English
Module: TRANSVERSE TRAINING
Matter: ENGLISH
Main language of instruction: Catalan
Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish
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The aim of this program is primarily to provide students with the necessary academic language required to understand and present bioengineering research in English. Critical reading and listening skills are particularly emphasized for this purpose, while speaking and writing skills are mainly reinforced to consolidate knowledge and to promote academic communication.
The programme contains 3 elements that include class-based lessons, tutorials and self study.
The teacher-led lessons focus on reading and listening activities related to topics in the field of scientific research and Medicine. Such activities are designed to develop comprehension within an academic setting. Speaking and writing activities aim at enhancing communication common to university and conference environments as well as to facilitate a solid linguistic base for the elements introduced throughout the course. Tutorials will focus on student development and interpersonal skills and will include an evaluated group project. The final part is the self-study element which primarily focuses on developing reading, writing and listening skills, consolidating grammar, specific lexis and increasing the autonomy of the learner when learning a foreign language.
Recommended minimum level of English at the start of the course is B1+
Classroom:
To prepare and equip students with the language tools necessary to understand, synthesize and present medical research in English.
To reinforce the receptive skills of reading and listening and to facilitate the development of the productive skills of speaking and writing through interactive activities.
Tutorial:
To develop students’ interpersonal skills and ability to work with others in both their own language and in an additional language.
Autonomous learning:
To increase reading comprehension skills through tasks requiring students to analyze language on a lexical and structural basis, main and supporting ideas, and organizational patterns common in English literature related to Bioengineering.
Upon completion of this subject, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate knowledge of terminology and linguistic structures in English related to the scientific field.
• Communicate orally in English information about Bioengineering topics through
interventions / oral presentations
• Communicate in writing information about Bioengineering topics.
• Read and analyze bibliography and literature in English on topics of Bioengineering and understand the main ideas.
• Demonstrate abilities to work autonomously with texts in English.
Topics:
Students will cover topics related to the evidence-based approach to bioengineering as well as areas of most immediate relevance to current experimental studies in medical research.
Discipline-specific Language Skills:
Students will learn to read, understand and discuss academic literature related to bioengineering and experimental research. Furthermore, they will learn to recognize main features and the common format of experimental research articles. They will develop synthesis skills of material covered throughout the course.
Language Knowledge:
Instruction of this component is dependent on the students' language level. Students will revise/consolidate knowledge about professional and academic discourse related to health sciences research, the organization of information provided in scientific articles, and citation of sources.
Students will become actively engaged in the process of reading, analyzing and synthesizing information from a variety of academic genres specific to bioengineering, such as extracts from textbooks and medical journals. Students will discuss course contents in collaborative tasks. They will give presentations as well as produce some writing assignments. Listening activities will comprise listening for general and specific information given in lectures by a professor and presentations by other students and online speakers.
The Internet will also serve as a source for language tools and material which students can apply throughout their overall learning process. These materials will further form an integral part of the students’ self-study, thus equipping and motivating students for the life-long learning of English related to their field.
Activity |
% of final course mark |
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25%
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Midterm exam |
15% |
Course work: -Progress tests -Collaborative learning tasks -Autonomous learning tasks/ Written work
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20%
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Lecture Highlight: Oral Presentation |
10% |
Group project: Oral presentation of experimental research |
30% |
Important information:
Attendance and participation: Students are reminded that attendance and participation in class and continuous evaluation are fundamental to passing the course. Furthermore, group work outside of class will also form a major part of the evaluation.
It will not be possible to pass the course by only taking the final exam in any sitting.
Make up exams
The 2nd sitting consists of an exam and may also include a writing and/ or oral presentation component.
Students must confirm their attendance to the second sitting exam with their teacher and course coordinator will be required to make an appointment with the teacher at least one month prior to the exam date in order to receive information regarding what the exam session will consist of.
Other exams: Students who miss a midterm exam, and who have a valid justification (i.e. medical certificate) must present it to their teacher the following day of class. At the end of the term, if the student has attended at least 80% of the classes, he or she will be able to make up the midterm on the day of the final exam.
Many small progress tests, or quizzes, will be given throughout the course. No make-up quizzes will be given, so students who miss a quiz will receive a 0 for that quiz. However, because each quiz bears little weight individually in the course evaluation, missing one will have little effect on the total grade.
Important considerations:
Class-based materials:
Class-based materials are based on a wide range of professional and educational resources from current online professional journals and textbooks.
Intranet and Internet materials for self study.
Teaching and learning material:
Mayer D. Essential Evidence-Based Medicine. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press. 2009
E: exam date | R: revision date | 1: first session | 2: second session: