wont be able to monitor everyone at all times. Learn to live with this fact!
Be discreet! The students shouldnt be made to feel they are constantly under your thumb!
25. After the task
o
o
o
o
o

Ask pairs/groups what conclusion/outcome they have reached.

26. Put selected errors on the board and ask students to correct them.
27. Point out ways of saying things which students have not used.
28. Work on specific structures/functions the students have misused.
29. Repeat the task

Using Communication Tasks to Enhance Speaking Performance

Thank you!