Unit information: Text Response in 2012/13

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Unit name Text Response
Unit code LANG00008
Credit points 20
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 writing component: 5.0 (minimum) or equivalent
Co-requisites

Academic Writing &Academic Speaking

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

Description including Unit Aims

Text Response is a mandatory 20-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.

Text Response explores the difference between descriptive and evaluative writing when reacting to different texts. It will help develop critical questioning, reading and listening skills and strategies, academic vocabulary and summary writing. This unit moves from writing short factual summaries of data, text and lectures to longer more evaluative and critical reviews culminating in an extended comparative critical review of 2,000 words. It will help students use sources in a way that is acceptable to the academic community. It complements written work done in Academic Writing and the oral work done in Academic Speaking.

Intended Learning Outcomes

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

  • recognise and recall the meaning of words from the Academic Word List (Coxhead, 2000);
  • use a range of strategies for taking notes from academic texts and lectures;
  • distinguish fact from opinion;
  • write critical reviews including description and evaluation.

Teaching Information

Learning is facilitated in small group classroom sessions (12-16). Individual and group-based work is integrated as appropriate. In addition to a range of textbooks and authentic texts, use will be made of appropriate e-learning technologies.

Assessment Information

This mandatory 20-credit unit involves:

Academic vocabulary test (10%); Academic grammar (for reading) test (10%); Comparative Critical Review (2,000 words) (30%); Task based exam (reading &lecture into writing)(50%); Paper- based portfolio consisting of a collection of classroom work (required formative component with individual feedback).

Reading and References

  • Beglar, D. &N. Murray (2009). Contemporary Topics 3 Academic Listening

and Notetaking Skill. New York: Pearson Longman.

  • Rogers, L. (2011). Reading Skills. Surrey:DELTA.

Targeted materials are available on Blackboard VLE (interactive tutorials, self-assessment tools and all course documents).

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