Universitat Internacional de Catalunya - Barcelona

General English

• code 08485
• course 1
• term Semester 1
• type OB
• credits 6

Module: English

Matter: English for academic purposes

Main language of instruction: English

Head instructor

Lda. Doris STANGER - dstanger@uic.es

Office hours

By appointment.

The aim of this programme is primarily to provide students with the skills and knowledge to practise and perform the linguistic tasks related to themes and tasks related to the degree programme.  Emphasis is given to the linguistic skills of speaking, listening and writing whilst short texts are also used to deepen their knowledge and understanding of language structures and use of new vocabulary.

The programme consists of 3 elements that include class-based lessons, group work and self study. The teacher-led lessons focus on speaking, listening, writing and reading through working on tasks based on activities related to different aspects of the degree program being studied. Group work will focus on student development and interpersonal skills and will include two evaluated group projects. The final part being the self study element which allows for further consolidation of the material covered in class as well as consolidating grammar and increasing the autonomy of the learner with respect to learning a foreign language.

All three elements have been specifically designed to provide students with the skills, knowledge and resources that will increase their confidence in order to communicate effectively in English.

Recommended minimum global level is that of a B1 before the start of the course.

Classroom:

• To prepare and equip students with the necessary lexical and grammatical knowledge and understanding in order to become effective communicators in English in everyday personal, academic and work-related contexts.

• To reinforce the receptive skills of reading and listening through practice, using a variety of stimuli and to facilitate the improvement of the productive skills of speaking and writing.

Group Work:

• To develop students’ interpersonal skills and ability to work with others in both native and an additional language.

Self Study:

• To further develop abilities of both the receptive and productive skills as well as consolidate grammar usage and train students’ in how to learn a language independently using ICT and internet based resources.

• 06 CG - The ability to read, analyze and synthesize
• 08 CG - The ability to reflect and memorize.
• 15 CE - Lingustic ability in Catalan, Spanish and English
• 41 CE - The ability and capacity to interact in the environment

The competences mentioned above must be achieved at a B1 level.

Students are expected to:

1. To read and understand the bibliography and literature from the field of Journalism in English at a B1.1 level or above.
2. To know and use the terminology and linguistic structures of the English language related to the field of Communication media at a B1.1 level or above.
3. To understand the main ideas in conferences and lectures given in English at a B1.1 level or above.
4. To carry out oral and/or written presentations in English at a B1.1 level or above.
5. To analyse and synthesise information both orally and written at a B1.1 level or above.
6. To demonstrate the ability to work in a team.
7. To demonstrate the capacity for autonomous language learning.
8. To demonstrate the ability to plan and organise work.
9. To demonstrate interpersonal skills.

The course book ‘Cambridge English for the Media’ is used as the basis for this course. This book consists of 8 units, with each unit taking approximately 2 weeks. There is an emphasis placed on real life situations, language and contexts that students could encounter in their field of study or future careers. All units contain exercises and practice with grammar and vocabulary, as well as listening and reading comprehension.

The unit topics and content are:

• Unit 1 Newspapers - question formation, general vocabulary about newspapers, headlines, interviewing.
• Unit 2 Radio - vocabulary related to radio and radio organization, presentation and process, phrasal verbs, direct and indirect questions.
• Unit 3 Magazines - general verb tenses and reporting verbs, vocabulary and language related to magazine organization, planning and writing.
• Unit 4 Television - vocabulary related to television and documentary production, filming, editing, modal verbs
• Unit 5  Film - vocabulary related to filming, production and distribution, also, the language of film reviews.
• Unit 6 New Media - vocabulary related to websites, blogs and podcasts.
• Unit 7 Advertising - vocabulary related to the advertising industry, the language of slogans and adverts, use of infinitive and/or gerund.
• Unit 8 Marketing - vocabulary related to marketing. market trends and launching a product. Verb tenses: present perfect and past simple.

• Coaching (CO) 4 hours – Brief occasional meetings with students on an individual basis to comment on and work on individual problem areas with the English language. For example, commenting on pronunciation, vocabulary, use of language and writing skills.
• Seminars (SM) 14 hours – Working in small groups in the classroom with an emphasis on speaking skills through role-playing, small group debates and discussions.
• Tallers (TA) 8 hours – Teacher-guided work in small groups expanding on core materials found in the book with an emphasis on writing and speaking skills and interaction.
• Workshops (WO) 4 hours - Presentations where students show their understanding and development of different themes and topics related to the material found in the book. Students also need to show their ability to express themselves in English as well as a  correct use of language and pronunciation.
• Clases Magistrales (CM) 30 hours – Introduction of themes and language though the use of the book ‘The Media’.  Guided whole-class listening and grammar explanations and a focus on the more pertinent sections of the book so that it can be used in the most beneficial way for the students .

Evaluation of the subject

Quizzes – 5%

Competences 8,15,41

Consists of  short  quizzes that test vocabulary and grammar from Units 1 to 3 and 4 to 6 respectively and are practice for the final exam.

Final exam – 20%

Competences 6,8,15,41

Consists of a whole-book exam that tests grammar and vocabulary from the book and includes reading and listening comprehension on themes related to those found in the book.

4 small group projects - 40 %

Competences 6,8,15,41

Consists of 4 presentations in small groups. The topics of the presentations are based on the units of the book. Groups must work independently and then give a short 10 to 15 minute presentation to the class. Speaking, organization and group work are assessed.

4 on-line speaking activities - 10% 

Competences 6,15,41

Consists of 4 short speaking exercises thematically related to the book. Students must upload the recordings to the Moodle platform within the dates set.

3 in-class writing activities - 15% 

Competences 6,15,41

Consists of three short writing exercises thematically related to the book. 

Class participation – 10%

Competences 8,15,41

Consists of actively participating and collaborating in classroom activities and discussions.

Criteria of Second Sitting

Students with a final mark between 4 and 4,9 in the first sitting have the right in the second sitting to make up the material that was failed or not handed in.

Students with a mark that is less than a 4 in the first sitting will have to make up 100% of the subject in the second sitting by doing the following:

• Final exam (50%)
• Written and oral evaluation tasks to be conducted on the day of the final exam (50%)

In both sittings students need to demonstrate a B1.1 level of English in order to pass the subject. 

Material de clase:

Ceramella, Nick, Elisabeth Lee and Jeremy Day. Cambridge English for the Media. Cambridge University Press

• Additional support material will be given by the teacher to meet the learning objectives of the progamme.
• Intranet and internet based materials for self study.