Introductory description

This module focuses on English for Academic Purposes, so materials are adapted to students’ respective disciplines (or related disciplines). Students develop skills that are applicable to academic research and writing processes, including techniques for finding relevant sources, assessing source quality, identifying key information, making and organising notes, and critically evaluating information from academic texts. Input on writing includes appropriate and accurate use of paraphrasing, summarising and quoting techniques as well as discipline-appropriate citation and reference practices. Iterative processes of writing to a rubric and editing written work in response to feedback are emphasised.
Students develop skills that are applicable to academic listening and speaking situations. Listening practice highlights strategies for prediction and note-taking, and supports the understanding of spoken discourse markers and rapid or elliptical speech. Collaborative, student-led discussion is emphasised as a method of developing skills for managing spoken interaction, exercising critical evaluation skills and raising student awareness of the benefits of dialogic learning.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

• READING: selecting texts around a key debate or question; identifying key sections of longer texts; note-taking, including paraphrasing, summarising and quoting; identifying key points; critically evaluating written information; synthesising multiple texts.
• WRITING: planning an extended piece of writing; structure and paragraphing; paraphrasing, summarising and quoting; citing (including reporting verbs) and referencing; avoiding plagiarism; formality and informality; the language of caution; coherence, cohesion and linking conjunctions.
• LEARNER AUTONOMY: using library research tools to find source texts; self-assessing and editing written work; responding to feedback; monitoring and reflecting on learning.
• LISTENING: predicting and listening for information; note-taking techniques; identifying signposting and other discourse markers; listening and identifying main ideas; expressing critical views on lecture content.
• SPEAKING: taking part in small group discussions; language for participating in and co-creating knowledge within discussions; using academic resources as a basis for discussion.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Communicate with accuracy and fluency, using appropriate vocabulary and academic style to clearly and coherently convey meaning in an academic genre relevant to undergraduate study.
• Apply online tools to conduct guided library research, evaluate and use a range of sources to provide evidence to support analysis of relevant theories within their discipline (or a related area); and display their findings in extended written form by making appropriate use of paraphrasing, quoting and summarising techniques.
• Recognise the need to adhere to conventions of citation and reference to support claims and acknowledge others' work.
• Critically reflect on processes of learning and set future goals for undergraduate study.
• Implement a range of listening strategies to interpret others' speech in seminar settings to create syntheses of the information presented and to co-construct understanding.
• Demonstrate the use of spoken academic discourse with a good range of vocabulary on various discipline-related topics to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Subject specific skills

Students will be trained in a range of academic reading and writing strategies. They will learn how to appropriately select from and apply these strategies in order to synthesise and evaluate information from academic texts in order to produce an extended, structured piece of writing in an appropriately academic style.
Students will be trained in a range of academic listening and speaking strategies. They will learn how to appropriately select from and apply these strategies in order to manage English-language listening and speaking situations that commonly arise in the undergraduate context, such as seminar discussions.

Transferable skills

Students will learn how to manage a time-intensive schedule that includes synchronous and asynchronous teaching input as well as self-guided study. They will also be introduced to techniques for informal self-assessment.