IL3AECN: Academic Writing for Economics

Module code: IL3AECN

Module provider: International Study and Language Institute

Credits: 0

Level: Level 3 (Honours)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Mr Daniel Devane, email: d.devane@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This non-credit bearing module focuses on the academic language and writing skills needed to more effectively manage written coursework assignments, principally Essays, on undergraduate Economics degree programmes at the University of Reading. It is primarily designed for Economics students studying for a double degree at Reading and the Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology (NUIST), who have studied the first three years of their degree in China, as well as students at Nantong University (NTU), who have studied the first two years of their degree in China. The module aims to support the transition to the UK HE context and academic culture by enhancing their academic skills and English self-confidence. This developmental enhancement has been designed to be transferrable to other modules, both concurrent and future, and thus help facilitate the students' assessment task and overall performance in their undergraduate Economics studies at the University of Reading. 

Module learning outcomes

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

1. Apply knowledge of the essay genre in undergraduate Economics to interpret assignment tasks and employ appropriate organisational patterns in their completion.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of academic integrity through appropriate use of referencing conventions, including the paraphrase and summary of source material.
3. Employ task-appropriate language (grammar and lexis) in written texts.
4. Demonstrate criticality by using a variety of task-appropriate techniques to incorporate and comment on the views of others in their writing.

Module content

Classes will focus on: 

• Understanding the key written coursework assignment genre in Economics, the essay, including: 
  • Expected structural & argumentation patterns and how these differ according to question type. 
  • Reading-to-write processes and the centrality of source use and synthesis to successful Economics essay writing. 
  • How ‘voice’ and ‘stance’ are realised linguistically within Economics assignment texts. 
• Key skills for academic writing within Economics: 
  • Incorporating sources using paraphrasing, summarising and direct quotation. 
  • ‘Information flow’ in English-language texts. 
  • Employing linguistic features of textual cohesion to clearly signal relationships between parts of a text. 
• Grammar for academic communication, including verb tense and form, nominalisation, and clause and sentence structure. 
• Developing self-confidence in academic communication through guided tasks and discussions. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

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

It takes a discipline-specific approach to language and literacy development using example student Economics texts and published Economics-specific sources in classroom tasks.  

Teaching and learning is facilitated in a generally task-based approach, through a combination of reflective and productive activities, guided analysis of texts and peer and tutor feedback. The guided analysis of texts involves 'noticing' of key organisational and linguistic features in context and exercises to practise the use of relevant language. 

Interactive tasks are regularly included and are appropriately scaffolded to build students’ confidence in participating in discussion. The in-person delivery of the module will be supported by digital tools in the classroom where appropriate (e.g. short interactive learning tasks and/or quizzes). 

Study hours

At least 8 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

There is no assessment on this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

There is no assessment on this module.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

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

Reassessment

Additional costs