IL1APDN-Academic Skills and Language for Agriculture, Policy, and Development

Module Provider: International Study and Language Institute
Number of credits: 0 [0 ECTS credits]
Level:4
Terms in which taught: Autumn term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2023/4

Module Convenor: Mr Daniel Devane
Email: d.devane@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

This module focuses on the academic language and literacy skills needed to perform more effectively at undergraduate level in Agriculture, Policy, and Development (APD). It is primarily designed for international students, including students new to studying in the UK and students whose first language is not English. The module utilises discipline-specific texts to develop a range of writing skills needed for successful completion of assessed coursework tasks.

The module is non-credit-bearing and designed to support students’ disciplinary study, the expectation being that students will apply the skills they have learnt on IL1APDN in their credit-bearing work. Therefore, for the module itself, there is no assessment. 

Aims:

This module aims to support undergraduate international students with their transition to the UK HE context and academic culture. It focuses on the key academic language and skills needed to successfully complete undergraduate coursework assignments and exam tasks.? 

By the end of the module, students will be better able to

• accurately interpret coursework assignment instructions/briefs 


• effectively use task and discipline appropriate reading-to-write skills 


• employ task-appropriate language (grammar and lexis) 


• critically evaluate their own and others’ writing


• understand the expectations of Presentation assignment tasks in their discipline


• read disciplinary texts employing appropriate reading skills and strategies to critically engage with them 


• identify key ideas in lectures and seminars 


• communicate fluently and accurately within their discipline by building their subject-specific vocabulary and grammar 

Assessable learning outcomes:

N/A

Additional outcomes:

N/A

Outline content:

Classes will focus on the following: 

• Recognising and responding to the key written assignment genres in Agriculture, Policy, and Development, e.g. the Essay, including: 
  
  
  
  • expected structural & argumentation patterns? 
  
  
  • reading-to-write and source use and synthesis processes 
  
  
  
  


• Grammar for academic communication, including verb tense and form and sentence structure 


• Building discipline-specific vocabulary for Agriculture, Policy, and Development


• Reading skills and strategies for dealing with a range of Agriculture, Policy, and Development texts and reading purposes, e.g.?strategic reading to identify:? 
  
  
  
  • specific sources or concepts (search reading) 
  
  
  • individual words or phrases (scanning) 
  
  
  
  


• Speaking and oracy skills and strategies for dealing with Agriculture, Policy, and Development presentation tasks, e.g.? 
  
  
  
  • organising and signposting spoken language communication/texts 
  
  
  • pronunciation, including sentence stress and intonation 
  
  
  • non-verbal communication (e.g. eye contact) 
  
  
  
  

Global context:

This module supports internationalisation at Reading by facilitating successful and equal inclusion of international students in UK degree programme study.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

The module will utilise written and spoken texts from Agriculture, Policy, and Development to develop students’ receptive and productive disciplinary language knowledge and reading and listening skills.? 

Teaching will be learner-centred, taking a task-based approach to: 

• guided ‘noticing’ of key organisational and linguistic features in context 


• exercises practicing use of relevant lexical/grammatic al items 


• scaffolded written-language and spoken-language tasks 

Summative assessment- Examinations:

N/A

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

N/A

Formative assessment methods:

Sessions will take a task-based approach, enabling students to receive on-going feedback from the instructor and from other students during class discussions.

Penalties for late submission:

N/A

Assessment requirements for a pass:

N/A

Reassessment arrangements:

N/A

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

N/A

Last updated: 30 March 2023