Module overview
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- apply learning, research, and organisational skills.
- research effectively and handle bibliographic information appropriately.
- demonstrate intercultural and interpersonal skills.
- engage in a range of communication topics through English.
- write and think under pressure and meet deadlines.
- work autonomously, manifested in self-direction, self-discipline, and time management.
- use a range of technology tools to learn, engage, and present in English.
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- engage in analytical and evaluative thinking appropriate to language learning skills.
- develop problem-solving skills to enhance your use and understanding of language learning skills.
- extract and synthesise key information from written and spoken sources, criticise and refer to these when relevant.
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- appropriate metalanguage to understand and construct accurate descriptions of grammar and how language is used, and how these constructions impact meaning in English.
- increased number of grammatical and language-specific structures of English, and increased command of most of them as well as command of a good range of vocabulary on familiar and some specialised topics, including collocational patterns and some fixed expressions
- receptive skills (i.e. listening and reading) in English relating to a variety of general topics and to an increased number of specialised topics in a clear and effective manner. Demonstrate an increased ability to understand, recognise, select, and manipulate key information from written and spoken texts.
- productive skills (i.e. speaking and writing) in English relating to a variety of general topics and to an increased number of specialised topics in a clear and effective manner. Express ideas and concepts with increasing confidence, using an expanding range of grammatical structures and vocabulary.
Syllabus
This stage will integrate topics and, where appropriate, specialist areas with the study of the language. Course books, reference books and topic-based material will be used as appropriate. Much of the material will be derived from authentic print and audio-visual media. Independent learning material will be available on Blackboard, our virtual learning environment and/or the university library.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include: classes and independent learning
Classes
Although part of any class session is likely to involve direct teaching, the emphasis is on student participation and you will be expected to take part actively in discussion and in tasks such as small group and pair work, and individual or group presentations.
Independent learning
You will be expected to spend time studying outside the class, and we provide guidance, facilities and materials to help you develop your expertise as an independent language learner. As you progress through the stages you will learn to understand, monitor and improve your own learning style; you will also acquire some expertise as a researcher and develop the kind of key skills which are valued by employers. You are encouraged to use the facilities in the university library, which include on-line and computer-based resources, and current newspapers, journals and magazines. For this stage, you will be asked to prepare exercises and activities for the class, to read, watch or listen to material in the target language, consolidate your class work, to write assignments, undertake projects and continue to develop your repertoire of effective language learning strategies.
Type | Hours |
---|---|
Seminar | 36 |
Independent Study | 114 |
Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
General Resources
Monolingual dictionary. For example, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English (OUP), Collins COBUILD English Language Dictionary (Collins CoBuild), or Cambridge International Dictionary of English (CUP)
Resources and reading list. The Library and Learning Commons is continually updating its facilities and materials for independent language learning (described under Independent Learning above) and you will find many of the recommended learning and reference materials here. You will need a comprehensive dictionary for this module but there will also be a large number of authentic resources made available via Blackboard, the University’s Virtual Learning Environment.
Grammar book. For example, Swan and Walter. (1997). How English Works: A Grammar Practice Book (With Answers). OUP. (ISBN: 9780194314565)
Assessment
Assessment strategy
At the beginning of the module, you will receive information about your assessment. This will include:
- what tasks you will be expected to carry out
- clear criteria against which your work will be assessed
- what the provisional date and deadline of each assessment task is.
Note that it is the responsibility of students to ensure that they have read and understood this documentation, to plan their work schedule in advance, and to keep to the deadlines. If you are in any doubt, talk to the module coordinator in good time.
Assessment will cover what you have studied in class and what you are expected to have acquired as an independent learner. The design of the tasks and the criteria by which they are assessed ensure that you will be able to demonstrate all aspects of your learning: language skills, strategies and knowledge related to language learning, and key skills, as well as module specific content. Coursework and end-of-semester assessments will give you formative feedback on your progress, that is, feedback which will help you learn, as well as testing what you have achieved.
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Attendance and engagement | 5% |
Written assignment | 20% |
Written assignment | 20% |
Integrative Multi Skill Assignment | 55% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Resubmit assessments | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Assessment tasks | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External