Study information

Academic Reading and Writing

Module titleAcademic Reading and Writing
Module codeELC2728
Academic year2025/6
Credits15
Module staff
Duration: Term123
Duration: Weeks

11

11

Number students taking module (anticipated)

16

Module description

ELC2728 offers an excellent opportunity for anyone looking to strengthen their academic reading and writing skills in English while gaining a clearer understanding of the expectations of higher education in the UK.

 

Designed to support your success across university study, this module focuses on developing essential, transferable skills such as academic reading strategies, critical engagement with sources, effective note-making, essay and reflective writing, research and referencing, and the use of academic vocabulary and style. These skills are not only vital for academic performance but also highly valued in professional contexts.

 

Open to students from all disciplines, this module requires no prior experience and is suitable for learners with an English level between B2 and C2 on the CEFR (equivalent to IELTS 6.5–8). Whether you're new to academic study in English or aiming to refine your skills, ELC2728 helps you build confidence and competence for success at university and beyond.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to develop students’ ability to:

  • analyse and evaluate academic texts to develop a critical response.
  • integrate sources into their writing while developing their voice.
  • plan, research, draft and edit using feedback through a process.
  • develop robust arguments.
  • reflect on own progress.
  • provide and receive peer feedback.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

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

  • 1. Develop a critical response to diverse topics and viewpoints in reading texts
  • 2. Expand and support positions with subsidiary arguments, reasons and relevant examples
  • 3. Read and critically interpret lengthy, complex texts in English, whether or not they relate to your own discipline
  • 4. Write clear well-structured texts on complex subjects in English

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

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

  • 5. Understand and use advanced grammatical structures and vocabulary in your writing
  • 6. Employ a formal, academic writing style

ILO: Personal and key skills

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

  • 7. Engage with a range of research materials/texts to find relevant evidence and examples
  • 8. Interact effectively within a team or learning group, giving and receiving information and ideas and modifying your own responses
  • 9. Read and reflect on the ideas and writing of your peers to provide feedback and suggestions, and respond to feedback and suggestions from your peers and tutor in your own work
  • 10. Take responsibility, where appropriate, for your own learning, and reflect on the process

Syllabus plan

  • Developing reading skills: reading strategies for academic texts and reading critically
  • Paraphrasing skills: Effective note-making and paraphrasing strategies
  • Summarising skills: Identifying key and subsidiary points
  • Research skills: Finding and evaluating sources
  • Referencing skills: Using citations and creating a reference list following a reference system
  • Engaging in a writing process: Planning, drafting, editing, providing peer feedback and receiving and making use of peer and teacher feedback
  • Becoming familiar with academic texts including grammatical structure, lexis and formality.

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

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
44106

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 44Seminars including whole class, pair, group, and individual work with interactive tasks on language, feedback, and text construction.
Guided independent study 106· 36 hours: Response Journal tasks (source evaluation, paraphrasing, summarising, synthesising, referencing) · 40 hours: Extended essay and portfolio development (drafting and feedback stages) · 30 hours: Preparation for seminars, assessments, and homework tasks

Formative assessment

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Reflective Writing Exam750words (10% above or below)1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10Tutor and peer feedback (written and verbal)
Research Based Essay Writing Draft750words (10% above or below)1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10Tutor and peer feedback (written and l verbal)

Summative assessment (% of credit)

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
6040

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Reflective writing exam40750 words (10% above or below) 2 hours 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10Tutor written feedback
Research based essay writing & process portfolio60Essay (35%) 1000 words (10% above or below) Portfolio (25%) Including outline, drafts and peer & teacher feedback (no retrospective writing)1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10Tutor written feedback

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

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Reflective Writing ExamReflective Writing Exam1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10Next assessment opportunity
Digital Portfolio for the process essayDigital Portfolio for the process essay (no retrospective writing)1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10Next assessment opportunity

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 take a re-sit exam. Only your performance in this exam will count towards your final module grade. A grade of 40% will be awarded if the examination is passed.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

 

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

Web-based and electronic resources:

 

Key words search

Academic English, English for Academic Purposes, Academic Reading, Academic Writing, Academic Style, Referencing, Criticality, Critical Thinking, Grammar, Vocabulary

Credit value15
Module ECTS

7.5

Module pre-requisites

None

Module co-requisites

None

NQF level (module)

5

Available as distance learning?

No

Origin date

16/3/2022

Last revision date

06/06/2025