3 ECTS credits
90 h study time
Offer 4 with catalog number 1021339ANR for all students in the 1st semester at a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.
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.
The course material will be provided via an online platform.
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
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:
Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
NL
Aanwezigheid in minstens 80% van de lessen is noodzakelijk om een eindcijfer voor deze cursus te krijgen.
De beoordeling bestaat uit volgende opdrachtcategorieën:
· ‘Eindtoets’ bepaalt 30% van het eindcijfer
· ‘Schrijfopdrachten: divers’ bepaalt 70% van het eindcijfer
Binnen de categorie ‘Eindtoets’ dient men volgende opdrachten af te werken:
· Vocabulary & Grammar voor 30% van het totale eindcijfer.
Binnen de categorie 'Schrijfopdrachten: divers’ dient men volgende opdrachten af te werken:
· Continuous assessment voor 70% van het totale eindcijfer.
Het gebruik van generatieve AI is voor geen enkel deel van deze opdracht toegestaan: het is verboden voor zowel vormelijke aspecten (taal en stijl), als voor inhoud
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EN
Attendance in class is mandatory. Students who do not attend at least 80% of in-class lesson hours are unable to pass the course in the first exam session and will be marked as absent ('AFW').
The assessment consists of two parts,
o ‘Final test’ counts for 30% of the final grade
o ‘Writing assignments: various’ counts for 70% of the final grade
For the category ‘Final test’, the following components
· Vocabulary & Grammar for 30% of the final grade.
For the category ‘Writing assignments: various’, the following components
· Writing assignments for 70% of the final grade.
It is not allowed to use generative AI for any part of this assignment, neither for formal aspects (language and style), nor for content.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Bachelor of Psychology: Profile Profile Work and Organisational Psychology (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Psychology: Profile Profile Clinical psychology (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Physics and Astronomy: Default track (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Biology: Default track (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Chemistry: Default track (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Geography: Default track (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Computer Science: Default track (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Educational Sciences: Standaard traject (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Educational Sciences: Standaard traject
Master of Movement and Sports Sciences: Physical Activity, Fitness and Health Profile Profile Research (only offered in Dutch)
Bridging Programme Master of Science in Urban Design and Spatial Planning: Standaard traject (only offered in Dutch)