Academic English I

3 ECTS credits
90 h study time

Offer 3 with catalog number 1019799ANR for all students in the 2nd semester at a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.

Semester

2nd semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Enrollment Requirements

In order to be allowed in this course you have to pass the Language test. For more information please contact The Academic Language Centre (ACTo).

Taught in

English

Faculty

Academic Language Centre

Department

Academic Center for Language Education

Educational team

Britt GABRIËLS
Voorzitter ACTO (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

26 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
26 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

This course is aimed at consolidating students' language skills at intermediate level, focusing particularly upon heightening their awareness of the academic English skills essential for studying and succeeding at the academic level. It introduces explicitly the features of more formal academic style. It also offers students the opportunity to improve their speaking skills through a series of practical exercises. In the class special attention is paid to encouraging students to organize their thoughts and present their ideas in English in a well-structured manner with more confidence.

Please note that in order to register for this course students must have taken the ACTO English placement test, and received a score in the appropriate range for this course. If your score is not in the appropriate range, it is not possible for you to register for this course, even if it is offered as part of your study programme.

The placement test consists of an online test (to be completed at home) and an oral test (conducted on campus by a VUB English tutor). You can find further information and register for the test on the ACTO website. On the basis of your performance on the online test and the oral test, the ACTO English teachers will advise you as to whether a suitable English course is available for you.

The first lesson of this course takes place in the third week of teaching.

Students who have already passed Academic English 2 or Academic English 5 cannot take this course.

Course material

Digital course material (Required) : Powerpoint slides printouts & exercise handouts, Canvas
Digital course material (Recommended) : Complementary study resources, Distributed in class & via Canvas
Handbook (Recommended) : Language Practice for Advanced with Key, English grammar and vocabulary, Michael Vince, 4de, Macmillan, 9780230463813, 2014

Additional info

The course material will be provided via an online platform.

Learning Outcomes

Algemeen leerresultaat

Students are expected to be able to

- reason and communicate different purposes in a structured way

- explain and defend their opinions about well-known subjects

- give an individually prepared presentation of specialized nature or on topics related to the field of study using broad vocabulary

- identify the differences in style between informal and formal language; adapt the spoken language according to the context

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 60% of the final mark.
Other Exam determines 40% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

application of skills learned with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 60% of the final mark.

Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

continuous assessment with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 40% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

permanente evaluatie, schriftelijk examen, presentatie

continuous assessment, written exam, presentation

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context