Academic English Modules for Graduates

Course Goals

• Produce academic essays using appropriate rhetorical patterns
• Apply a process approach, which includes pre-writing planning, multiple drafts and revisions

Course Objectives

• Use pre-writing strategies to plan writing
• Give critical peer-feedback 
• Improve writing through the process of drafting, feedback and editing
• Use knowledge of overall and internal organizations of the four to five paragraph essay to write a variety of four to five paragraph essays to include a reaction essay and either a cause/effect or problem/solution essay
• Expand quantity and accuracy of academic vocabulary 
• Increase knowledge of English morphology: roots, suffixes and prefixes
• Improve accuracy and complexity of sentence structure and grammar in academic writing
• Increase proficiency in formatting and punctuating typewritten texts
• Develop research skills to identify and incorporate relevant resources for academic texts using APA style sheet
• Increase awareness of a variety of online writing resources related to writing style, academic vocabulary, collocations and grammar to assist in essay writing 

Student Learning Outcomes

• Write a well-focused thesis 
• Write effective, appropriate introduction and conclusion paragraphs
• Write well-developed body paragraphs with logical development, cohesion and unity around a central idea                                                
• Write a variety of effective sentences types that contain appropriate cohesive devices, connectors and transition words
• Demonstrate ability to write using correct grammar structure
• Use a wide range of academic words correctly and appropriately  
• Use proper punctuation and formatting of typewritten texts
• Identify relevant outside source material and integrate it appropriately in writing
• Create a reference page using the APA style guidelines
• Correct errors in language use and mechanics

Assessment Framework

On-going formative/summative essays​  

Students will complete two out-of-class essays throughout the semester. Each essay task requires two drafts. Students are given feedback after each draft in order for them to make improvements on the next. Much of the work on these essays is done out of class. The possible essay types that can be chosen by the Curriculum and Assessment Committee each semester are Reaction, Problem/Solution, Cause/Effect, and Argumentative. The Reaction Essay is always included and is the first essay students write each semester.

The essay component of the semester grade is 60% and the individual essay drafts are weighted as follows:

Essay 1:
First draft = 10%
Second draft = 20%     

Essay 2: ​
First draft = 10%
Second draft = 20% 

Total: 60%

Formal summative timed writing tasks 

Students also sit for two writing tasks during the semester, based on the essay writing task types chosen for each semester. These tasks correspond to the writing genre studied and are intended to evaluate students’ ability to write in the particular genre. These tasks are completed entirely in one sitting. The weighting of these tasks is 20% of the course score.  

The in-class tasks are scored in the following way: 

Task 1: 10%
Task 2: 10%

Total: 20%

Attendance 

ENGL 0310 students meet twice a week for two hours each session. Attendance and participation are considered very important in this language program. A student who exceeds 12 hours of absence during the semester will receive an “In Progress” grade.

Course Goals

• Improve ability to comprehend academic tests
• Expand academic vocabulary
• Increase reading speed and accuracy

Course Objectives

• Vary reading strategy depending on purpose
• Develop metacognitive awareness of reading skills and strategies
• Comprehend, analyze, and evaluate academic journal articles 
• Participate in discussions based on student-chosen academic articles
• Prepare and lead a discussion based on a self-chosen article related to field of study
• Use computer-assisted language learning software to improve reading speed and accuracy

Student Learning Outcomes

Given an academic article students will be able to:

• Identify organizational patterns of academic texts
• Identify the writer’s thesis, point of view, audience, purpose or tone
• Make and identify inferences
• Identify main ideas, major details, and minor details
• Interpret a variety of diagrammatic information                                                       
• Use contextual clues and/or knowledge of word forms, roots, and affixes to infer meanings of unfamiliar words
• Summarize, paraphrase, and outline academic articles effectively

Given an opportunity to lead a discussion, students will be able to:

• Choose an appropriate academic article for reading and discussion
• Create appropriate instructional materials/worksheet to be used for class discussion           
• Demonstrate ability to lead and moderate a class discussion based on a self-chosen academic article

Assessment Framework

Students in this course are given a number of assessments in the form of quizzes, home assignments, discussions, and a reading final exam.  

On-going Formative Assessment:
Teacher designed quizzes on skills taught in the course are given throughout the semester. 

Formal Summative Assessment:
There is a final 120-minute, in-class reading test. The test consists of an outline, summary, and vocabulary tasks.

Grading Scheme:

• Assignments 20%: This includes exercises and assignments, including assignments related to the class discussions and practice assessments.

• Vocabulary on Quizlet and Quizziz 15%: This includes the quality and punctuality of the vocabulary entries and presentations as well as the correctness of responses on Quizziz.

• Discussion Leader 20%: Each student will lead a discussion on a self-selected academic reading. The grade will be based on both completion of the preliminary assignments and performance leading the discussion.

• ​Reading Journals 30%: Each student will submit three reading journals based on their extensive reading of self-selected articles. The grade will be based on both completion of the preparation assignments and the journals themselves.

• Final Exam 15%: There will be a final reading assessment including outlining, summarizing and vocabulary. The exam date will be shared with students at the beginning of the semester and will be available on the course syllabus and outline. 

Attendance 

ENGL 0311 students meet once a week for two hours. Attendance and participation are considered very important in this language program. A student who exceeds 6 hours of absence during the semester will receive an “In Progress” grade.
 

Course Goals

• Comprehend academic lectures
• Participate in graduate-level class discussions
• Develop academic research skills
• Improve academic presentation skills 

Course Objectives

• Identify listening and speaking skills and strategies
• Develop metacognitive awareness of listening and speaking skills and strategies
• Comprehend, analyze, and evaluate academic videos and lectures
• Participate in discussions based on student-chosen academic videos and lectures
• Prepare and lead a discussion based on a self-chosen academic video or lecture
• Practice extensive listening for entertainment and academic purposes
• Listen to and take notes on a variety of academic videos and lectures
• Record summaries of videos and lectures, using an outline 
• Improve pronunciation, fluency, and grammatical accuracy of speech
• Give various class presentations
• Give an effective oral presentation on an academic/professional, field-related topic

Student Learning Outcomes   

Given an academic lecture, students will be able to:

• Take clear and adequate notes while listening to academic material
• Identify discourse markers and organizational signals in academic lectures
• Identify the writer’s thesis or purpose 
• Identify the writer’s tone
• Make and identify inferences about the video or lecture
• Identify main ideas, major details and minor details
• Record an appropriate summary of a video or lecture including reference to speaker, main ideas and major details 

Given an opportunity to participate in a discussion, students will be able to:

• Participate in class discussions by using appropriate discourse functions 

Given an opportunity to lead a discussion, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate ability to lead and moderate a class discussion
• Create appropriate instructional materials to be used for a class discussion
• Demonstrate appropriate pronunciation 
• Use correct grammar
• Speak with appropriate fluency

Given a topic to research and present in class, students will be able to:

• Give an effective academic oral presentation in class 
• Design an effective presentation using classroom technology 
• Use effective presentation skills
• Demonstrate appropriate pronunciation 
• Use correct grammar

Assessment Framework

• Assignments 45%: 
  Students will listen to, outline, summarize, and/or take notes on a variety of topics presented through on-line resources, audio/video resources, and actual lectures by different speakers both in class and at home. In addition, students will be asked to reflect on listening activities using oral recordings or in writing.

• Discussions 20%: 
  Each student will be responsible for planning and facilitating one discussion based on the above materials and will also present on an online listening source to the class.

• Presentations 20%:
  Each student will prepare and deliver a 15-minute oral presentation using visual aids (computer-based presentation aids). 

• Listening Exam 15%: 
  There will be a final in-class listening exam after the last week of classes. Details on this exam will be shared with students in class. 

Total: 100%

Attendance

ENGL 0312 students meet once a week for two hours. Attendance and participation are considered very important in this language program. A student who exceeds six hours of absence during the semester will receive an “In Progress” grade.