Module Content

• developing English language knowledge and skills to the appropriate level of competence (B2).
• refining English language skills to demonstrate high levels of awareness of contextual variation in language style, appropriacy to academic context and field-specific genres, and refining ability in producing spoken and written English texts which demonstrate competence in this.
• increasing academic reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills
• improving students’ reading and listening comprehension by helping them develop effective methods and strategies necessary for academia.
• improving students’ language proficiency by developing their vocabulary and grammar.
• developing skills for future participation in events such as lectures, seminars, meetings, teamwork, or tutorials.
• developing critical thinking abilities essential for academic purposes, such as actively questioning texts and evaluating their content and competence in expressing critical opinions.

Teaching Methods

The teaching and learning approach integrate the development of English language skills with relevant academic and/or professional skills, appropriate to the cohort of students. This means for example that the material that students will read, or lectures they will listen to, will be used as input for language work, seminar discussion, oral presentation, and essay writing. This integration reflects the nature of academic and professional practice and allows an in-depth exploration of various academic topics while developing English language knowledge and skills.
Class contact sessions typically consist of a mix of tutor input (or recorded input) and interactive individual/pair/group tasks.

Authentic academic and professional texts and scenarios are used to increase students’ knowledge and awareness of a range of typical genres in prospect academic fields and to enable them to develop appropriate language and skills. There is a strong focus on academic vocabulary development, using the Academic Wordlists and other (online) resources, on improving reading speed, comprehension of spoken and written and particularly on improving academic and/or professional writing ability.
Group and independent learning activities are used to replicate the typical demands of undergraduate study and/or the workplace. Independent work will involve preparation for classes, reading and researching academic texts, and writing short texts in preparation for the portfolio of tasks. A range of online resources will be made available to students through Blackboard. These activities complement those undertaken during the module’s Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity and allow students to consolidate and develop both subject-specific and other transferable skills.
In the process of enhancing their autonomy through the implementation of effective language learning strategies, learners will be encouraged to set SMART goals, enabling them to track their progress regarding this specific module which does not focus specific language skills, but rather combines all skills and situates them in an academic context. The variety of formative assessment components will allow learners to monitor and regulate their learning processes while adjusting their approaches based on their linguistic needs and personal interests. Learners will also regularly engage in self-assessment (after the completion of portfolio tasks) to reflect on their strengths and areas for improvement. The use of digital tools and resources, such as language learning apps and online platforms (TED Education, for example), will be introduced to support autonomous learning alongside task-based activities, that promote collaboration (group research on topics of common academic interests between peers) and problem-solving (preparation of a personal cover letter for a university application for future study). Independent study skills such as time management and critical thinking will be taught to cultivate lifelong learning habits, useful not only in academic contexts but also in professional contexts should the learners choose to follow so.

Assessment Methods

This module is assessed through one Portfolio and one Final Test.