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IL1ASLN: Academic Skills and Language for Postgraduate Success
Module code: IL1ASLN
Module provider: International Study and Language Institute
Credits: 0
Level: Level 1 (Certificate)
When you'll be taught: Summer (vacation) semester
Module convenor: Mr James Wylie, email: j.wylie@reading.ac.uk
Module co-convenor: Mr Anastasios Asimakopoulos, email: a.asimakopoulos@reading.ac.uk
Pre-requisite module(s):
Co-requisite module(s):
Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):
Module(s) excluded:
Placement information: No placement specified
Academic year: 2024/5
Available to visiting students: No
Talis reading list: Yes
Last updated: 2 October 2024
Overview
Module aims and purpose
This module provides induction into UK academic culture and expectations, and enhancement of the academic skills and practices needed for successful participation in taught postgraduate degree-programme study. Students will become more aware of the types of writing assignments, or ‘genres’, they will likely encounter on their degrees, and associated academic values, practices and processes. The module will develop students’ awareness of the characteristics of research texts within their intended disciplinary field and how to critically evaluate published research. They will also gain understanding and practice of the spoken communication demands of their degrees, be introduced to the independent learning expectations of UK postgraduate study, and gain confidence and experience using Reading’s learning platforms and digital resources. Self-awareness and reflection are also integral features of the module. Students will be invited to submit two formative, assessment-for-learning focused tasks, a written Critical Review and an Individual Presentation, on which they will receive criteria-based feedback designed to help them to effectively apply learning from the module in their degree-programme coursework.
Module learning outcomes
By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:
- Write a critical review of research articles in one discipline showing suitable text selection, organisation, and language to describe, compare and evaluate research
- Drawing on a range of communication skills, give a clear, logically structured presentation to reflect on their own academic practices and the implications for their degree programme study
- Use appropriate listening skills to discuss information from video interviews with °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ academics within an individual oral presentation
- Ask and respond appropriately to questions about specific points following a presentation
- Acknowledge sources accurately within texts produced, using appropriate in-text and end-of-text citation methods
Module content
The module will help students to acquire the skills and knowledge to engage effectively with tasks common to UK postgraduate degree programmes by:
- Raising students' awareness of the range of coursework genres used for assessment on UK university degree programmes focusing on their social/communicative purposes, and their structure and language.
- Applying given evaluation criteria for analysing research articles/studies
- Selecting appropriate articles from a reading list
- Producing sections of the tasks with guided supported practice i.e. improving the response through tutor feedback on draft work
- Practice of language appropriate for the context of the oral (presentation) and written (a Critical Review) genres and topics.
The module will also focus on developing key academic skills such as:Â
- Exercising autonomy and initiative in time management for coursework tasksÂ
- Reflecting on the skills and language needed to continue developingÂ
- Recognising what academic integrity is and taking steps to engage with this.Â
- Becoming a confident user of the university’s VLE (Blackboard), submission and assessment tools e.g., Feedback Studio, and other learning technologies (e.g., Microsoft 365)
Structure
Teaching and learning methods
The module will take a task-based, contextualised approach which integrates practice and development of receptive (listening, reading) and productive (speaking, writing) academic English communication skills around the students’ intended disciplinary field as well as discussing international student experiences.
The module will adopt an overall ‘genre’ approach, taking the social purpose of texts as the starting point to explicate organisation/structure and key language features.
The Systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) framework, which links language to purpose and genre, will guide the teaching of linguistic and discoursal features of academic communication.
The module consists of practical classes and guided independent study tasks. Â
Study hours
At least 56 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.
 Scheduled teaching and learning activities |  Semester 1 |  Semester 2 | Ìý³§³Ü³¾³¾±ð°ù |
---|---|---|---|
Lectures | 3 | ||
Seminars | 53 | ||
Tutorials | |||
Project Supervision | |||
Demonstrations | |||
Practical classes and workshops | |||
Supervised time in studio / workshop | |||
Scheduled revision sessions | |||
Feedback meetings with staff | |||
Fieldwork | |||
External visits | |||
Work-based learning | |||
 Self-scheduled teaching and learning activities |  Semester 1 |  Semester 2 | Ìý³§³Ü³¾³¾±ð°ù |
---|---|---|---|
Directed viewing of video materials/screencasts | |||
Participation in discussion boards/other discussions | |||
Feedback meetings with staff | |||
Other | |||
Other (details) | |||
 Placement and study abroad |  Semester 1 |  Semester 2 | Ìý³§³Ü³¾³¾±ð°ù |
---|---|---|---|
Placement | |||
Study abroad | |||
 Independent study hours |  Semester 1 |  Semester 2 | Ìý³§³Ü³¾³¾±ð°ù |
---|---|---|---|
Independent study hours | 24 |
Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.
Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.
Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.
Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.
Assessment
Requirements for a pass
There is no assessment on this module
Summative assessment
Type of assessment | Detail of assessment | % contribution towards module mark | Size of assessment | Submission date | Additional information |
---|
Penalties for late submission of summative assessment
There is no assessment on this module
Formative assessment
Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.
Critical review – Written coursework assignment – 1500 words
Individual presentation – 5-8 minutes – followed by 2-3 minutes Q&A
Reassessment
Type of reassessment | Detail of reassessment | % contribution towards module mark | Size of reassessment | Submission date | Additional information |
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Additional costs
Item | Additional information | Cost |
---|---|---|
Computers and devices with a particular specification | Reliable internet connection and camera | |
Printing and binding | ||
Required textbooks | ||
Specialist clothing, footwear, or headgear | ||
Specialist equipment or materials | ||
Travel, accommodation, and subsistence |
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MODULE DESCRIPTION DOES NOT FORM ANY PART OF A STUDENT'S CONTRACT.