Foundation Academic English

Module title	Foundation Academic English
Module code	INT0052
Academic year	2021/2
Credits	30
Module staff	Duncan Minett-Westwood (Convenor) Ayca Durrant (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	12	12

Number students taking module (anticipated)	100

Description - summary of the module content

Module description

The purpose of this module is to develop academic language skills and practices that will help you to be successful in English-medium Higher Education. There are 2 components: Skills for Academic Writing and Skills for Academic Speaking which will cover skills and language used to successfully produce academic essays, presentations and participate in seminars to perform effectively in any higher education programme.

The module grade will determine whether you have met the English requirement of your University of Exeter offer, therefore the module is compulsory and non-condonable.

Module aims - intentions of the module

To provide students with English language skills and practices
To prepare students for study in an English-medium education setting

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Communicate effectively in a range of academic contexts, such as lectures, seminars, tutorials, written assignments and emails
2. Use a range of reading and listening strategies to effectively approach academic input
3. Use credible sources relevant to your study purpose
4. Critically analyse and evaluate information
5. Follow academic conventions such as paraphrasing, summarising, citing and referencing

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

6. To write and speak in response to a range of academic tasks, such as essay writing and presentations
7. Accurately use a range of grammar and vocabulary typical of academic discourse

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

8. Use feedback and reflection to improve work

Syllabus plan

Skills for Academic Speaking

Skills and strategies for listening comprehension skills and using linguistic knowledge to understand text structure and purpose
Listening and note-taking in a variety of contexts including lectures
Giving presentations: producing effective slides, engaging the audience, delivering information effectively and persuasively and responding to feedback
Participating in seminars: turn-taking, using evidence to support contributions, building on the contributions of others and responding to feedback
Communication skills: accuracy, register, fluency and intelligibility

Skills for Academic Writing

Skills and strategies for reading: comprehension skills and using linguistic knowledge to understand text structure and purpose
Academic language: sentence structure, register and vocabulary
The writing process: analysing writing task titles, brainstorming ideas, using sources, planning, drafting, redrafting and responding to feedback
Genres of writing and organisational patterns: e.g. cause-effect, problem-solution, argument
Using sources: reading strategies, note-taking, summarising, paraphrasing, quotation
Research skills: finding and evaluating sources and using University of Exeter library resources
Referencing: in-text citation, writing a reference list, avoiding plagiarism, using Turnitin and adhering to academic conventions

Learning and teaching

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
160	140	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	120	Formal whole-group teaching including teacher-led activities, seminars and tasks done individually, in pairs of in groups and individual tutorials
E-learning tasks	40	Individual learning of provided materials with short, specific tasks to complete
Guided Independent Study	140	Homework tasks; coursework assessments; materials on ELE

Assessment

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Presentation	5 minutes and Q&A session	1-8	Written feedback
Group Seminar - based on listening and/or reading input	15-25 minutes, 3 to 6 participants	1, 2, 4, 6-8	Reflective individual and group feedback
Writing Examination based on listening and/or reading input (open book, online)	2 hours, 400 word essay	1, 2, 4-8	Written feedback
Writing task (open book)	Semester 1, 350 word text (a part of the essay)	1-8	Written feedback

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
75	25	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Presentation	25	5 minutes and Q&A session	1-8	Written feedback
Group seminar - based on listening and/or reading input	25	15-25 minutes, 3 to 6 participants	1, 2, 4, 6-8	Written feedback
Writing Examination based on listening and/or reading input (open book, online)	25	2 hours, 400 word essay	1, 2, 4-8	Written feedback
Writing Task	25	Semester 2, 700 words	1-8	Written feedback

Re-assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Presentation	Presentation	1-8	As soon as possible and before APAC
Group seminar - based on listening and/or reading input	Interview	1, 2, 4, 6-8	As soon as possible and before APAC
Writing Examination based on listening and/or reading input	Writing Examination (2 hours, online, open book)	1, 2, 4-8	As soon as possible and before APAC
Writing Task	Writing Task	1-8	As soon as possible and before APAC

Re-assessment notes

RE-ASSESSMENT NOTES

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for reasons judged legitimate by the Mitigation Committee, the applicable assessment will normally be deferred. See ‘Details of reassessment’ for the form that assessment usually takes. When deferral occurs there is ordinarily no change to the overall weighting of that assessment.

Referral– if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to re-sit failed assessment(s). Your performance in this assessment(s) will count towards your final module grade along with completed assessments. A grade of 40% will be awarded if the combined assessments are passed.

Resources

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Bailey, S, 2017. Academic Writing A Handbook for International Students (5th edition), Routledge, Abingdon

https://www.routledge.com/Academic-Writing-A-Handbook-for-International-Students/Bailey/p/book/9781138048744

De Chazal, E. & S. McCarter, 2020. Oxford EAP Upper-Intermediate/B2, Oxford University Press, Oxford

https://elt.oup.com/catalogue/items/global/business_esp/oxford_eap/oxford_eap_b2/?cc=gb&selLanguage=en

Paterson K. & Wedge R., (2018). Oxford Grammar for EAP, Oxford University Press, Oxford. https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/oxford-grammar-for-eap

Using English for Academic Purposes Website http://www.uefap.net

Module has an active ELE page

Key words search

English, Foundation, Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing

Credit value	30
Module ECTS	15
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	2
Available as distance learning?	Yes
Origin date	17/07/2020
Last revision date	27/07/2021