IL1PCAIN-Communicating Academic Ideas

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

Module Convenor: Mrs Sarah Harford
Email: s.k.harford@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 receptive and productive academic language skills (speaking and writing listening) for successful engagement with their university degree programme study.  Alongside Processing Academic Texts (IL1PPATN), it prepares students for entry onto the next PSE module, Integrated Academic Language Skills 1 (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:

The module aims to help students develop their productive academic language skills (speaking and listening) for successful engagement with their university degree programme study.

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:

 

LO 1	Demonstrate critical awareness of development and progress, in skills and language by collecting, selecting and reflecting on an appropriate range of completed written and spoken artefacts presented as a portfolio of the term’s work.
LO 2	Participate in discussions in a range of academic contexts with some confidence, conveying information clearly, expressing and seeking opinions, and responding appropriately to interlocutors.
LO 3	Demonstrate a developing range of appropriate vocabulary e.g. differentiating everyday usage and more formal academic vocabulary, to express ideas comprehensively orally.
LO 4	Present with some confidence information to an audience employing a variety of skills such as effective use of notes, organising and verbally signposting topics, using non-verbal communication to engage listeners, and appropriate pronunciation, stress and intonation.
LO 5	Mediate spoken information by synthesising and commenting on ideas from multiple sources into their own spoken or written communication, utilising emerging summary and paraphrasing skills.
LO 6	Demonstrate an awareness of text organisation and features in different genres of spoken text and use this understanding to locate key information
LO 7	Draw on a range of grammatical structures and vocabulary to express simple and some 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:

 

LO8	Exercise autonomy and initiative in time management.
LO9	Use a variety of strategies and resources for the purpose of independent language study.
LO10	Become a confident user of the following features of the university’s VLE [Blackboard], submission and assessment tools e.g. Feedback Studio, and e-portfolios.
LO11	Understand how to use tutor and peer feedback to identify areas for improvement.
LO12	Develop and foster creativity and individuality during their learning journey

Outline content:

A series of tasks involving communication of ideas from accessible interdisciplinary academic themes will be used to develop students' productive spoken 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 to developing receptive and productive English language skills. Emphasis will be placed on speaking and listening, but these skills will be developed within a communicative approach integrating all four skills, listening, speaking, reading and writing.

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

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures		2.5
Seminars		57
Tutorials		0.5
Guided independent study:
Preparation for seminars		38
Completion of formative assessment tasks		40
Reflection		30
Total hours by term	0	168	0
Total hours for module	168

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method

Percentage

Summative assessment- Examinations:

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

Formative assessment methods:

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: 4 December 2023