Professional precedent texts in teaching English for aerospace engineers

Abstract

The paper discloses the importance of professional precedent texts for teaching English to future engineers and researchers at a Master’s degree program at a technical university. Three types of precedent texts found in scientific and technical articles are identified: classic precedent texts, term-type precedent texts, and professional precedent texts. It is stated that professional precedent texts have the greatest teaching potential. The most common genres of precedent texts for aerospace graduate students are review articles and original research articles in peer-reviewed journals. Criteria for the selection of professional precedent texts essential for teaching profession-oriented reading in aerospace departments of engineering universities are provided.