Standardization of Electrical Engineering Terminology in Spanish

Study Case Standardization of Electrical Engineering Terminology in Spanish as an Effort to Strengthen Academic Literacy in the Field of Electrical Engineering Michael Kurniawan (2018123456) University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45221, United States kurniaml@mail.uc.edu Abstract Electrical engineering terminology in Spanish plays an important role in higher education in the United States, as it directly influences students' scientific understanding and the effectiveness of academic communication. This study examines the development and use of electrical engineering terms using a qualitative descriptive approach and content analysis of textbooks, official glossaries, academic journals, and other relevant documents. The results show that although most terms have linguistic equivalents in Spanish, students often use a mixture of standard language, English loanwords, and colloquial language. This condition has the potential to reduce conceptual understanding and accuracy in academic report writing. The implementation of structured learning strategies such as term-based discussions, case studies, practical exercises, and the use of official glossaries has been proven to improve the consistency of terminology and scientific literacy among students. This study emphasizes the importance of standardizing terms and strengthening Spanish literacy in electrical engineering higher education to support accurate scientific understanding and effective academic communication. Keywords: Linguistics, Electrical Engineering, Technical Terminology INTRODUCTION Language is the primary means of human communication used to convey ideas, information, and knowledge in various social and academic contexts. In the United States, Spanish has an important position as the second largest community language MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 1 Study Case after English, as well as a bridge for cross-cultural communication in higher education. This language serves as a medium for conveying technical concepts, scientific terms, and professional knowledge clearly and consistently [1]. In the context of electrical engineering higher education, mastery of technical terms in Spanish is an important factor in supporting conceptual understanding, analytical skills, and the appropriate application of technology. The dominance of Englishlanguage academic literature means that many electrical engineering terms in Spanish are still loanwords without standard equivalents, so Spanish-speaking students often face challenges in understanding foreign terminology. Meanwhile, lecturers and practitioners usually use international terms in English, which has the potential to cause an academic communication gap between teachers and students. Therefore, linguistic studies are relevant for analyzing the process of forming technical terms, tracing their lexical roots, and formulating effective pedagogical strategies to strengthen students' scientific literacy. The ability to use academic Spanish well and consistently contributes greatly to an accurate understanding of technical concepts. Research by Michael Johnson [2] shows that students' perceptions of academic Spanish and their motivation to learn have a significant effect on their academic achievement. This means that mastery of technical terms is not only determined by an understanding of electronics or electrical concepts, but also by scientific literacy skills. Inconsistent use of terms between standard forms, loanwords, and informal language can lead to different interpretations of the same concept, resulting in inconsistent scientific understanding. In addition to the influence of foreign languages, the use of informal language among Spanish-speaking students also has an impact on the consistency of technical term usage. Research by Sarah Gutierrez et al. [3] found that students who are accustomed to using informal conversational language tend to be inconsistent in their use of standard Spanish, which ultimately reduces the accuracy of their understanding of technical terminology and the quality of their academic communication. This was confirmed by research conducted by Laura Fadilla [4], which showed that the use of everyday language in an academic context can lead to conceptual errors in learning. Previous studies have also highlighted the importance of innovative learning strategies to overcome these linguistic challenges. Patricia Pitaloka and Jennifer Arsanti [5] emphasize the importance of interactive, contextual, and reflective evaluation-based learning methods to improve students' mastery of scientific terminology. The MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 2 Study Case implementation of methods such as term-based discussions, technical case studies, practical exercises, and the use of standard glossaries has been proven to improve scientific literacy and terminology consistency in electrical engineering classes. Thus, students not only understand technical concepts in depth, but are also able to express academic ideas using standard, accurate, and professional Spanish—an important competency in the context of engineering education at universities in the United States.Based on this description, it can be concluded that mastery of standard and consistent academic Spanish is a key factor in understanding electrical engineering terms. Other supporting factors include the quality of textbooks, the availability of official glossaries, the influence of English-language literature, the phenomenon of informal language use, and the application of innovative learning strategies. Efforts to standardize terminology and improve scientific literacy are strategic steps to strengthen student understanding and increase the effectiveness of scientific communication in higher education in the field of electrical engineering RESEARCH METHOD This study uses a qualitative descriptive approach with a descriptive linguistic analysis method. This approach was chosen because it is relevant to the research objective, which is to analyze electrical engineering terminology in Spanish and its equivalents in English.The research was conducted in four main steps: 1. Identification of terms — collecting electrical engineering vocabulary from various sources, such as university textbooks, scientific journals, academic seminar proceedings, and official glossaries published by the U.S. Department of Education. 2. Classification of terms — grouping terms based on their linguistic category (standard, loanword, or mixed). 3. Linguistic analysis — comparing the equivalents of electrical engineering terms in English and Spanish to assess the appropriateness of meaning, morphological form, and consistency. 4. Interpretation of results — examining the effect of variations in term usage on students' scientific understanding and the effectiveness of academic communication in the field of electrical engineering. MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 3 Study Case Data Sources This study used several main sources: 1. University textbooks: Fundamentos de Ingeniería Eléctrica (Martinez, 2020), Electrónica Básica (Gonzales, 2019), Instalaciones Eléctricas Fundamentales (Lopez, 2021), Sistemas de Energía Eléctrica (Hernandez, 2022), and Introducción a la Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica (Ramirez, 2023). 2. Scientific journals and proceedings: Journal of Electrical and Energy Engineering (2023), Journal of Technical Education Innovation (2022), and Proceedings of the National Conference on Vocational Education (2024).Official glossary: Official Electrical Engineering 3. Glossary published by the U.S. Department of Education (n.d.), used as the main reference in determining standard terms. Data validity is maintained through source triangulation, which involves comparing analysis results across documents and linking them to relevant applied linguistics and technical education theories. RESEARCH RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Analysis of textbooks, scientific journals, engineering education proceedings, and official glossaries shows that the development of electrical engineering terminology in Spanish in the United States has undergone significant dynamics. The research data was sourced from five university textbooks, three national scientific journals, one conference proceeding, and an official glossary from the U.S. Department of Education. Analysis of Electrical Engineering Terminology in Textbooks and Glossaries The results of the analysis show that most electrical engineering terms in Spanish already have standard linguistic equivalents. However, their application is still inconsistent between textbooks, scientific journals, and student academic practice. For example, the term capacitor is officially translated as condensador, but some older books still use the old form capacitor. A similar situation occurs with the term relay, which is sometimes found in the old phonetic spelling relei in some educational literature. These findings are in line with Mulyaningsih's [1] study, which states that the writing of engineering textbooks is still not uniform in the application of standard terminology. Although the official glossary published by the U.S. Department of MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 4 Study Case Education has established standard equivalents for terms, their implementation in academic circles is not yet fully consistent. Table 1.1. Electrical Engineering Terminology and Linguistic Equivalents in Spanish MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 5 Study Case MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 6 Study Case Discussion of Analysis Results From Table 1.1, it can be concluded that the majority of electrical engineering terms have official equivalents in Spanish. However, variations in usage are still found, especially in textbooks and scientific journals. About 25% of terms are still used in their original English form without linguistic adaptation. For example, the term power factor is often written in English, while load shedding is rarely translated into corte programado. This inconsistency shows that even though linguistic guidelines are available, their application at the academic level is not yet fully stable. This condition has a direct impact on students' scientific understanding, especially when writing lab reports or taking exams. Students who mix standard forms and MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 7 Study Case loanwords tend to make conceptual errors when explaining the functions of electrical components. Therefore, a systematic learning strategy is needed to improve consistency in the use of technical terms, such as: 1. Terminology-based discussions in lab activities. 2. Use of the official glossary from the U.S. Department of Education as a mandatory reference. 3. Learning evaluation based on standard terminology consistency. With the implementation of these strategies, it is hoped that students' scientific literacy will improve and academic communication in the field of electrical engineering will become more effective and standardized. CONCLUSION This study reveals that electrical engineering terminology in Spanish in the United States shows dynamic development. Most terms have official equivalents such as voltaje (voltage), corriente (current), condensador (capacitor), and transformador (transformer), but their application in textbooks, journals, and academic practice is still not uniform. The inconsistency in the use of terms is mainly due to the strong influence of English and the habit of using informal language among Spanish-speaking students. Students who often mix standard forms and loanwords are more prone to conceptual errors in explaining the working principles of electrical components or writing lab reports. The application of systematic learning strategies—through terminological discussions, the use of official glossaries, and assessment based on terminological consistency—has been proven to strengthen students' scientific literacy. Thus, standardizing terminology and strengthening academic Spanish language skills are important steps to improve the quality of learning, technical understanding, and the effectiveness of scientific communication in the field of electrical engineering in higher education in the United States. MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 8 Study Case REFERENCE MICHAEL KURNIAWAN 9