English for Specific Academic Purposes: Science and Engineering

Code

CELEF006

School

Centre for English Language Education

Level

0

Credits

10

Semesters

Spring China

Summary

This module focuses on the development of appropriate academic English language skills for the effective undertaking of written assessment and academic oral presentation in undergraduate programmes in Faculty of Science and Engineering. Some key content areas which will be covered are:

• applying core reading skills to discipline-specific texts
• identifying the purpose and organization of discipline-specific texts
• locating and understanding key information in discipline-specific texts
• interpreting and incorporating data and graphic information
• recognizing stance, hedging and how ideas in discipline-specific texts are linked
• understanding the particular requirements of different writing tasks within Science and Engineering contexts
• note-taking from written sources, summarizing and paraphrasing
• selecting and synthesizing sources and developing academic arguments
• analyzing and producing reports and technical writing
• appropriate application of academic referencing conventions
• further development of seminar discussion skills within Science & Engineering contexts e.g. evaluating others’ contributions, persuading others of a point of view and achieving consensus
• delivering an effective academic oral presentation
• systematic development of core vocabulary relating to specific disciplines
• consolidation of listening based note-taking skills within Science & Engineering contexts
•  development of higher level listening skills e.g. ability to deduce meanings from context; ability to recognize the function of intonation; ability to recognize digressions and other irrelevant matter

Target Students

Only available to students in the Foundation year who are majoring in the Sciences and Engineering.

Classes

• One 1-hour workshop each week for 10 weeks
• One 30-minute tutorial
• One 2-hour seminar each week for 10 weeks

Activities may take place every teaching week of the Semester or only in specified weeks. It is usually specified above if an activity only takes place in some weeks of a Semester

Assessment

• 70% Coursework: Individual Written Assignment 1000 words
• 30% Oral: Seminar discussion 12-15 minutes per group

Assessed by end of spring semester

Educational Aims

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding - Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how to plan, research and write a suitably academic style coursework report and a suitably academic style oral presentation. Students will also be able to listen to lectures by both native and non-native English speaking lecturers, make notes and should be able to apply this to other communicative contexts.

Intellectual Skills - Students will have developed a range of English language competencies within the specific skill set of academic reading and writing, listening and note-taking, presenting and seminar discussions. Students will have a deeper understanding of the structure and organization of lectures, persuading and the expectations of written assignments and oral presentations in British higher education. 

Transferable/Key Skills - Students will have a heightened awareness of the different elements that constitute effective oral communication in the context of presentations. Through their seminar and workshop activities and their group self study they will have developed their ability to work productively as part of a team and demonstrate good interpersonal skills. Students will develop the ability to adopt a critical approach in investigation.

Conveners

• Marcos Juarez