English - Semestre 9
Annee academique : 2024-2025
Enseignant : J. Shea
Categorie : Langues et Communication Professionnelle
PART A - Presentation Generale
Vue d'ensemble
Le cours d'anglais du semestre 9, dispense par J. Shea, s'inscrit dans la formation d'ingenieur a l'INSA Toulouse au sein du departement Genie Electrique et Informatique, specialite Innovative Smart Systems (ISS). Ce module a pour objectif principal de renforcer les competences en communication anglaise dans un contexte professionnel et technique, tout en preparant les etudiants a l'examen du TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication), obligatoire pour l'obtention du diplome d'ingenieur.
L'anglais est une competence transversale essentielle pour tout ingenieur evolant dans un environnement internationalise. La maitrise de l'anglais technique et professionnel permet non seulement de communiquer efficacement avec des partenaires internationaux, mais aussi d'acceder a la documentation technique, aux publications scientifiques et aux normes internationales qui sont quasi exclusivement redigees en anglais.
Objectifs pedagogiques :
- Developper les competences de communication orale en anglais dans un contexte technique et professionnel
- Maitriser la redaction de documents professionnels en anglais (CV, lettre de motivation, rapports techniques)
- Preparer et reussir l'examen du TOEIC avec un score competitif
- Etre capable de presenter et defendre un projet technique en anglais devant un public
- Renforcer le vocabulaire technique lie aux domaines de l'IoT, des systemes embarques et des reseaux
- Developper la capacite d'ecriture academique en anglais
Position dans le cursus
Ce module de langue s'articule avec l'ensemble de la formation de 5e annee :
- Projet Innovant "What a Leak" : presentations et rapports techniques en anglais
- Cours techniques du S9 : acquisition du vocabulaire specialise (IoT, reseaux, systemes embarques, cloud, securite)
- Stage a l'international (Roumanie) : mise en pratique directe des competences linguistiques dans un contexte professionnel reel
- Preparation a la vie professionnelle : CV, lettre de motivation, entretiens en anglais
Le TOEIC est un prerequis pour la validation du diplome d'ingenieur INSA. Un score minimum est exige, et un bon resultat constitue un atout majeur sur le marche de l'emploi international.
PART B - Experience Personnelle et Contexte d'Apprentissage
Environnement et contexte international
Le semestre 9 a l'INSA Toulouse dans la specialite ISS offre un environnement particulierement propice a la pratique de l'anglais. Plusieurs cours du programme sont dispenses entierement en anglais par des enseignants internationaux, ce qui constitue une immersion quasi quotidienne dans la langue :
| Cours dispense en anglais | Domaine |
|---|---|
| Embedded IA for IoT | Intelligence artificielle embarquee |
| Cloud & Edge Computing | Architectures Cloud |
| Service Oriented Architecture | Architecture logicielle |
| Low Power Wireless Networks | Reseaux sans fil basse consommation |
| Middleware for IoT | Intergiciel pour l'IoT |
| Security for Connected Objects | Securite des objets connectes |
| Emerging Networks | Reseaux emergents |
| Wireless Sensor Networks | Reseaux de capteurs sans fil |
| Energy for Connected Objects | Energie pour objets connectes |
Cette exposition constante a l'anglais technique tout au long du semestre a considerablement renforce ma comprehension orale et ma capacite a interagir en anglais sur des sujets techniques complexes.
Organisation du cours
Le cours d'anglais etait organise autour de plusieurs axes pedagogiques complementaires :
Sessions de presentation :
- Preparation et realisation de presentations orales liees au projet innovant "What a Leak"
- Exercices de debat et de defense des choix techniques en anglais
- Travail sur la structure et la coherence des presentations (introduction, developpement, conclusion)
- Retours et critiques constructives de l'enseignant et des camarades
Sessions de redaction professionnelle :
- Redaction de CV en anglais adaptes au marche international (format anglo-saxon)
- Redaction de lettres de motivation en anglais pour des postes a l'international
- Ecriture de rapports techniques detailles en anglais pour le projet "What a Leak"
Sessions de preparation au TOEIC :
- Entrainement specifique aux sections Listening et Reading
- Examens blancs pour se familiariser avec le format et la gestion du temps
- Exercices de grammaire et de vocabulaire cibles
Mon role et mes responsabilites
Dans le cadre de ce cours, j'ai ete amene a :
- Presenter et defendre les choix techniques du projet innovant "What a Leak" en anglais devant un jury
- Rediger un rapport technique complet en anglais pour le projet developpe
- Preparer un CV et une lettre de motivation en anglais pour mes candidatures a l'international
- Me preparer activement aux differentes sections du TOEIC
- Participer activement aux discussions et debats en anglais pendant les seances
Experience internationale en Roumanie
Un element determinant de mon apprentissage de l'anglais cette annee a ete mon stage a l'international en Roumanie. Cette experience de plusieurs mois dans un environnement professionnel ou l'anglais etait la langue de travail quotidienne a transforme ma pratique de la langue :
- Communication quotidienne : echanges avec des collegues et responsables roumains et internationaux exclusivement en anglais
- Reunions techniques : participation a des reunions de projet, presentations d'avancement et revues techniques en anglais
- Documentation : redaction de documents techniques, rapports et emails professionnels en anglais
- Integration culturelle : decouverte d'un environnement de travail multiculturel ou l'anglais sert de langue vehiculaire
Cette immersion a ete un catalyseur majeur pour l'amelioration de ma comprehension orale et de mon aisance a l'oral, competences qui se sont directement refletees dans mes resultats au TOEIC.
PART C - Aspects Techniques Detailles
1. Vocabulaire technique anglais pour l'IoT et les systemes embarques
Le semestre 9 en specialite ISS m'a permis d'acquerir un vocabulaire technique riche et specialise en anglais, couvrant plusieurs domaines :
Internet of Things (IoT) :
- Sensor nodes, gateways, actuators, edge devices
- Data acquisition, telemetry, remote monitoring
- Publish/subscribe paradigm, message brokers (MQTT, AMQP)
- Device provisioning, firmware over-the-air (FOTA) updates
- Digital twins, smart objects, pervasive computing
Systemes embarques :
- Microcontrollers (MCU), System-on-Chip (SoC), FPGA
- Real-time operating systems (RTOS), bare-metal programming
- Power management, sleep modes, energy harvesting
- Interrupt handling, DMA (Direct Memory Access)
- Embedded AI, TinyML, model quantization, edge inference
Reseaux et communications :
- Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) : LoRaWAN, Sigfox, NB-IoT
- Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), mesh networking
- Protocol stacks : TCP/IP, UDP, CoAP, 6LoWPAN
- Network slicing, Software Defined Networking (SDN)
- 5G NR, millimeter wave, beamforming, massive MIMO
Cloud et Edge Computing :
- Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), microservices
- Serverless computing, Function-as-a-Service (FaaS)
- Edge computing, fog computing, cloudlets
- Data pipelines, stream processing, batch processing
Securite :
- Encryption (AES, RSA), Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
- Authentication, authorization, access control
- Vulnerability assessment, penetration testing
- Secure boot, hardware security modules (HSM)
- Threat modeling, attack surface analysis
La maitrise de ce vocabulaire est indispensable pour lire la documentation technique, les datasheets, les articles de recherche et les normes internationales, qui sont presque exclusivement publies en anglais dans ces domaines.
2. Redaction de CV et lettre de motivation en anglais
Le cours a consacre des seances specifiques a la redaction de documents professionnels en anglais, une competence essentielle pour postuler a des postes a l'international.
CV en anglais (format anglo-saxon) :
Les differences majeures avec le CV francais ont ete etudiees :
| Aspect | CV francais | CV anglais |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | Souvent incluse | Generalement exclue (anti-discrimination) |
| Informations personnelles | Age, situation familiale parfois | Uniquement nom, contact, localisation |
| Structure | Chronologique | Competences et realisations mises en avant |
| Longueur | 1-2 pages | 1 page (entry-level), 2 pages max |
| Verbes d'action | Peu utilises | Systematiques (designed, developed, implemented, managed) |
| Quantification | Rare | Essentielle (improved performance by 30%) |
Principes de redaction appris :
- Utiliser des verbes d'action forts au passe (achieved, implemented, designed, optimized, deployed)
- Quantifier les resultats et realisations chaque fois que possible
- Adapter le CV a chaque poste vise (tailoring)
- Privilegier les competences transferables et les realisations concretes
- Structurer avec des sections claires : Summary, Education, Experience, Skills, Projects
Lettre de motivation (Cover Letter) :
- Structure en trois parties : accroche (pourquoi cette entreprise), corps (competences et experience pertinentes), conclusion (appel a l'action)
- Ton professionnel mais personnel, montrant la motivation et l'adequation avec le poste
- Eviter la simple repetition du CV, apporter une valeur ajoutee narrative
- Adapter chaque lettre au poste et a l'entreprise vises
3. Presentations professionnelles en anglais
Les sessions de presentation ont porte sur le developpement de competences orales structurees et efficaces :
Structure d'une presentation technique :
- Opening : accroche, presentation du sujet, annonce du plan (outline)
- Context : problematique, etat de l'art, besoin identifie
- Solution : proposition technique, architecture, choix technologiques
- Results : demonstrations, metriques, comparaisons
- Conclusion : resume des apports, perspectives, questions
Techniques de communication orale :
- Maintenir le contact visuel avec l'audience (eye contact)
- Utiliser un langage corporel ouvert et confiant (body language, posture)
- Varier le ton et le debit pour maintenir l'attention (intonation, pacing)
- Gerer les transitions entre les parties (signposting : "Moving on to...", "Let's now look at...", "To summarize...")
- Repondre aux questions de maniere structuree (acknowledge, answer, confirm)
Application au projet "What a Leak" :
Dans le cadre du projet innovant, j'ai du presenter en anglais :
- La problematique de detection de fuites d'eau dans les reseaux
- L'architecture technique du systeme (capteurs accelerometriques, traitement embarque, application mobile)
- Les choix technologiques (React Native, protocoles de communication, algorithmes de detection)
- Les resultats obtenus et les perspectives d'amelioration
- Debattre et defendre les decisions techniques face aux questions du jury
4. Preparation au TOEIC - Strategies Listening et Reading
Le TOEIC est un examen standardise evaluant la comprehension orale (Listening) et ecrite (Reading) de l'anglais professionnel. La preparation a ete methodique et structuree.
Section Listening (495 points) :
| Partie | Description | Nombre de questions | Strategie |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Photographs | 6 | Observer attentivement l'image avant d'ecouter, eliminer les distracteurs |
| Part 2 | Question-Response | 25 | Ecouter attentivement le debut de la question (who, what, where, when, how) |
| Part 3 | Conversations | 39 | Lire les questions a l'avance, anticiper le contexte |
| Part 4 | Talks | 30 | Identifier le type de discours (annonce, message, presentation), noter les informations cles |
Strategies Listening :
- Anticiper : lire les questions et les choix de reponses avant l'ecoute
- Se concentrer sur les mots-cles et les informations essentielles
- Ne pas s'arreter sur un mot incompris, continuer a ecouter le contexte global
- Eliminer les reponses manifestement fausses
- Faire attention aux pieges courants : paraphrases, synonymes, informations negatives
Section Reading (495 points) :
| Partie | Description | Nombre de questions | Strategie |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 5 | Incomplete Sentences | 30 | Identifier le type de mot manquant (grammaire vs vocabulaire) |
| Part 6 | Text Completion | 16 | Comprendre le contexte global du texte avant de repondre |
| Part 7 | Reading Comprehension | 54 | Scanner le texte pour trouver l'information, lire les questions d'abord |
Strategies Reading :
- Gerer le temps efficacement (la section Reading est souvent plus difficile a terminer)
- Pour Part 5 : identifier rapidement si c'est un probleme de grammaire (temps, accord, preposition) ou de vocabulaire
- Pour Part 6 : lire le paragraphe entier pour comprendre le contexte et la coherence
- Pour Part 7 : utiliser la technique du skimming (lecture rapide pour l'idee generale) et du scanning (recherche d'information specifique)
- Ne pas passer trop de temps sur une question difficile, y revenir si le temps le permet
Points de grammaire cles travailles :
- Temps verbaux : present perfect vs simple past, conditional, passive voice
- Articles : a/an/the/zero article dans des contextes specifiques
- Prepositions : in/on/at/by/for/with dans les expressions idiomatiques
- Structures de phrases complexes : relative clauses, reported speech, subjunctive
- Vocabulaire professionnel : termes lies au business, finance, marketing, ressources humaines
5. Ecriture academique et rapports techniques
La redaction de rapports techniques en anglais a ete un axe important du cours, en lien direct avec le projet innovant.
Structure d'un rapport technique :
- Abstract : resume concis du projet, de la methode et des resultats
- Introduction : contexte, problematique, objectifs, plan du document
- State of the Art / Literature Review : revue des solutions existantes
- Methodology : approche technique, outils utilises, protocole experimental
- Implementation : details techniques, architecture, choix de conception
- Results and Discussion : presentation des resultats, analyse, comparaison
- Conclusion and Future Work : bilan, limites, perspectives
Conventions d'ecriture academique :
- Utiliser la voix passive pour les descriptions de methodes ("The system was designed to...", "Data were collected using...")
- Employer un registre formel et objectif, eviter les pronoms personnels dans certaines sections
- Citer correctement les sources (IEEE, APA formats)
- Structurer avec des sections numerotees et des figures/tableaux references
- Utiliser des connecteurs logiques pour assurer la coherence du texte (however, moreover, consequently, furthermore)
Application au projet "What a Leak" :
Le rapport technique du projet a ete redige integralement en anglais. Il couvre l'ensemble du systeme de detection de fuites d'eau : capteurs accelerometriques, traitement des donnees embarque, communication sans fil, application mobile React Native et interface web. Ce travail de redaction a permis de mettre en pratique l'ensemble des competences d'ecriture acquises.
6. Communication orale et competences d'interaction
Au-dela des presentations formelles, le cours a developpe des competences de communication orale quotidienne en contexte professionnel :
Vocabulaire de reunion :
- Prendre la parole : "I'd like to raise a point...", "If I may add..."
- Exprimer un desaccord poliment : "I see your point, however...", "I'm not entirely convinced that..."
- Proposer une solution : "What if we considered...", "One approach could be..."
- Resumer : "To sum up...", "The key takeaway is..."
- Conclure : "Let's move forward with...", "The next steps would be..."
Communication par email professionnel :
- Formules d'ouverture et de cloture adaptees au contexte (formel, semi-formel)
- Structure claire : objet precis, introduction du contexte, demande ou information, conclusion avec action attendue
- Ton professionnel et concis, phrases courtes et directes
Discussions techniques :
- Expliquer un concept technique de maniere claire et accessible
- Poser des questions pertinentes pour approfondir la comprehension
- Reformuler pour verifier la comprehension mutuelle ("So what you're saying is...", "If I understand correctly...")
- Debattre de choix techniques en argumentant de maniere structuree
7. Collaboration internationale
L'environnement multiculturel du semestre 9 et l'experience en Roumanie ont mis en evidence l'importance de la communication interculturelle :
Competences interculturelles developpees :
- Adapter son style de communication selon les interlocuteurs et les cultures
- Comprendre differents accents anglophones (britannique, americain, accents non natifs)
- Gerer les differences culturelles dans les modes de travail (prise de decision, hierarchie, rapport au temps)
- Travailler efficacement dans une equipe internationale avec des membres de nationalites differentes
Outils de collaboration en anglais :
- Redaction de documentation technique partagee (README, wikis, specifications)
- Utilisation d'outils de gestion de projet en anglais (issues, pull requests, commit messages)
- Communication asynchrone (emails, messages) et synchrone (visioconferences, reunions)
- Revues de code et retours techniques en anglais
PART D - Analyse Reflexive et Perspectives
Resultat au TOEIC
J'ai obtenu un score de 890/990 au TOEIC, ce qui constitue un resultat significatif et represente un niveau B2+ / C1 selon le cadre europeen (CECRL). Ce score se decompose entre la section Listening et la section Reading.
Ce resultat temoigne de la progression realisee au cours de cette annee, grace a la combinaison de plusieurs facteurs :
- Les sessions de preparation dediees au TOEIC en cours
- L'immersion dans un environnement anglophone a travers les cours du S9 dispenses en anglais
- L'experience professionnelle a l'international en Roumanie, qui a particulierement renforce ma comprehension orale
- La redaction reguliere de documents techniques en anglais (rapports, CV, emails)
Competences professionnelles acquises
Communication technique :
Capacite a presenter, expliquer et defendre des choix techniques en anglais devant un public. Cette competence est essentielle pour tout ingenieur travaillant dans un contexte international ou les reunions, presentations et echanges se deroulent majoritairement en anglais.
Redaction professionnelle :
Maitrise de la redaction de documents professionnels varies en anglais : CV au format anglo-saxon, lettres de motivation adaptees, rapports techniques structures, emails professionnels. Ces competences sont directement transferables au monde professionnel.
Comprehension et interaction :
Amelioration significative de la comprehension orale, notamment dans des contextes techniques et professionnels. Capacite a suivre des reunions, des presentations et des discussions techniques en anglais, ainsi qu'a y participer activement.
Vocabulaire technique specialise :
Acquisition d'un lexique technique etendu dans les domaines de l'IoT, des systemes embarques, des reseaux, du cloud computing et de la securite informatique, indispensable pour la veille technologique et la collaboration internationale.
Apport de l'experience internationale en Roumanie
Le stage a l'international en Roumanie a ete un tournant dans ma progression en anglais. Avant cette experience, mes competences orales etaient correctes mais manquaient de fluidite et d'aisance. L'immersion quotidienne dans un environnement professionnel anglophone a radicalement change la donne :
- Avant : presentations preparees avec un texte quasi lu, difficulte a improviser, comprehension orale parfois laborieuse lors de discussions rapides
- Apres : presentations plus naturelles et spontanees, capacite a improviser et rebondir, comprehension orale nettement amelioree meme avec des accents varies
Cette experience confirme que l'immersion reste le moyen le plus efficace pour progresser en langue. Elle a directement contribue a mon score au TOEIC, notamment dans la section Listening.
Auto-evaluation
En debut d'annee scolaire, je n'etais pas tres confiant dans mes competences de presentation orale, ayant passe plus de six mois sans realiser de presentation formelle. Cependant, la pratique reguliere a travers les presentations du projet innovant et les cours techniques en anglais a permis une progression notable.
Le score de 890 au TOEIC est un resultat dont je suis satisfait. Il valide le niveau requis pour le diplome d'ingenieur et constitue un atout pour les candidatures a l'international. Neanmoins, je suis conscient que la maitrise d'une langue est un processus continu et que je dois maintenir une pratique reguliere pour ne pas perdre les acquis.
Points forts :
- Bonne comprehension ecrite, notamment de la documentation technique
- Vocabulaire technique etendu grace aux cours du S9
- Aisance a l'oral amelioree grace au stage en Roumanie
- Capacite a rediger des documents professionnels de qualite en anglais
Axes d'amelioration :
- Enrichir davantage le vocabulaire idiomatique et les expressions courantes
- Travailler la prononciation et la fluidite dans les discussions spontanees
- Developper la redaction academique pour d'eventuelles publications scientifiques
- S'exposer a davantage d'accents anglophones varies
Retour d'experience et perspectives
Le cours d'anglais du S9, combine a l'environnement international de la formation ISS et au stage en Roumanie, a constitue une experience d'apprentissage riche et complete. L'approche du cours, centree sur la pratique professionnelle (presentations, rapports, CV, TOEIC), est particulierement pertinente pour la preparation a la vie d'ingenieur.
J'ai trouve ce cours tres benefique pour ameliorer mes competences en communication dans un contexte professionnel et technique. L'accent mis sur les presentations, la redaction de rapports et la preparation au TOEIC a offert une approche equilibree pour renforcer la maitrise de l'anglais. La pratique reguliere et les retours de l'enseignant ont ete particulierement utiles pour identifier les axes d'amelioration et renforcer la confiance en communication anglaise.
Perspectives professionnelles :
- Utiliser l'anglais quotidiennement dans ma future carriere d'ingenieur
- Postuler a des postes a l'international avec un CV et une lettre de motivation de qualite
- Contribuer a des projets open source et a la communaute technique internationale
- Envisager des certifications complementaires (Cambridge C1 Advanced, IELTS) pour renforcer mon profil
- Maintenir et ameliorer mon niveau par la lecture d'articles techniques, le visionnage de conferences (TED, IEEE) et la pratique reguliere
L'anglais n'est pas simplement une matiere scolaire : c'est un outil de travail indispensable pour l'ingenieur moderne. La capacite a communiquer efficacement en anglais, a l'oral comme a l'ecrit, est un facteur differentiant majeur sur le marche de l'emploi et un prerequis pour tout poste impliquant une dimension internationale.
Resultat TOEIC TOEIC Result
Telecharger le certificat TOEIC Download the TOEIC certificate
English - Semester 9
Academic year: 2024-2025
Instructor: J. Shea
Category: Languages and Professional Communication
PART A - General Overview
Overview
The Semester 9 English course, taught by J. Shea, is part of the engineering program at INSA Toulouse within the Electrical and Computer Engineering department, ISS (Innovative Smart Systems) specialization. The main objective of this module is to strengthen English communication skills in a professional and technical context, while preparing students for the TOEIC exam (Test of English for International Communication), which is mandatory for obtaining the engineering degree.
English is an essential cross-cutting skill for any engineer working in an international environment. Mastering technical and professional English not only enables effective communication with international partners, but also provides access to technical documentation, scientific publications, and international standards that are almost exclusively written in English.
Learning objectives:
- Develop oral communication skills in English in a technical and professional context
- Master the writing of professional documents in English (CV, cover letter, technical reports)
- Prepare for and pass the TOEIC exam with a competitive score
- Be able to present and defend a technical project in English before an audience
- Strengthen technical vocabulary related to IoT, embedded systems, and networks
- Develop academic writing skills in English
Position in the Curriculum
This language module connects with the entire 5th-year program:
- "What a Leak" Innovation Project: presentations and technical reports in English
- S9 technical courses: specialized vocabulary acquisition (IoT, networks, embedded systems, cloud, security)
- International internship (Romania): direct application of language skills in a real professional context
- Professional preparation: CV, cover letter, interviews in English
The TOEIC is a prerequisite for validating the INSA engineering degree. A minimum score is required, and a good result is a major asset in the international job market.
PART B - Personal Experience and Learning Context
International Environment and Context
Semester 9 at INSA Toulouse in the ISS specialization offers a particularly favorable environment for practicing English. Several courses in the program are taught entirely in English by international instructors, providing near-daily immersion in the language:
| Course taught in English | Domain |
|---|---|
| Embedded IA for IoT | Embedded artificial intelligence |
| Cloud & Edge Computing | Cloud architectures |
| Service Oriented Architecture | Software architecture |
| Low Power Wireless Networks | Low-power wireless networks |
| Middleware for IoT | IoT middleware |
| Security for Connected Objects | Connected object security |
| Emerging Networks | Emerging networks |
| Wireless Sensor Networks | Wireless sensor networks |
| Energy for Connected Objects | Energy for connected objects |
This constant exposure to technical English throughout the semester significantly strengthened my oral comprehension and ability to interact in English on complex technical subjects.
Course Organization
The English course was organized around several complementary teaching approaches:
Presentation sessions:
- Preparation and delivery of oral presentations related to the "What a Leak" innovation project
- Debate exercises and defense of technical choices in English
- Work on presentation structure and coherence (introduction, development, conclusion)
- Feedback and constructive criticism from the instructor and classmates
Professional writing sessions:
- Writing CVs in English adapted to the international market (Anglo-Saxon format)
- Writing cover letters in English for international positions
- Writing detailed technical reports in English for the "What a Leak" project
TOEIC preparation sessions:
- Specific training for the Listening and Reading sections
- Mock exams to become familiar with the format and time management
- Targeted grammar and vocabulary exercises
My Role and Responsibilities
In this course, I was required to:
- Present and defend the technical choices of the "What a Leak" innovation project in English before a jury
- Write a complete technical report in English for the developed project
- Prepare a CV and cover letter in English for international applications
- Actively prepare for the different TOEIC sections
- Actively participate in English discussions and debates during sessions
International Experience in Romania
A key factor in my English learning this year was my international internship in Romania. This multi-month experience in a professional environment where English was the daily working language transformed my language practice:
- Daily communication: exchanges with Romanian and international colleagues and managers exclusively in English
- Technical meetings: participation in project meetings, progress presentations, and technical reviews in English
- Documentation: writing technical documents, reports, and professional emails in English
- Cultural integration: discovering a multicultural work environment where English serves as the lingua franca
This immersion was a major catalyst for improving my oral comprehension and speaking fluency, skills that were directly reflected in my TOEIC results.
PART C - Detailed Technical Aspects
1. Technical English Vocabulary for IoT and Embedded Systems
Semester 9 in the ISS specialization allowed me to acquire a rich and specialized technical vocabulary in English, covering several domains:
Internet of Things (IoT):
- Sensor nodes, gateways, actuators, edge devices
- Data acquisition, telemetry, remote monitoring
- Publish/subscribe paradigm, message brokers (MQTT, AMQP)
- Device provisioning, firmware over-the-air (FOTA) updates
- Digital twins, smart objects, pervasive computing
Embedded systems:
- Microcontrollers (MCU), System-on-Chip (SoC), FPGA
- Real-time operating systems (RTOS), bare-metal programming
- Power management, sleep modes, energy harvesting
- Interrupt handling, DMA (Direct Memory Access)
- Embedded AI, TinyML, model quantization, edge inference
Networks and communications:
- Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN): LoRaWAN, Sigfox, NB-IoT
- Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), mesh networking
- Protocol stacks: TCP/IP, UDP, CoAP, 6LoWPAN
- Network slicing, Software Defined Networking (SDN)
- 5G NR, millimeter wave, beamforming, massive MIMO
Cloud and Edge Computing:
- Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), microservices
- Serverless computing, Function-as-a-Service (FaaS)
- Edge computing, fog computing, cloudlets
- Data pipelines, stream processing, batch processing
Security:
- Encryption (AES, RSA), Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
- Authentication, authorization, access control
- Vulnerability assessment, penetration testing
- Secure boot, hardware security modules (HSM)
- Threat modeling, attack surface analysis
Mastering this vocabulary is essential for reading technical documentation, datasheets, research articles, and international standards, which are almost exclusively published in English in these fields.
2. CV and Cover Letter Writing in English
The course dedicated specific sessions to writing professional documents in English, an essential skill for applying to international positions.
English CV (Anglo-Saxon format):
The major differences with the French CV were studied:
| Aspect | French CV | English CV |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | Often included | Generally excluded (anti-discrimination) |
| Personal information | Age, family status sometimes | Only name, contact, location |
| Structure | Chronological | Skills and achievements highlighted |
| Length | 1-2 pages | 1 page (entry-level), 2 pages max |
| Action verbs | Rarely used | Systematic (designed, developed, implemented, managed) |
| Quantification | Rare | Essential (improved performance by 30%) |
Writing principles learned:
- Use strong past-tense action verbs (achieved, implemented, designed, optimized, deployed)
- Quantify results and achievements whenever possible
- Tailor the CV to each target position
- Emphasize transferable skills and concrete achievements
- Structure with clear sections: Summary, Education, Experience, Skills, Projects
Cover Letter:
- Three-part structure: hook (why this company), body (relevant skills and experience), conclusion (call to action)
- Professional yet personal tone, showing motivation and fit with the position
- Avoid simply repeating the CV, add narrative value
- Tailor each letter to the target position and company
3. Professional Presentations in English
The presentation sessions focused on developing structured and effective oral skills:
Structure of a technical presentation:
- Opening: hook, topic introduction, outline announcement
- Context: problem statement, state of the art, identified need
- Solution: technical proposal, architecture, technology choices
- Results: demonstrations, metrics, comparisons
- Conclusion: summary of contributions, perspectives, questions
Oral communication techniques:
- Maintain eye contact with the audience
- Use open and confident body language and posture
- Vary tone and pace to maintain attention (intonation, pacing)
- Manage transitions between sections (signposting: "Moving on to...", "Let's now look at...", "To summarize...")
- Answer questions in a structured way (acknowledge, answer, confirm)
Application to the "What a Leak" project:
As part of the innovation project, I had to present in English:
- The problem of water leak detection in networks
- The system's technical architecture (accelerometer sensors, embedded processing, mobile application)
- Technology choices (React Native, communication protocols, detection algorithms)
- Results obtained and improvement prospects
- Debate and defend technical decisions in response to jury questions
4. TOEIC Preparation - Listening and Reading Strategies
The TOEIC is a standardized exam evaluating oral comprehension (Listening) and written comprehension (Reading) of professional English. Preparation was methodical and structured.
Listening Section (495 points):
| Part | Description | Number of questions | Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Photographs | 6 | Carefully observe the image before listening, eliminate distractors |
| Part 2 | Question-Response | 25 | Listen carefully to the beginning of the question (who, what, where, when, how) |
| Part 3 | Conversations | 39 | Read questions in advance, anticipate the context |
| Part 4 | Talks | 30 | Identify the type of speech (announcement, message, presentation), note key information |
Listening strategies:
- Anticipate: read questions and answer choices before listening
- Focus on keywords and essential information
- Do not stop on a misunderstood word, keep listening for overall context
- Eliminate obviously wrong answers
- Watch for common traps: paraphrases, synonyms, negative information
Reading Section (495 points):
| Part | Description | Number of questions | Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 5 | Incomplete Sentences | 30 | Identify the type of missing word (grammar vs vocabulary) |
| Part 6 | Text Completion | 16 | Understand the overall context of the text before answering |
| Part 7 | Reading Comprehension | 54 | Scan the text to find information, read questions first |
Reading strategies:
- Manage time effectively (the Reading section is often harder to finish)
- For Part 5: quickly identify whether it is a grammar problem (tense, agreement, preposition) or vocabulary
- For Part 6: read the entire paragraph to understand context and coherence
- For Part 7: use skimming (quick reading for the general idea) and scanning (searching for specific information)
- Do not spend too much time on a difficult question, come back to it if time permits
Key grammar points studied:
- Verb tenses: present perfect vs simple past, conditional, passive voice
- Articles: a/an/the/zero article in specific contexts
- Prepositions: in/on/at/by/for/with in idiomatic expressions
- Complex sentence structures: relative clauses, reported speech, subjunctive
- Professional vocabulary: business, finance, marketing, human resources terms
5. Academic Writing and Technical Reports
Writing technical reports in English was an important focus of the course, directly linked to the innovation project.
Structure of a technical report:
- Abstract: concise summary of the project, method, and results
- Introduction: context, problem statement, objectives, document outline
- State of the Art / Literature Review: review of existing solutions
- Methodology: technical approach, tools used, experimental protocol
- Implementation: technical details, architecture, design choices
- Results and Discussion: presentation of results, analysis, comparison
- Conclusion and Future Work: assessment, limitations, perspectives
Academic writing conventions:
- Use passive voice for method descriptions ("The system was designed to...", "Data were collected using...")
- Use a formal and objective register, avoid personal pronouns in certain sections
- Properly cite sources (IEEE, APA formats)
- Structure with numbered sections and referenced figures/tables
- Use logical connectors to ensure text coherence (however, moreover, consequently, furthermore)
Application to the "What a Leak" project:
The project's technical report was written entirely in English. It covers the complete water leak detection system: accelerometer sensors, embedded data processing, wireless communication, React Native mobile application, and web interface. This writing work allowed me to put into practice all the writing skills acquired.
6. Oral Communication and Interaction Skills
Beyond formal presentations, the course developed everyday oral communication skills in a professional context:
Meeting vocabulary:
- Taking the floor: "I'd like to raise a point...", "If I may add..."
- Expressing polite disagreement: "I see your point, however...", "I'm not entirely convinced that..."
- Proposing a solution: "What if we considered...", "One approach could be..."
- Summarizing: "To sum up...", "The key takeaway is..."
- Concluding: "Let's move forward with...", "The next steps would be..."
Professional email communication:
- Opening and closing formulas adapted to context (formal, semi-formal)
- Clear structure: precise subject line, context introduction, request or information, conclusion with expected action
- Professional and concise tone, short and direct sentences
Technical discussions:
- Explaining a technical concept clearly and accessibly
- Asking relevant questions to deepen understanding
- Rephrasing to verify mutual understanding ("So what you're saying is...", "If I understand correctly...")
- Debating technical choices with structured arguments
7. International Collaboration
The multicultural environment of Semester 9 and the experience in Romania highlighted the importance of intercultural communication:
Intercultural skills developed:
- Adapting communication style according to interlocutors and cultures
- Understanding different English accents (British, American, non-native accents)
- Managing cultural differences in work methods (decision-making, hierarchy, relationship to time)
- Working effectively in an international team with members of different nationalities
Collaboration tools in English:
- Writing shared technical documentation (README, wikis, specifications)
- Using project management tools in English (issues, pull requests, commit messages)
- Asynchronous communication (emails, messages) and synchronous communication (video conferences, meetings)
- Code reviews and technical feedback in English
PART D - Reflective Analysis and Perspectives
TOEIC Result
I obtained a score of 890/990 on the TOEIC, which is a significant result representing a B2+ / C1 level according to the European framework (CEFR). This score breaks down between the Listening and Reading sections.
This result reflects the progress made throughout the year, thanks to a combination of several factors:
- Dedicated TOEIC preparation sessions in class
- Immersion in an English-speaking environment through S9 courses taught in English
- International professional experience in Romania, which particularly strengthened my oral comprehension
- Regular writing of technical documents in English (reports, CV, emails)
Professional Skills Acquired
Technical communication:
Ability to present, explain, and defend technical choices in English before an audience. This skill is essential for any engineer working in an international context where meetings, presentations, and exchanges are predominantly in English.
Professional writing:
Mastery of writing various professional documents in English: Anglo-Saxon format CV, tailored cover letters, structured technical reports, professional emails. These skills are directly transferable to the professional world.
Comprehension and interaction:
Significant improvement in oral comprehension, particularly in technical and professional contexts. Ability to follow meetings, presentations, and technical discussions in English, as well as actively participate in them.
Specialized technical vocabulary:
Acquisition of an extensive technical lexicon in the fields of IoT, embedded systems, networks, cloud computing, and cybersecurity, essential for technology watch and international collaboration.
Contribution of the International Experience in Romania
The international internship in Romania was a turning point in my English progress. Before this experience, my oral skills were adequate but lacked fluency and ease. Daily immersion in an English-speaking professional environment radically changed the situation:
- Before: presentations prepared with an almost read-out text, difficulty improvising, oral comprehension sometimes laborious during fast discussions
- After: more natural and spontaneous presentations, ability to improvise and respond on the fly, significantly improved oral comprehension even with varied accents
This experience confirms that immersion remains the most effective way to progress in a language. It directly contributed to my TOEIC score, particularly in the Listening section.
Self-assessment
At the beginning of the school year, I was not very confident in my oral presentation skills, having spent more than six months without making a formal presentation. However, regular practice through innovation project presentations and technical courses in English allowed for notable progress.
The TOEIC score of 890 is a result I am satisfied with. It validates the level required for the engineering degree and is an asset for international applications. Nevertheless, I am aware that language mastery is a continuous process and that I must maintain regular practice to not lose the skills acquired.
Strengths:
- Good reading comprehension, especially of technical documentation
- Extensive technical vocabulary thanks to S9 courses
- Improved oral fluency thanks to the internship in Romania
- Ability to write quality professional documents in English
Areas for improvement:
- Further enrich idiomatic vocabulary and common expressions
- Work on pronunciation and fluency in spontaneous discussions
- Develop academic writing for potential scientific publications
- Expose myself to more varied English accents
Feedback and Perspectives
The S9 English course, combined with the international environment of the ISS program and the internship in Romania, constituted a rich and comprehensive learning experience. The course approach, centered on professional practice (presentations, reports, CV, TOEIC), is particularly relevant for preparation for engineering careers.
I found this course very beneficial for improving my communication skills in a professional and technical context. The focus on presentations, report writing, and TOEIC preparation provided a balanced approach to strengthening English proficiency. Regular practice and instructor feedback were particularly useful for identifying areas for improvement and building confidence in English communication.
Professional perspectives:
- Use English daily in my future engineering career
- Apply for international positions with a quality CV and cover letter
- Contribute to open source projects and the international technical community
- Consider additional certifications (Cambridge C1 Advanced, IELTS) to strengthen my profile
- Maintain and improve my level through reading technical articles, watching conferences (TED, IEEE), and regular practice
English is not simply a school subject: it is an essential working tool for the modern engineer. The ability to communicate effectively in English, both orally and in writing, is a major differentiating factor in the job market and a prerequisite for any position involving an international dimension.