Which language-of-instruction skills are most important for science and engineering students?
The most important skills are understanding lectures and experiment instructions, reading technical materials and papers, writing clear reports, asking questions, and communicating during presentations, laboratories, and group work. Students also need enough subject-specific vocabulary to explain methods, results, and problems accurately. The level required depends on the language of instruction, field, and course format.
Key points
- Reading technical teaching materials and papers with subject-specific terminology is important.
- Academic writing is needed for laboratory reports, assignments, and explanations of methods and results.
- Speaking and listening skills matter for questions, presentations, laboratories, and teamwork.
Things to check
- Required proficiency differs by university, program, field, and whether some teaching or laboratory work uses another language.