Aims and Objectives
Raise awareness towards the features which characterize academic written and spoken texts in English, and develop the ability to transfer language competencies from receptive to productive skills.
Develop study skills in English through a ‘learn-by-doing’ approach, i.e. by carrying out tasks usually associated with academic assignments.
Methodology and assessment
Interactive classes with the use of multimedia and authentic materials. Active student participation with production of materials and completion of assignments.
Flipped classroom, task-based learning, peer teaching, cooperative learning, use of multimodal teaching aids and activities.
Continuous assessment based on work carried out both inside and outside the classroom.
Use of English (if and when necessary)
Articles
Countable and uncountable nouns
Irregular plurals
‘False friends’
Affixation (prefixes and suffixes)
Compound nouns
Noun groups / possessive ‘s (genitive) / noun + of
Reporting verbs and indirect speech
Dangling participles
Conditionals
Modals
Passive voice
Tenses in the different sections of specialised literature
Discourse markers (linkers and connectors)
Pronouns (anaphoric and cataphoric reference)
Relative clauses (identifying and non-identifying)
Word order (at phrase, clause and sentence level)
Register and style
Functions
Introducing a topic
Concluding and summarising
Referring to and commenting on visuals
Giving definitions
Describing processes
Hedging vs Expressing commitment
Making predictions
Expressing deductions
Drawing conclusions
Reading and Writing skills
Analysis of authentic materials
Formal correspondence
CV
Abstracts
Introduction, conclusion, and main body of research papers
Posters
Description of projects, processes, equipment, etc.
Speaking and Listening skills
Describing research interests, projects, processes
Giving instructions
Recognising and using rhetorical questions
Explaining details
Providing examples
Asking and dealing with questions
Rephrasing
Soft/Cross-curricular skills
21st century skills (4Cs)
Critical thinking skills
Public speaking
Autonomous/Independent work vs team work
Digital literacy
Scientific reasoning
Emotional and social intelligences
