Unit information: Academic Speaking in 2012/13

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Unit name Academic Speaking
Unit code LANG00007
Credit points 10
Level of study QCA-3
Teaching block(s) Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director Ms. Taylor
Open unit status Not open
Pre-requisites

IELTS 5.5 overall (minimum) or equivalent

Co-requisites

Academic Writing and Text Response

School/department Centre for Academic Language and Development
Faculty Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

Academic Speaking is a mandatory 10-credit unit within the International Foundation Programme, which is designed to prepare international students for undergraduate study in the UK. It is one of a number of complementary units whose overall aims are to improve the language, academic literacy and subject knowledge required to succeed at a British university.

Academic Speaking aims to introduce and practise the skills and language required for effective participation in academic seminars and presentations in a UK HE setting. It explores the features of interactional and transactional language within a range of university scenarios and topics.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this unit, students will be able to:

  • effectively prepare and take part in small group academic seminars (live and asynchronous online);
  • effectively prepare and deliver effective presentations; reflect critically on

performance.

Teaching Information

Learning is facilitated in small groups (12-16). Individual and group-based work is integrated through online discussion boards and online video work on Blackboard VLE.In addition to a range of textbooks and published language materials, authentic materials (text, audio and audio-visual) will be exploited. Situations will be created which replicate the study contexts that students will encounter in a UK HE setting.

Assessment Information

This mandatory 10-credit unit involves:

Seminar skills assessment(40%); Presentation skills assessment (40%); Reflective weekly blog on seminar performances (10%); Reflective weekly blog on performance of presentations (10%).

Reading and References

Bell, D.(2008) Passport to Academic Presentations. Reading: Garnet Publishing Ltd.

Beglar, D., N. Murray &M. Rost.(2009). Contemporary Topics 3 - Advanced. NY: Pearson Longman.