Writing and Communication Skills
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide students with an understanding of the linguistic tools and communication strategies used in the English of political, legal and economic discourse at the international level. The course offers students a theoretical introduction to English for Academic Purposes, as well as the chance to practice their active skills (writing and speaking), applied to the fields of international politics, law and economics. The material used during the course includes authentic texts about international affairs.
Expected learning outcomes
The course is expected to develop: the familiarity with some concepts and theories that underlie English for Specific Purposes in general and English for Academic Purposes in particular; the overall ability to both write about and discuss the fundamental ideas of complex factual or abstract matters regarding the area of specialization (international politics, law and economics). In particular, the course aims to develop the students' ability to write a short text following the requirements of academic/formal English, and the ability to give a short presentation in English about a specialised topic, and answering questions afterw
Lesson period: Third trimester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Third trimester
Course syllabus
The course comprises two parts. The first part deals with English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and specifically on two written academic genres: abstracts and bibliographic references. It provides an introduction to the history and functions of - as well as the main concepts in - domain-specific English. The objective is to enable students to write academic abstracts of different lengths and for different purposes, complete with references based on the most common English-language standards, about topics in international political, legal and economic discourse. Special attention is devoted to syntax, register and style.
The second part concentrates on the active production of EAP, especially on writing skills. The notions of genre, text, cohesion and coherence will be introduced and put into practice in class. Students will be required to participate actively by working in teams and individually, with the aim of producing short academic texts.
The second part concentrates on the active production of EAP, especially on writing skills. The notions of genre, text, cohesion and coherence will be introduced and put into practice in class. Students will be required to participate actively by working in teams and individually, with the aim of producing short academic texts.
Prerequisites for admission
The minimum requirement for students to profitably attend the course is a level of English language competence matching the B2 level in the CEFR. The exit level is set at C1 of the CEFR.
Students whose competences do not meet the minimum entry requirements must autonomously fill any gaps in their preliminary knowledge of English. To this end, the following book is recommended:
- Murphy, Raymond 2012. English Grammar in Use. Intermediate. Cambridge: CUP.
Students whose competences do not meet the minimum entry requirements must autonomously fill any gaps in their preliminary knowledge of English. To this end, the following book is recommended:
- Murphy, Raymond 2012. English Grammar in Use. Intermediate. Cambridge: CUP.
Teaching methods
The course comprises a mix of lectures and practical tasks, so students are expected to actively participate in class. The development of skills and competences is crucial; for this reason, students will be required to work assiduously on the development and consolidation of academic and political, legal and economic English skills through constant critical practice. The teaching methods used will draw from applied functional linguistics, especially from the English-speaking tradition. The working language is English.
Teaching Resources
- Stephen Bailey. 2018. Academic writing. A Handbook for International Students. 5th edition. London and New York: Routledge.
- Jegede Francis et al. 2020. Writing Successful Undergraduate Dissertations in Social Sciences. A Student's Handbook. Milton Park, New York: Routledge.
All the material provided on Ariel:
- slides shown during the course,
- grammar exercises and tasks,
- authentic texts to study and analyse,
- any other additional material used during the course.
Recommended grammar book:
-Hewings, Martin. Advanced Grammar in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. With keys.
- Jegede Francis et al. 2020. Writing Successful Undergraduate Dissertations in Social Sciences. A Student's Handbook. Milton Park, New York: Routledge.
All the material provided on Ariel:
- slides shown during the course,
- grammar exercises and tasks,
- authentic texts to study and analyse,
- any other additional material used during the course.
Recommended grammar book:
-Hewings, Martin. Advanced Grammar in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. With keys.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Evaluation is exam based and is aimed to ascertain that students have acquired the theoretical and applied competences in the topics and language varieties dealt with during the course and provided in the textbooks and materials given in the reading list. In particular, students will have to prove their competence in using the linguistic structures of academic English (C1 level), and to be familiar with the main features of international political, legal and economic discourse.
The exam comprises 35 closed-questions on the notions and competences acquired about English for Academic Purposes (30 minutes, no dictionary allowed), and the production of a short text (250-350 words) about a topic chosen from among those studied during the course (60 minutes, monolingual dictionary only allowed).
The exam tests both the theoretical knowledge relating to the characteristics of English for Academic Purposes, and the applied skills (both passive - reading - and active - production). The final evaluation (expressed out of 30 points) is based on knowledge of the concepts covered in the course and on lexical and grammatical correctness, as well as textual cohesion and structure, according to the standards taught and practiced.
Continuous assessment may be implemented for attending students, in the form of texts to be produced at scheduled times during the course.
The exam comprises 35 closed-questions on the notions and competences acquired about English for Academic Purposes (30 minutes, no dictionary allowed), and the production of a short text (250-350 words) about a topic chosen from among those studied during the course (60 minutes, monolingual dictionary only allowed).
The exam tests both the theoretical knowledge relating to the characteristics of English for Academic Purposes, and the applied skills (both passive - reading - and active - production). The final evaluation (expressed out of 30 points) is based on knowledge of the concepts covered in the course and on lexical and grammatical correctness, as well as textual cohesion and structure, according to the standards taught and practiced.
Continuous assessment may be implemented for attending students, in the form of texts to be produced at scheduled times during the course.
L-LIN/12 - LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION - ENGLISH - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professor:
Grego Kim Serena
Professor(s)
Reception:
Preferably email me for an app.t, but I'm in most days most of the time.
Room 103