This module provides training in general and academic English language, and study skills for students who:
- are entering pathways or directly to degree programmes at Essex
- are entering pathways or directly to degree programmes at other UK universities
- are using language and study skill competency for other purposes
To join this module, students must either:
- demonstrate in a placement test that they have the language proficiency to start of the C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (new students)
- demonstrate in a B2 achievement test that they have the language proficiency to start the C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (existing students)
The module will further develop students' core competency (grammar and vocabulary usage) and communicative ability in the four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) up to C1. Students will further develop study skills such as note-taking, summarizing, writing and an essay, and giving an oral presentation. The teaching materials will further develop topic-specific vocabulary and further improve comprehension of texts of a generic and academic nature.
The module runs for 40 weeks of study, depending on both student proficiency level at entry to the module and student rate of progress. The module will be taught during the autumn, spring, summer and summer vacation terms.
Module Aims
The aims of this module are:
- To provide opportunities to raise language accuracy and fluency across the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking, for students approaching C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
- To provide further practise in general and academic language skills, including reading of texts, note-taking, summarizing and presentation skills
- To raise further students' awareness of western methods of teaching and learning
- To raise further students' awareness of critical and analytical thinking
- To help students become even more effective and independent learners
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will be able:
1. To achieve overall EL competency at C1 level as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
2. To understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts related to the syllabus topics, and recognise implicit meaning.
3. To use the vocabulary and grammar related to the syllabus topics appropriately in context.
4. To express themselves fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions.
5. To use language flexibly and effectively for social and academic purposes
6. To produce a very clear 1,000-word academic summary of a text or a lecture
7. To produce clear, well-structured, detailed 1,500-word essay on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
8. To deliver a very organised and logical oral presentation
9. To demonstrate a clear ability to formulate and follow effective study plans for independent EL development.
Syllabus
Topics
Education and employment
Tourism and conservation
International relations
Health and care
Fashion and consumerism
Technology and change
People and ideas
Journalism and media
Law and society
Arts and entertainment
Business and economics
Science and nature
Grammar
The continuous aspect
The perfect aspect
Articles
Modal verbs
Subordinate clauses
Modal perfect
Cohesion 1 (linkers)
Future forms with to be
Future in the past
Emphatic structures
The passive
Causatives
Quantifiers
Conditionals
Verb patterns
Prepositional verbs
Adverbs of degree
Reporting using nouns
Non-finite clauses
Spoken English
Alternatives to if
Phrasal verbs
Cohesion 2 (substitution and ellipsis)
Nominalisation
Reading
Identifying the topic, theme or main ideas
Identifying supporting points or examples
Identifying a summary
Identifying words and phrases appropriate to the context
Identifying a writer's purpose, style, tone or attitude
Identifying the relationships between sentences and paragraphs
Understanding academic vocabulary
Classifying and categorizing information
Following a logical or chronological sequence of events
Evaluating the quality and usefulness of texts
Reading complex texts
Writing
Writing for a purpose (to learn, to inform, to persuade)
Supporting an opinion with details, examples and explanations
Organizing sentences and paragraphs in a logical way
Developing complex ideas within a complete essay
Writing a summary
Essay planning: opinion led essays; cause and effect essay; persuasive essay
Using words and phrases appropriate to the context
Taking notes while reading a text
Synthesizing information
Taking notes while listening to a recording, a lecture or a live broadcast
Listening
Identifying the topic, theme or main ideas
Identifying supporting points or examples
Understanding academic vocabulary
Identifying words and phrases appropriate to the context
Comprehending explicit and implicit information
Identifying a speaker's purpose, style, tone or attitude
Listening to authentic texts
Speaking
Speaking for a purpose (to repeat, to inform, to explain)
Organizing an oral presentation in a logical way
Developing complex ideas within spoken discourse
Using words and phrases appropriate to the context
Engaging in oral discussions on a given topic
Assessment
There will be formative assessment throughout the module (e.g. regular homework) and summative assessment every 5-week period in the form of a progress test (which will cover all four skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening).
Passing the summative achievement test will show that students have successfully reached C1 level.
Pass mark for module: 50% (based on average score of the 5-weekly tests)
Achievement test pass mark: 70%
- are entering pathways or directly to degree programmes at Essex
- are entering pathways or directly to degree programmes at other UK universities
- are using language and study skill competency for other purposes
To join this module, students must either:
- demonstrate in a placement test that they have the language proficiency to start of the C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (new students)
- demonstrate in a B2 achievement test that they have the language proficiency to start the C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (existing students)
The module will further develop students' core competency (grammar and vocabulary usage) and communicative ability in the four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) up to C1. Students will further develop study skills such as note-taking, summarizing, writing and an essay, and giving an oral presentation. The teaching materials will further develop topic-specific vocabulary and further improve comprehension of texts of a generic and academic nature.
The module runs for 40 weeks of study, depending on both student proficiency level at entry to the module and student rate of progress. The module will be taught during the autumn, spring, summer and summer vacation terms.
Module Aims
The aims of this module are:
- To provide opportunities to raise language accuracy and fluency across the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking, for students approaching C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
- To provide further practise in general and academic language skills, including reading of texts, note-taking, summarizing and presentation skills
- To raise further students' awareness of western methods of teaching and learning
- To raise further students' awareness of critical and analytical thinking
- To help students become even more effective and independent learners
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will be able:
1. To achieve overall EL competency at C1 level as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
2. To understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts related to the syllabus topics, and recognise implicit meaning.
3. To use the vocabulary and grammar related to the syllabus topics appropriately in context.
4. To express themselves fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions.
5. To use language flexibly and effectively for social and academic purposes
6. To produce a very clear 1,000-word academic summary of a text or a lecture
7. To produce clear, well-structured, detailed 1,500-word essay on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
8. To deliver a very organised and logical oral presentation
9. To demonstrate a clear ability to formulate and follow effective study plans for independent EL development.
Syllabus
Topics
Education and employment
Tourism and conservation
International relations
Health and care
Fashion and consumerism
Technology and change
People and ideas
Journalism and media
Law and society
Arts and entertainment
Business and economics
Science and nature
Grammar
The continuous aspect
The perfect aspect
Articles
Modal verbs
Subordinate clauses
Modal perfect
Cohesion 1 (linkers)
Future forms with to be
Future in the past
Emphatic structures
The passive
Causatives
Quantifiers
Conditionals
Verb patterns
Prepositional verbs
Adverbs of degree
Reporting using nouns
Non-finite clauses
Spoken English
Alternatives to if
Phrasal verbs
Cohesion 2 (substitution and ellipsis)
Nominalisation
Reading
Identifying the topic, theme or main ideas
Identifying supporting points or examples
Identifying a summary
Identifying words and phrases appropriate to the context
Identifying a writer's purpose, style, tone or attitude
Identifying the relationships between sentences and paragraphs
Understanding academic vocabulary
Classifying and categorizing information
Following a logical or chronological sequence of events
Evaluating the quality and usefulness of texts
Reading complex texts
Writing
Writing for a purpose (to learn, to inform, to persuade)
Supporting an opinion with details, examples and explanations
Organizing sentences and paragraphs in a logical way
Developing complex ideas within a complete essay
Writing a summary
Essay planning: opinion led essays; cause and effect essay; persuasive essay
Using words and phrases appropriate to the context
Taking notes while reading a text
Synthesizing information
Taking notes while listening to a recording, a lecture or a live broadcast
Listening
Identifying the topic, theme or main ideas
Identifying supporting points or examples
Understanding academic vocabulary
Identifying words and phrases appropriate to the context
Comprehending explicit and implicit information
Identifying a speaker's purpose, style, tone or attitude
Listening to authentic texts
Speaking
Speaking for a purpose (to repeat, to inform, to explain)
Organizing an oral presentation in a logical way
Developing complex ideas within spoken discourse
Using words and phrases appropriate to the context
Engaging in oral discussions on a given topic
Assessment
There will be formative assessment throughout the module (e.g. regular homework) and summative assessment every 5-week period in the form of a progress test (which will cover all four skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening).
Passing the summative achievement test will show that students have successfully reached C1 level.
Pass mark for module: 50% (based on average score of the 5-weekly tests)
Achievement test pass mark: 70%