Construction of a Teaching Framework for Graduate English from the Perspective of International Science and Technology Communication

Abstract

Enhancing the capacity for international science and technology communication is essential to strengthening a nation’s discursive power in science and technology. However, English instruction for non-English-major graduates falls demonstrably short of cultivating this capacity. To optimize the current teaching system for the Graduate English, a questionnaire survey was conducted at Inner Mongolia University of Technology, a science and engineering university in western China, to gather data on the English learning needs, competence gaps, and pedagogical preferences of 491 non-English-major graduate students. The results reveal that students learn English for two primary reasons: examination preparation and academic research. They commonly report an insufficient command of academic vocabulary, weak disciplinary English writing skills, and limited ability to participate in international academic exchange. Drawing on the survey findings, this paper proposes an innovative teaching framework, “Digital-Empowered+ One Core with Three Supporting Modules” designed to foster graduate students’ international science and technology communication competence. The three supporting modules are English for International Academic Exchange, English for Professional Technical Communication, and English for Disciplinary Cultural Communication. Supported by digital technologies throughout the teaching process, it achieves a holistic integration of language skills, disciplinary knowledge, and the communication of science and technology culture. Addressing the shortcomings of traditional graduate English instruction, this study offers a feasible reform pathway for English courses serving non-English-major graduate students, and provides a practical reference for cultivating high-level interdisciplinary talent capable of science and technology communication in the digital era.