1 Tan

Kyson (Qisheng) Tan

Professor Carlisi
English 1A
24 April 2014
On the Way of Beo!ing A "e!#er of $iso%rse Co!!%nity of Engineering
As a %rrent ollege st%&ent in the 'nite& (tates) it is the ti!e *hen + really nee& to onsi&er
a#o%t *hat fiel& that + *ant to *or, on for the rest of !y life- + a! a Chinese i!!igrant *ho is
getting e&%ation in the 'nite& (tates no*- There is a soli& fo%n&ation of Chinese *ays of
thin,ing insi&e of !e) an& it annot #e o!pletely o%t of !y #o&y easily) at least not in only a
o%ple years of st%&ying here in the 'nite& (tates- To*ar& the en& of !y senior year of high
shool) the ter! .!a/or0 a!e into !y life an& starte& to play an i!portant role- Before + ,ne*
the ter! .!a/or0) all + ,ne* *ere that + /%st nee& to go to shool an& get goo& gra&es- Then +
starte& to notie so!e &ifferenes in the onnetion of soiety an& e&%ation in China an& the
'nite& (tates- "y high shool go1ern!ent teaher tol& %s that his 122year2ol& gran&&a%ghter
*as tal,ing to hi! a#o%t *hat she *ante& to !a/or in an& *hat e3at ollege she *ante& to
atten&- On the ontrary) teenagers in China aro%n& her age ne1er thin, a#o%t !a/ors or areers)
an& all they ,no* are st%&ying an& getting prepare& for the #ig e3a!s for high shools an&
olleges- + *as affete& #y this ,in& of thin,ing) an& + &i& not thin, a#o%t !y .!a/or0 %ntil the
en& of !y senior year in high shool-
When + *as as,e& a#o%t *hat !y !a/or *as) + tho%ght a#o%t !a/oring in ao%nting sine +
lo1e "ath an& + a! &oing great on it- The fat that + lo1e "ath an& &o *ell on it ha1e so!ething
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to &o *ith !y !o!- "y !o! is goo& at !ath an& she lo1es it as *ell) an& she al*ays /o,es
a#o%t that so!e of her !ath2lo1ing genes !%st ha& passe& on to !e- When + *as little) she
al*ays ta%ght !e !ath s,ills that *ere higher than !y gra&e le1els- + re!e!#ere& that + ,ne*
ho* to sol1e e4%ations *ith 1aria#le .30 alrea&y *hen + *as in seon& gra&e- Being ahea& of
*hat *e *ere learning in lass helpe& !e to &o *ell in !ath lass) an& it !a&e !e #e !ore
intereste& on an& !ore onfi&ent a#o%t the s%#/et of !ath- E1en %ntil no*) + feel e3ellent an&
/oyf%l in the *orl& of n%!#ers) an& it see!s li,e that the n%!#ers an& + are goo& frien&s for a
long ti!e-
By the ti!e + got to ollege) + *as a#le to see !ore an& ,no* !ore a#o%t !a/ors) an& +
starte& to 4%estion !yself5 &oes ao%nting really *hat + *ant to &o6 Then + starte& to e3a!ine
!yself an& trie& to fig%re o%t *hat ,in& of person + really a! in or&er to fin& o%t the perfet
!a/or for !e- + a! the ,in& of person *ho annot sits still) so #eing an ao%ntant *ho sits in
the offie for the *hole &ay is not the #est /o# for !e- + notie& that + li,e to get !y han&s &irty
to /oin things together) /%st li,e !y &a&- "y &a& has &ifferent tools at ho!e *hih he %ses to fi3
little pro#le!s of o%r ho%se an& to #%il& his o*n ta#les an& hairs- When + *as a#o%t 7 years
ol&) there *as one ti!e that + %se& !y &a&8s sre*&ri1er to sre* a o%ple sre*s onto o%r sofa
an& then p%lle& the! o%r *ith the la* ha!!er- (e1eral years later) + starte& to play *ith !y
9ego- + #%ilt &ifferent things *ith all of the 9ego that + ha&) an& + ha& a really great ti!e- By the
ti!e + got to si3th gra&e) + starte& to &o so!e paper2fol&ing #y follo*ing the steps in the paper2
fol&ing #oo,s an& #%ilt !y o*n :oo; + fol&e& the papers into &ifferent ,in&s of ani!als5
!on,eys) elephants) an& pan&as) *ith &ifferent si:es to in&iate the #a#ies an& the parents- A
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fe* years ago) the !o&el that + !a&e in high shool *as grante& the O%tstan&ing A*ar& in The
<airhil& Challenge- After all of these thin,ing) + a!e to a onl%sion that + *ant to #e an
engineer li,e eletrial engineer or !ehanial engineer *ho %ses !ath an& gets han&s &irty to
pro&%e so!e at%al physial o#/ets-
As a %rrent ollege st%&ent) + a! ta,ing &ifferent lasses an& *or,ing to*ar& !y goal2
#eing an engineer- By the ti!e + gra&%ate fro! ollege an& #e rea&y for !y !a/or) + *ill #e
!o1ing fro! the &iso%rse o!!%nity of shool to the &iso%rse o!!%nity of engineering- A
&iso%rse o!!%nity is a gro%p of people *ho %se si!ilar lang%ages) *hih !ay #e
%n&erstan&a#le only for the gro%p !e!#ers) to o!!%niate to eah other- Aor&ing to =ohn
(*ales) a &iso%rse o!!%nity %ses &ifferent for!s of o!!%niation .to pro1i&e infor!ation
an& fee&#a,0) an& e1ery &iso%rse o!!%nity has its o*n speifi 1oa#%lary-
+n &ifferent &iso%rse o!!%nities) *e o!!%niate or interat *ith eah other &ifferently
in not only the *ays of o!!%niation #%t also the *ays that *e tal, an& the 1oa#%lary that *e
%se- <or e3a!ple) the *ays that *e o!!%niate *ith o%r fa!ily !e!#ers are &ifferent than
*ith o%r frien&s- When *e are at ho!e) *e o!!%niate *ith o%r fa!ilies fae to fae !ostly-
On the ontrary) *e !ay #e a#le to !eet o%r frien&s fae to fae) #%t !ost of the ti!e *e ten& to
,eep in to%h *ith the! #y %sing tehnology e1en if they are the ones *ho *e see al!ost
e1ery&ay- +n a&&ition) the *or&s that *e %se to o!!%niate *ith o%r fa!ilies an& frien&s are
&ifferent- We %se *or&s li,e 9O9) troll) an& olon follo*s #y a letter p *hen *e are
o!!%niating *ith o%r frien&s #y %sing &ifferent tehnology- >o*e1er) %sing a##re1iations
li,e these *ith o%r fa!ily !e!#ers *ho &o not ,no* the !eanings !ay loo, at %s li,e *e are
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tal,ing nonsense) so *e %se !ore for!al *ays of o!!%niation at ho!e- >o* a#o%t the ti!es
*hen *e tal, to instr%tors in shool or to o%r #osses in o%r /o#s6 We ten& to #e !ore polite an&
tal, *ith !ore for!al *or&s- +n &ifferent sit%ations an& plaes) the *ays that *e o!!%niate
are &ifferent- We !ay #e a*are of the &ifferent *ays that *e o!!%niate) #%t *e !ay not
notie that *e are at%ally !o1ing fro! one &iso%rse o!!%nity to another- >o!e) soial
gro%p) shool) an& /o#s are all &ifferent ,in&s of &iso%rse o!!%nities- The *ays of
o!!%niation are &ifferent *hen *e are in &ifferent &iso%rse o!!%nities- As for %s #eing in
this soiety) *e are not in only one &iso%rse o!!%nity? in fat) *e are onstantly !o1ing fro!
one to another) an& *e are getting %se& to %sing the speial *ays of o!!%niation in one
parti%lar &iso%rse o!!%nity- @ery soon that + *ill #e !o1ing into the &iso%rse o!!%nity
of engineering *hih has its o*n *ays of o!!%niation an& speiali:e 1oa#%lary as *ell-
+n spite of the fat that + ha1en8t &ei&e& on one e3at ,in& of engineering) %n&erstan&ing
the &iso%rse o!!%nity of the fiel& of engineering is a goo& start for !e to #e prepare& for !y
f%t%re areer- $r- Alire:a A:i:i is a Physis professor in Pasa&ena City College) an& he is also an
engineer *or,ing in the =et Prop%lsion 9a#oratory- $r- A:i:i states that there are engineering
onferenes *here they present their infor!ation to eah other or /%st #rainstor! *ith other
,in&s of engineers- +n the onferenes) or professional infor!ation e3hange) $r-A:i:i an& other
engineers %se !ostly Po*erPoint to present their infor!ation an& ill%strate their points- As for
eletrialAeletroni engineers) "r- Charles 9- Arns#y) *ho has #een *or,ing in the fiel& of
eletrialAeletroni for 7B years) re1eals that there is an Eletrial (ho* *here !any
eletrialAeletroni engineers gather an& present their ne*est pro&%ts in 9as @egas e1ery year-
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Besi&es the eletrial sho*s) the fiel& also has eletrial ne*spaper *here the
eletrialAeletroni engineers share ne* in1entions an& &esigns- +n the fiel& of
eletrialAeletroni) there are speiali:e 1oa#%lary li,e *ire ro%n& !otor) AC apaitors) $C
apaitors) an& gage *ire- Wiring o&es are not the sa!e in &ifferent ities) an& an
eletrialAeletroni engineer !ight &o so!ething *rong *ith the *iring #ea%se of it? therefore)
the Cational Eletrial Co&es) *hih .are 1ery preise in olor o&ing an& *iring0(Arns#y)) are
in1ente& an& #eing %se& a!ong the eletrialAeletroni engineers- Being an eletrialAeletroni
engineer has to #e persistene) aor&ing to #oth $r-A:i:i an& "r-Arns#y- .D0E of the ti!e F*eG
&on8t get *hat F*eG *ant0 (A:i:i)- Engineers ha1e to ,eep trying an& ,eep thin,ing in or&er to
reah the %lti!ate sol%tions- Being a#le to thin, ritially is also i!portant an& essential for
engineers #esi&es #eing persistene- Engineers nee& to thin, fro! &ifferent approahes in or&er
to see the *hole pit%re an& &iso1er the iss%e- When "r-Arns#y got a !otor fro! a st%&ent
*ho lai!s that it *as s!o,ing *hile it *as r%nning- "r-Arns#y nee&s to test it in &ifferent
*ays in or&er to fig%re o%t the a%se of the pro#le!- >e .letFsG it r%n for a *hole !orning) an&
FheG *o%l& e1en re1erseFsG it0(Arns#y)- <ig%re 1 sho*s the !otor r%nning nor!ally %n&er the
tests gi1en #y "r-Arns#y- After all of his tests) "r-Arns#y onl%&es that the st%&ent !ight
applie& too !%h 1oltage on the !otor- By the ti!e + get into the &iso%rse o!!%nity of
engineering) + nee& to #e a#le to a&apt the o!!%niation syste! that they %se in the fiel& in
or&er to o!!%niate *ith other professionals effiiently an& #eo!e an for!al !e!#er of the
fiel&-
<ig%re 15 "r-Arns#y +s Testing (t%&ent8s "otor With The "otor Controller
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Before + #eo!e an offiial !e!#er of the &iso%rse o!!%nity of engineering) + nee& to
a#sor# eno%gh ,no*le&ge fro! &ifferent lasses) #oth !a/or2relate& lasses an& h%!anities
lasses- Altho%gh the h%!anities lasses see! irrele1ant to !y !a/or of #eing an engineer that is
siene2#ase&) there are the 1al%es of ta,ing these h%!anities lasses to prepare !e for not only
!y areer #%t also the soiety-
(t%&ying the h%!anities lasses #roa&en o%r ,no*le&ge *hih *e o%l& %se for o%r f%t%re
areer- +n English lasses) *e learn .ho* to #%il& an& &efen& an arg%!ent Fan&G to !arshal
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researh to*ar& an e1i&ene2#ase& onl%sion0 ((athian)- We learn ho* to &o researh an& *rite
a paper *ith strong arg%!ents- We %se infor!ation fro! researhes to s%pport o%r arg%!ents)
an& *e pro1i&e onterarg%!ents to sho* the o#/eti1ity of the paper an& therefore strength o%r
lai!s e1en !ore- Arg%!entati1e paper is not only %sef%l an& essential in English lasses #%t
also in o%r f%t%re areer- "r-Arns#y an& other professors fo%n& that a#o%t half of the
e3peri!ents in the !an%al of the "otor Controller that PCC has #een %sing *ere not
f%ntioning- +n or&er to sho* the !an%al *as *rong) they ha& to pro1e their sayings #y sho*ing
e1i&ene- Therefore) "r-Arns#y an& other 44 professionals ha& to &o e1ery single one of the
e3peri!ents on the !an%al in or&er to fig%re o%t *hat *ere *rong *ith those e3peri!ents
e3atly) an& that too, the! al!ost a *hole year to &etet the pro#le!s- We nee& to present
e1i&ene in or&er to !a,e o%r arg%!ents pers%asi1e- We annot assert a#o%t an iss%e /%st #y
saying it is the *ay that *e thin, an& therefore it is the *ay it sho%l& #e) an& s%pport li,e this is
not strong at all- Another e3a!ple of st%&ying h%!anities #enefiting o%r areer *o%l& #e
learning the %lt%res of &ifferent regions- +n o%rses li,e foreign lang%ages) *e are learning the
%lt%res of the o%ntries an& #eo!ing open2!in&e& *ith the %lt%ral &i1ersity *hile *e are
trying to #e fa!iliar *ith other lang%ages- +n a o%ntry li,e the 'nite& (tates) the !elting pot
!i3es &ifferent ,in&s of %lt%res- People *ith &ifferent %lt%re #a,gro%n&s ha1e the hanes to
,no* !ore a#o%t an& #eo!e !ore o!forta#le *ith others *ho ha1e &ifferent %lt%res) an&
&ifferent raes are getting !ore %nite& *ith eah other- +n fat) *e are e!#raing &ifferent
%lt%res- =%st loo, at resta%rants aro%n& %s that ser1e foo& fro! &ifferent o%ntries5 A!erian)
Chinese) =apanese) Korean an& Thai- "any of %s are in lo1e *ith foo& fro! &ifferent regions of
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the *orl&- $r-A:i:i states that %lt%re &ifferenes &o not ha1e negati1e effets on his /o#s? in
fat) they go an& en/oy foo& fro! &ifferent o%ntries together) an& so!eti!es they e1en
ele#rate holi&ays of &ifferent o%ntries) li,e the Chinese Ce* Kear- Kno*ing an& #eing open2
!in&e& *ith &ifferent raes !a,e o%r /o#s easier *hen *e ha1e o2*or,ers *ho ha1e &ifferent
%lt%res-
(t%&ying h%!anities lasses &oes not only #roa&en o%r ,no*le&ge) #%t it also helps %s to
i!pro1e o%r o!!%niation s,ills- Khali& et al notie the pro#le! that .engineers on one han&
are goo& ritial thin,ers #%t on the other often la, in o!!%niation an& interpersonal s,ills0
*hih are .the !ost i!portant aspets of engineering0 (2)- $r-A:i:i sees in that *ay as *ell) an&
he e!phasi:es the i!portane of *riting for an engineer- $r-A:i:i &esri#es that *hen he *as in
gra&%ate shool) he tho%ght that ,no*ing the tehnial ,no*le&ge *as eno%gh) an& the a#ility to
*rite *ell *as not i!portant for an engineer- >o*e1er) #y the ti!e he #ea!e a real engineer)
he starte& to notie the i!portane of a&1ane& aa&e!i *riting- $r-A:i:i is e!phasi:ing the
i!portane of *riting to !e in the inter1ie* sine he *as also an English learner li,e !e *hen
he *as in gra&%ate shool- Khali& et al re1eal that .a st%&ent is !ore li,ely to s%ee& in an
engineering or sientifi &isipline if they ha1e strong o!!%niation0(2)- Ce1ertheless) !any
st%&ents !ay thin, that ,no*ing only the lang%age of the &iso%rse o!!%nity of their f%t%re
areers *o%l& #e eno%gh for the! to s%ee& in their /o#s sine they *ill #e /%st *or,ing in that
area fore1er- >o*e1er) all of %s are !o1ing a!ong !ore than one &iso%rse o!!%nity- E1en if
*e sti, *ith only one areer for the rest of o%r li1es) there *ill #e ti!es that re4%ire %s to &eal
*ith others fro! &ifferent o!!%nities- We learn the lang%age for the &iso%rse o!!%nity of
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o%r !a/or in o%r !a/or2relate& lasses *hile *e learn ho* to #%il& #ri&ges that allo* %s to
transit fro! one &iso%rse o!!%nity to another- There are not only /o#s in o%r life) an& there
are at%ally !%h !ore than that- +n h%!anities lasses) *e learn ho* to o!!%niate
effiiently *ith eah other) *hether o!e fro! the sa!e &iso%rse o!!%nity as o%rs or not-
Besi&es #roa&ening o%r ,no*le&ge an& i!pro1ing o%r o!!%niation s,ills) h%!anities
lasses train %s to thin, ritially as *ell- >organ o#ser1es that in .siene) !athe!atis an&
engineering lass) F*eG8re gi1en fats) ans*ers) ,no*le&ge) an& tr%th--- They gi1e F%sG ertainty-
F>o*e1er) theG h%!anities--- gi1e F%sG %nertainty) &o%#t) an& s,eptiis!0- The p%rposes of
English lass are not si!ply a#o%t ho* to spell or *rite in the proper *ays) #%t it lea1es %s the
spae to thin, an& g%i&es %s to thin, ritially- We thin, a#o%t an& reflet on o%r o*n o&ysseys
#y rea&ing the /o%rnal of O&ysse%s in the #oo, The Odyssey #y >o!er- The Odyssey allo*s %s
to #e a#le to stan& on another point of 1ie* to loo, at o%r o&ysseys li,e *e are rea&ing the ones
of O&ysse%s- The a#ility to thin, ritially gro*s o%r !in&s so that *e #eo!e stronger *hen
*e !eet o#stales in o%r areers- (o!eti!es "r-Arns#y spen&s &ays trying to tro%#leshoot the
iss%e of a piee of e4%ip!ent) an& $r-A:i:i !ay not #e a#le to fin& o%t *hat *as *rong *ith the
&ata e1en if he spen&s *ee,s on it- >o*e1er) they ,eep thin,ing ritially instea& of gi1ing %p
easily) an& they finally fig%re o%t the sol%tions for their pro#le!s- +t is tr%e that st%&ents learn
ho* to thin, ritially for their areers in their !a/or2relate& lasses) #%t the thin,ing s,ills that
*e a&opt fro! h%!anities lasses an #e %se& in soiety an& are not li!ite& to #eing %se& only
for the areers- The a#ility to thin, ritially in other sit%ations that *e !eet in the soiety is
!ore essential than only in o%r /o#s-
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+ a! starting to reali:e that #eing an engineer &oes not !ean that + an so!eho* ignore the
o!!%niation *ith other non2engineers- The fiel& of engineering s%re has its o*n an& %ni4%e
*ays of o!!%niation) an& it is neessary for !e to !aster the o!!%niation syste! if +
*ant to #e an effiient !e!#er of this &iso%rse o!!%nity- >o*e1er) + annot neglet the
neessity of #eing a#le to o!!%niate *ith !e!#ers fro! other &iso%rse o!!%nities- +t is
i!portant for %s to #e a#le to s*ith lang%ages as *e !o1e fro! one &iso%rse o!!%nity to
another- (trong o!!%niation s,ills are one of the re4%ire!ents for a s%essf%l engineer- A
s%essf%l engineer are not only goo& at &ealing *ith tehnial pro#le!s) #%t they nee& to #e
a#le to pro1i&e #oth *ritten an& 1er#al rystal2lear e3planations to the others- + %se& to thin,
that h%!anities lasses are %seless an& !eaningless for engineers) #%t they are at%ally
i!portant for e1ery areer #ea%se they .help F%sG to #e--- h%!anFsG) not /%st--- !ahineFsG0
(A:i:i)- O%r !a/or2relate& lasses prepare %s for o%r !a/ors *hile the h%!anities lasses prepare
%s for the soiety- >%!anities lasses present %s the ,no*le&ge that *e nee& to a&opt in or&er to
#eo!e a s%essf%l !e!#er of the soiety- They are the essential e&%ation that pro1i&e
,no*le&ge *hih *e an %se for o1ero!ing hallenges that *e !ay fae after *e gra&%ate
fro! olleges see,ing for a areer *ith all the !a/or2relate& ,no*le&ge in this o!ple3 soiety-
11 Tan
Wor,s Cite&
Arns#y) Charles 9- Personal inter1ie*- 11 Apr- 2014-
A:i:i) Alire:a- Personal inter1ie*- I Apr- 2014-
>o!er- The Odyssey- Trans- E- @- Lie%- Ce* Kor,5 Peng%in Boo,s) 2007- Print-
>organ) =ohn- .Why (t%&y >%!anities6 What + Tell Engineering <resh!en-0
scientificamerican.com- (ientifi A!erian) 20 =%n- 2017- We#- 11 Apr- 2014-
Khali&) A&eel et al- .B%il&ing a Better Engineer5 The +!portane of >%!anities in Engineering
C%rri%l%!-0 asee.org. A!erian (oiety for Engineering E&%ation) 27 =%n- 2017- We#- 11
Apr- 2014-
(athian) (an/ena- .The >%!anities Cee& an Ally5 Co%l& +t Be Co!p%ter Co&e60 o:y.com.
O:y!an&ias) D Apr- 2014- We#- 11 Apr- 2014-
(*ales) =ohn- .The Conept of $iso%rse Co!!%nity-0 Genre Analysis5 English in Aa&e!i
an& Lesearh (ettings- Boston5 Ca!#ri&ge 'P) 1DD0- 21272- Print-