IL1PIALS1N-Integrated Academic Language Skills 1

Module Provider: International Study and Language Institute
Number of credits: 0 [0 ECTS credits]
Level:4
Terms in which taught: Summer term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2022/3

Module Convenor: Miss Victoria Collins
Email: v.collins@reading.ac.uk

Module Co-convenor: Dr Karin Whiteside
Email: k.whiteside@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

As a component of the Pre-sessional English Language Programme (PSE), this module aims to help students develop their academic language skills for successful engagement with their university degree programme study.   It prepares students for entry onto the next part of the Pre-sessional English Programme (PSE), Integrated Academic Language Skills 2 (N.B. the final six weeks of the PSE consist of the exit modules, Integrated Academic Language Skills 4 (IL1PIALS4N) and Academic Practices and Genres (IL1PAPGPN/IL1PAPGUN) which summatively assess students' readiness to start their degree programmes.)

Aims:

This module aims to help students develop their academic language proficiency for successful engagement with their university degree programme study, integrating practice of the fours skills, reading, writing, listening and speaking. 

Assessable learning outcomes:

Because this module is delivered early within in a Pre-sessional English programme, Learning Outcomes measure progress towards, rather than programme exit levels of, academic language proficiency and skill.

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be better able to:

• give a logically structured presentation, highlighting significant points with relevant supporting detail, speaking reasonably accurately and clearly.


• read with a large degree of independence, and for different purposes, adapting approach to different texts, and using appropriate reference sources selectively.


• write 'building block' academic genres - Reports, Explanations, Discussions, Recounts - utilising genre-appropriate organisational patterns and language. 


• mediate spoken and written information, conveying ideas from reading or listening, orally or in writing, utilising appropriate paraphrasing, summarising and source attribution skills. 


• draw on a wide range of grammatical structures and vocabulary to express complex ideas with reasonable fluency and accuracy.

Additional outcomes:

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be better able to:

• listen and understand in general, academic and social contexts.


• participate in discussions in a range of academic contexts, conveying information clearly, expressing and seeking opinions and responding appropriately to interlocutors


• recognise what academic integrity is and steps to engage with this


• exercise autonomy and initiative in time management


• use a variety of strategies and resources for the purpose of independent language study


• become a confident user of the university’s VLE [Blackboard], submission and assessment tools e.g Feedback Studio, and other learning technologies e.g Office 365


• reflect on the skills and language needed to continue developing


• understand how to use tutor feedback to identify areas for improvement

Outline content:

Tasks centring on accessible interdisciplinary academic themes will be used to develop students' receptive and productive academic language skills and genre knowledge.

Global context:

This module supports internationalisation at Reading by facilitating successful and equal inclusion of students whose first language is not English in UK degree programme study.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

The module will take a task-based, contextualised approach which integrates practice and development of receptive (listening, reading) and productive (speaking, writing) academic English communication skills around accessible, interdisciplinary academic themes.

The module will adopt an overall ‘genre’ approach, taking the social purpose of texts as the starting point to explicate organisation/structure and key language features.

The Systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) framework, which links language to purpose and genre, will guide the teaching of linguistic and discoursal features of academic communication.

Academic Reading Circles (ARCs), an intensive learner-centred reading approach aimed at improving learner engagement with and understanding of concepts in non-fiction texts, will be regularly utilised across the module

The module consists of practical classes and guided independent study tasks.  Team work and discussion are a central element to this course.

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures			10
Seminars			69
Guided independent study:
Preparation for seminars			36
Completion of formative assessment tasks			35
Reflection			25
Total hours by term	0	0	175
Total hours for module	175

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method

Percentage

Summative assessment- Examinations:

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

Formative assessment methods:

There is no summative assessment in this module. A portfolio of work across the four language skills will be used to develop students' productive academic language skills and to provide feedback on their progress.

Penalties for late submission:

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:

Reassessment arrangements:

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

Last updated: 17 October 2022