module specification

- to develop the students competence and confidence in the use of the four language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening
- to enable students to communicate effectively with their peers and fellow and teachers
- to accustomise students with the conventions and the practices of academic English
- to develop students’ vocabulary, grammar  and academic English in relation to their chosen subject pathways

IELTS 4.5 in all 4 skills

Writing in English: including planning, structuring and writing assignments; writing summaries and paraphrasing; using linking and signalling devices; improving syntax and paragraph structure, developing grammar and vocabulary, writing in an academic register. 
- Reading in English: including techniques of skimming for general impression; scanning for detailed information; prediction and ascertaining meaning from context, identifying non from academic registers.
- Speaking in English: including developing clear, comprehensible and appropriate communication for an academic context; pronunciation, stress and intonation
- Listening in English: listening for gist, listening for detail, listening & writing simultaneously in an academic environment, prediction, interpreting language signals.

Learning Outcomes LO1 - LO6

The module is delivered through a range of different methods including lectures, tutorials, workshops, individual work, pair work, small group work, seminar-based discussions, and on-line materials.

There will also be regular opportunities for students to have one-to-one contact with their tutor.

Students will be expected to appraise and comment on their own and other students' work and to produce both oral and written work regularly. The Individual Study Log assessment requires students to reflect on and assess their own progress and development on a weekly basis, and to take responsibility for their own learning.

Taught class sessions: 27 x 3 hour sessions.
Teacher input: with individuals, pairs, small groups.

Independent guided student input Individual or group study outside the class (219 hours)

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate their fluency and understanding of spoken standard and academic English.
2. Produce coherent writing in clear, comprehensible English for different academic purposes.
3. Read a range of texts in order to extract information and for learning purposes.
4. Plan and deliver short structured individual presentations that are appropriate for academic settings.
5. Demonstrate an ability to reflect on and assess their progress as language learners.
6. Show that an independent use can be made of the resources in the Language Centre.

Formative assessment will take place consistently throughout the module in the form of continuous feedback on: regular classroom-based progress tests, written work: spelling, punctuation, accuracy of grammar, vocabulary, register, reading and listening comprehension; Individual Study Logs

Summative assessment:

- An individual study log (20%) consisting of a number of weekly language learning and reflective tasks submitted to the VLE.
- Unseen Reading test  20%, week 30
- Unseen Writing test 20%, week 30
- Speaking test  20%, week 27-28
- Unseen Listening test 20%, week 30

Gillet A. (2005) Using English for Academic Purposes - A Guide for International Students http://www.uefap.co.uk
Longman Language Activator (2006) [Pearson: Harlow, Essex]
Oshima, A and Hogue, A (2006) Writing Academic English, 4th Edition [Pearson/Longman]
Bailey, S (2011) Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students [Routledge]
McCarthy, M (2008) Academic Vocabulary in Use with Answers [Cambridge University Press]
Schmidt, D (2011) Focus on Vocabulary 2, Mastering the Academic Word List, [Pearson/Longman]
Philpott, S (2007) Academic Skills,  Reading and Writing and Study Skills [Oxford]        
Purdue University, Online Writing Lab, http://owl.english.purdue.edu