6 ECTS credits
180 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 1023600BNR for all students in the 1st and 2nd semester at a (B) Bachelor - advanced level.
English Proficiency II is in many ways a continuation of English Proficiency I, which laid the foundation for this course in terms of vocabulary, writing skills, and grammar. However, EPII focusses mainly on the development of more advanced writing and speaking skills.
In the first semester, EPII will focus on expanding students’ grammar and vocabulary knowledge – as acquired in EPI – as well as their argumentative writing skills. The features characteristic of this text type will be tackled, e.g. syntactic structures and cohesive devices, and additional focus will be put on structure and argumentation. Frequently made mistakes and formulation errors due to interference from other languages will also be addressed. Students will then be encouraged to put the theory into practice in argumentative essays that are assigned in the course of the academic year. Feedback will be provided by their peers and/or the tutor and will include some self-assessment and/or self-reflection.
In the second semester, EPII will put the knowledge acquired in semester 1 about essay composition and characteristic essay features to use. In other words, the semester is more focused on working in the language. Each lesson aims to analyse source material drawn from a range of English-language sources (including –although not limited to– academic and media sources). The analysis includes focus on more advanced features of formal English but also (subject-specific) vocabulary, content, and argumentation. The texts and topics will be of direct relevance to the students’ studies or/and have a more general socio-cultural focus. We want students to apply their critical reading skills to analyse content with the goal to discuss these topics in class and to write an argumentative essay on said topic.
More specifically this means that the course is comprised of four core components in the development of English proficiency:
• Grammar knowledge
• Vocabulary expansion
• Writing skills
• Speaking skills
For successful completion of this module, the student must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the following learning objectives at the CEFR B2+ level:
• The student is able to identify and apply language features typical of argumentative essays.
• The student is able to produce argumentative essays of an appropriate level with a clear focus in terms of both language accuracy, range and register; and text structure and cohesion.
• The student demonstrates ongoing reflection on their language proficiency and writing abilities in writing and speech, and scans drafts for errors (content, grammar, word choice, style, punctuation and spelling) and then revises their essays.
• The student can integrate ideas from printed and non-printed source material in their essays.
• The student can use and explain the important vocabulary identified in the source material in new contexts.
• The student is able to apply the grammar theory both in speech and writing.
• The student takes active part in a group discussion on a topic relating to the source material, accounting for and conveying their view(s) in a coherent, concise, precise, fluent, and accurate manner.
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 15% of the final mark.
Written Exam determines 30% of the final mark.
Other Exam determines 55% of the final mark.
Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Students who want to pass the course need to have participated / completed all assessment components (3 writing assignments, a written, and an oral exam).
Students need to score at least 40% on continuous assessment (22/55), the written exam (12/30) and the oral exam (6/15) to pass the course.
In the second exam session, assessment is on the basis of a writing assignment on a new topic, a written, and an oral exam.
In the second exam session, students need to score at least 40% on the writing assignment (22/55), the written exam (12/30) and the oral exam (6/15) to pass the course.
Students who fail the course in the first exam session and who wish to be examined in the second exam session are required to
- submit a writing assignment on a new topic if they achieved a fail grade for the writing assignments or if they did not participate/complete all three mandatory writing assignments;
- take the written exam if they achieved a fail grade for the written exam in the first exam session;
- take the oral exam if they achieved a fail grade for the oral exam in the first exam session.
Students who fail the course in the first exam session and who already received a pass score for the writing assignments and/or the written exam and/or the oral exam can carry over the pass score for one or more of the three assessment components instead of retaking it in the second session.
The score for an individual module can only be carried over to a subsequent academic year if the student submits a motivated request to do so to the course tutors and if their approval is granted.
Studenten die willen slagen voor de cursus moeten hebben deelgenomen aan alle beoordelingsonderdelen (3 schrijfopdrachten, een schriftelijk, en een mondeling examen).
Studenten moeten ten minste 40% scoren op de permanente evaluatie (22/55), het schriftelijk examen (12/30) en het mondeling examen (6/15) om te slagen voor de cursus.
In de tweede examen zittijd, moeten studenten die willen slagen voor het vak deelnemen aan alle beoordelingsonderdelen / alle beoordelingsonderdelen hebben afgerond (een schrijfopdracht over een nieuw onderwerp, een schriftelijk, en een mondeling examen).
In de tweede examen zittijd, moeten studenten ten minste 40% scoren op de schrijfopdracht (22/55), het schriftelijk examen (12/30) en het mondeling examen (6/15) om te slagen voor het vak.
Studenten die in de eerste examen zittijd niet slaagden voor het vak en willen kunnen slagen in de tweede examen zittijd moeten
- een schrijfopdracht indienen over een nieuw onderwerp indien ze niet geslaagd waren voor de schrijfopdrachten in de eerste examen zittijd of indien ze niet deelgenomen hadden aan alle drie verplichte schrijfopdrachten/niet alle drie verplichte schrijfopdrachten hadden afgerond;
- deelnemen aan het schriftelijk examen indien ze niet geslaagd waren voor het schriftelijk examen in de eerste examen zittijd;
- deelnemen aan het mondelinge examen indien ze niet geslaagd waren voor het mondelinge examen in de eerste examen zittijd.
Studenten die in de eerste examen zittijd niet slaagden voor het vak en al geslaagd waren voor de schrijfopdrachten en/of het schriftelijk examen en/of het mondeling examen kunnen hun score voor deze geslaagde onderdelen overdragen naar de tweede examen zittijd in plaats van het examenonderdeel opnieuw af te leggen.
Scores voor de schrijfopdrachten en examens kunnen enkel worden overgedragen indien de student een gemotiveerd verzoek indient bij de docenten en indien de docenten akkoord gaan met het verzoek.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Bachelor of Linguistics and Literary Studies: Dutch-English (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Linguistics and Literary Studies: English-German (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Linguistics and Literary Studies: English-French (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Linguistics and Literary Studies: English-Italian (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Linguistics and Literary Studies: English-Spanish (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Applied Language Studies: Nederlands-Frans (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Applied Language Studies: Nederlands-Engels (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Applied Language Studies: Nederlands-Duits (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Applied Language Studies: Nederlands-Spaans (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Applied Language Studies: Frans-Engels (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Applied Language Studies: Frans-Duits (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Applied Language Studies: Frans-Spaans (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Applied Language Studies: Engels-Duits (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Applied Language Studies: Engels-Spaans (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Applied Language Studies: Duits-Spaans (only offered in Dutch)
Bridging Programme Master of Arts in Journalism: Traject na vooropleiding professionele bachelor in de journalistiek (only offered in Dutch)
Bridging Programme Master of Arts in Journalism: Traject na vooropleiding professionele bachelor communicatiemanagement of professionele bachelor secundair onderwijs of professionele bachelor logopedie en audiologie of professionele bachelor sociaal werk (only offered in Dutch)
Preparatory Programme Master of Arts in Journalism: Trajectory of 57 credits, following an academic bachelor other then those with direct access to the master-program. (only offered in Dutch)