Communication in civil engineering

1. English for Civil Engineering
Communication in Civil Engineering
Juvrianto CJ, S.Pd.,M.Pd.

2. Communication is what is giving value to information, and is thus crucial in any
engineering decision making. But although Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) has improved enormously, civil engineering communication has by
far not used its huge potentials. A civil engineer can use ICT in communication, both
in the field project or at the office. Nowadays, people get use to apply modern
communication while working, such as emailing, telephoning or even advertising.
Those example above are only some of many ways to communicate. In this topic we
will learn more about how to use email, telephone and advertisement in
communicating as civil engineer.
What is Communication?

3. Emailing
Writing FormalEmails in English
Emails are among the most commonly used means of communication in the world. They’re
fast, immediate, and allow you to interact with all kinds of businesses within and beyond
the national boundaries. At work above all, writing formal emails in English in the right way
requires certain skills, and being a professional situation, it’s essential not to commit
mistakes in order to make a good impression of yourself and your company.
In the next slides, we will talk about:
 The rules for writing formalemailsin English
 The right formatto use
 Examples of formalemails in English

4. The rules for writing formalemailsin English
- Subject
The subject is the first piece of information that the recipients of an email see, and if it’s written
incorrectly or unclearly, it could push the reader to delete it without even opening it! So it’s
important to give a clear and precise message, right from the start, indicating the content or
reason for writing in two or three words that grabs the attention of the recipient.
- Style
Unlike many other languages which require long complex sentences in a formal written context,
English is very concise and favors short sentences and a simple structure. Make sure you break
up the text into two or three paragraphs – this enables the reader to quickly see the key points.
- Courtesy formulas
When you write an email in English, you’re not only using another language but you’re also
entering another culture with different habits. The Anglo-Saxons in general pay a lot of attention
to forms of courtesy and gratitude, therefore never forget to add them.

5. - Check the email
Never send an email in English without having re-read what you wrote. Grammatical or typing
mistakes are very common even in your own language, so in English you can make errors much
more easily. Double-checking what you’ve written is a simple step to take that can prevent you
from appearing unprofessional and above all careless.
- Signature
Be sure to have set your emails to end with all the important information about you, including:
• name and surname
• job title
• relative details about your company (name, address..)
• link to the company website

6. The formatof a formalemailin English
- Introduction
Depending on the type of relationship you have with the person you’re writing to, there are
different ways of starting an email, but any email should always start with a greeting. In our
specific case being formal, the most appropriate options are:
• Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms (surname of the recipient, e.g. Mr Black)
• Dear Sir/Madam (if you don’t know the name of the recipient) or more generally ‘To whom it
may concern’
After the initial greeting you need an introductory sentence that indicates clearly the reason for
writing and is consistent with the subject of the email. Introduce yourself briefly (long texts often
discourage people from reading them), then follow on with:
• I am writing with regard to… (email subject)
• I am writing in connection with… (email subject)
• I am writing in reference to…

7. If you’re writing an email to send information, you can start with one of the following sentences:
• I am writing to let you know…
• I am delighted to tell you… (if you’re communicating good news)
• I regret to inform you that… (if you’re communicating bad news)
If instead you’re replying to an email you received, you can say:
• I am writing in response to…
• I am writing in reply to…
• I am writing to thank you for… (if you need to thank the recipient)

8. - Body of the text
There are no conventional formulas for writing the body of the text because this varies
according to the function of what you need to communicate. It’s useful to prepare an initial draft
and then proceed with any corrections.
The general rules are that the text should be divided into short paragraphs that avoid
abbreviations and acronyms, both of which you can use, on the contrary, when you write an
informal email to family and friends.
Based on the type of message you’re sending, there are various ways to write a final invitation
before ending the email, such as:
• I look forward to hearing from you soon
• Thank you in advance
• For further information, please do not hesitate to contact me
• Please let me know if you have any questions
• Thanks for your attention

9. - Conclusion
The most common way to end an email are:
• Best regards
• Kind regards
• Yours faithfully (if you began the email with ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ because you don’t know the name
of the recipient)
• Yours sincerely (if you began the email with ‘Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms + surname)
• Regards

10. Example 1: Delay with the delivery of an order
Subject: Delivery delay
Dear Mr Pascal,
We regret to inform you that we will not be able to respect the deadline previously agreed for the
delivery of your order. Our supplier has warned us today that they are experiencing supply
problems, which will result in a delay in our production chain. We count on your understanding
and thank you for your patience.
Please accept our apologies.
Best regards,
…

11. Example 2: Replying to a job advertisement
Subject: Web Content Editor position
Dear Sir/Madam,
With reference to your job ad in xxx, I would like to submit my application for the position of Web
Content Editor in your company.
I graduated in Communication Sciences at the University of xxx and worked for several years in
a Digital Agency as Content Specialist. I believe my skills and experience are in line with the
requirements for the job position. I will be glad to introduce myself in an interview, that will allow
you to better evaluate my possible recruitment.
Please find attached a copy of my resume. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
…

12. Steps in Making Telephone Call
1. Prepare
Take a moment to prepare before you pick up the phone. Write down the key points you
need to cover during the conversation, as well as any questions you need to ask. This will
also serve as an outline to help guide you through the call while maintaining control of the
conversation. If possible, be close to a computer with Internet connection so that you can
access your company's website or locate informationquickly.
2. Identify Yourself
Always identify yourself to the party that answers the phone. To sound as professional as
possible, give your first and last name as well as your title if applicable. If your call will be
lengthy and you sense that the person you're calling is pressed for time or otherwise
distracted, try to set a better time when you can call back.
Making and Answering Telephone Call

13. 3. Identify Purpose
You can exchange pleasantries, such as a brief "How are you today?," but don't get
involved in an extended conversation about sports or the weather, as this can serve as a
distraction from the purpose of your call. State the purpose politely and directly, such as,
"I received your emailthis morningand I'm callingto follow up."
4. Take Time to Listen
While you may be intent on achieving the purpose of your call, be sure that you engage in a
two-sided conversation. Give the other party time to respond to your points and ask any
questions they may have. Be careful not to interrupt unless you discover that the other
party is drifting from the topic at hand. If this occurs, interrupt politely by saying, "I'm
sorry to interrupt, but another question just popped into my mind and I want to ask it
before I forget."
Making and Answering Telephone Call

14. 5. Review Call
Before hanging up, review what was accomplished during the call with the other party
and be sure you both agree on what should happen next. If additional communication is
required, set up a specific day and time for a follow-up phone call or other method of
communication such as email. Always part on a pleasant note, even if the end result of the
call is that a business relationship won't occur or continue at present. You may want to
revisit the relationship at some point in the future.
Making and Answering Telephone Call

15. Steps in Answering Telephone Call
1. Pick up after 2 or 3 rings
When you’re answering calls at work, let the phone ring 2 or 3 times before you answer it. If you
let it ring more than 3 times, the caller may become impatient and feel that their call is being
ignored.
On the other hand, if you pick up after the first ring, the caller may be taken aback by the quick
answer. They may not have had enough time to compose their thoughts.
2. Prepare a professional greeting
When you’re answering the phone at your office, you won’t always know who is on the other
end of the phone. It could be your boss, a customer, one of your colleagues, or even a wrong
number.
A professional greeting like “Good morning” or “How may I help you?” helps get the
conversation off on the right foot.
Even if you have caller ID and think it’s a work friend calling, someone could have borrowed
their phone. Answering the phone with “Yeah, what?” might give callers the wrong impression
of you.
Making and Answering Telephone Call

16. 3. Identify yourself and your organization
In business situations, it’s most appropriate to answer the phone with your name and
company. For example, say “Thank you for calling Smith’s Auto Body. This is Joan, how
may I help you?”
Many offices have their own scripting for answering the phone, so make sure you follow
the rule your company has set out. If you're not sure of your company's phone scripting,
ask your supervisor.
4. Nicely ask who’s callingif you don’t know
Often, the person will not only give you their name but also provide information about why
they’re calling. If you don’t have Caller ID, didn’t recognize the number, or didn’t hear what
the person on the other line said,prompt them again by saying “May I ask who’s calling?”
Once the caller has introduced themselves, address the caller properly by the title they
provide. If they say their first and last name, and you want to be more professional, call
them by their last name.
Making and Answering Telephone Call

17. 5. Speak directlyinto the mouthpiece
Rest the phone gently against your cheek and speak into the mouthpiece that should
naturally fall near your mouth. Don’t worry about putting the mouthpiece too close to your
mouth or having to speak loudly.
If the person you’re speaking to asks you to raise your voice, you can speak a little louder.
Otherwise, keep your voice at a normalconversationallevel.
6. Avoid using slang or profane language
When you're answering the phone at work, you represent your company to whoever
you're speaking with on the phone. Speak politely and avoid using slang, cursing, or bad
language. Even if the conversation becomes heated and the person you're speaking with
swears, maintain your composure and be polite.
Of course, when you're speaking on your personal phone to friends, you can be informal
with them and speak how you would in a face-to-face conversation.
Making and Answering Telephone Call

18. Advertisement is a commercial notification that has aim to encourage or persuade
general society to buy or use the item or service offered in the advertisement.
Advertisement usually put in mass media, such as printed and electronic mass media
(magazine,newspaper, internet, television and radio.)
Advertising objectives should always be in line with promotional and marketing
objectives, as well as the business strategy or mission of the organization. Group
advertisingobjectives fall into three categories:
1. To Inform
2. To Persuade
3. To Remind
Advertisement

19. Functions/purposes:
– To advertise : Untuk mengiklankan
– To offer : Untuk menawarkan
– To promote : Untuk mempromosikan
– To attractpeople to… : Untuk menarikorang supaya….
– To persuade people to… : Untuk merayu orang supaya…
– To make people interestedin : Untuk membuatorang tertarik
Advertisement

20. There are 3 types of advertisementas follows:
A. InformativeAdvertising
Informative advertising is often used when launching a new product, or for an updated or
re-launched product. The objective is to develop initial demand for a good, service,
organization, or cause. It is used when a new product is put on the market on when an old
product has been re-launchedor updated.
Advertisement

21. Example:
Advertisement

22. B. Persuasive Advertisement
Marketers use persuasive advertising to increase the demand for an existing good,
service, or organization. The idea is persuade a target audience to change brands, buy
their product, and develop customer loyalty. After the purchase, the quality of the product
will dictatewhether or not the customer will remainloyal or return to the previous brand.
Advertisement

23. Example:
Advertisement

24. C. ReminderAdvertisement
Reminder advertising reinforces previous promotional information. The name of the
product, testimonials of past customers, public response, and sales techniques are
repeated in the hopes of reminding past customers and garnering new ones. It is used to
keep the public interested in, and aware of, a well-established product that is most likely
at the end of the product life cycle.
Advertisement

25. Example:
Advertisement

26. https://www.wallstreetenglish.com/blog/how-to-write-formal-emails-in-
english/
https://englishlive.ef.com/blog/career-english/write-perfect-professional-email-
english-5-steps/
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/steps-making-business-telephone-call-
218.html
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/how-to-answer-the-phone-properly-2947153
https://www.wikihow.com/Answer-the-Phone-Politely
http://it-teachingmedia.blogspot.com/2017/07/advertisement-material-for-junior-
high.html
References