Module QXS-1005:
Advanced Academic Writing and Grammar

Module Facts

Run by School of Languages, Literatures, Linguistics and Media

10.000 Credits or 5.000 ECTS Credits

Semester 2

Organiser: Miss Debbie Garlick

Overall aims and purpose

To raise students' English language competence to a level that enables them to participate actively and effectively in a British academic environment.

To enable students to develop and strengthen their writing skills in English, with particular emphasis on academic writing.

To increase students' grammatical awareness and to enable them to communicate in grammatically accurate English.

Course content

This course is only available to students whose native language is not English, who would like to improve their overall competence in communicative grammar and written English.

QXS1004 can be taken as a pre-course but is not a co-requsite).

This single module provides communicative grammar practice in the areas of conditional, modal verbs, subject/verb agreement, prepositions, phrasal verbs, gerunds and infinitives, relative clauses, expressions of probability and possibility, articles and tenses.

The course also provides practive in different writing skills including business and personal letters, reports, book reviews, literature reviews and essays. The academic writing skills of re-writing, editing, quoting and referencing are also reinforced and set expressions in academic writing are also reviewed.

The module uses a communicative approach and by the end of the course, students would be expected to be approaching the level of ALTE Level 4 (Cambridge Advanced English), corresponding to 'Competent User' in the Council of Europe Framework.

Assessment Criteria

threshold

40% A student has achieved the minimum acceptable standard of competence in coursework and examination relating to the learning outcomes above (equivalent to IELTS 6.0) A student shows the ability to write a basic letter, report and academic essay and has some awareness of format, structure, content, style and grammatical accuracy with some appropriate use of sources for the directed essay. Basic competence in set expressions, editing, style, referencing, citation and quotation is demonstrated. There are some errors in grammar and format in the majority of written work but a basic competence in the grammatical areas outlined in the Summary of Course contents above is shown.

good

55% A student has achieved a good standard of competence in coursework and examination relating to the learning outcomes above (equivalent to IELTS 6.5) A student shows the ability to write a good letter, report and academic essay and has good awareness of format structure, content, style and grammatical accuracy with mostly appropriate use of sources for the directed essay. Good competence in set expressions, editing, style, referencing, citation and quotation is demonstrated. There are only a few errors in grammar and/or format in all written work but these do not interfere with the communication of ideas and the work shows a good level of competence in the grammatical areas outlined in the Summary of Course contents above.

excellent

70% A student has achieved an exceptional standard of competence in coursework and examination relating to the learning outcomes above (equivalent to IELTS 7.0 or above). A student shows the ability to write an exceptional letter, report and academic essay and has very good awareness of format, structure, content, style and grammatical accuracy with very good and appropriate use of sources for the directed essay. Very good competence in set expressions, editing, style, referencing, citation and quotation is demonstrated. There are very few minor errors in grammar or format in all written work. Ideas are communicated effectively, with stylistic elegance and the work shows very good competence in the grammatical areas outlined in the Summary of Course contents above.

Learning outcomes

  1. On successful completion of the module, a student will:

    1. Be able to write effectively in Engilsh in a wide range of formats, including business and personal letters, reports, book reviews, literature reviews and academic essays.

    2. Have enhanced academic writing ability in the aeas of the use of set expressions, editing, style, referencing, citation and quotation skills.

    3. Have enhanced grammatical awareness and accuracy within the grammar areas of conditionals, modal verbs, subject/verb agreement, prepositions, phrasal verbs, gerunds and infinitives, relative clauses, expressions of probability and possibility, articles and tenses.

Assessment Methods

Type Name Description Weight
Report 30.00
Essay 30.00
Exam 40.00

Teaching and Learning Strategy

Hours
Seminar

Teaching consists of a two-hour ineractive class each week for 12 weeks. Students will be encouraged to work communicatively and engage in pair, group and team activities. Students are expected to do a substantial amount of work in preparation for and 1 addition to the assessed assignments.

 100

Transferable skills

  • Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
  • Numeracy - Proficiency in using numbers at appropriate levels of accuracy
  • Computer Literacy - Proficiency in using a varied range of computer software
  • Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
  • Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
  • Information retrieval - Able to access different and multiple sources of information
  • Inter-personal - Able to question, actively listen, examine given answers and interact sensitevely with others
  • Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
  • Safety-Consciousness - Having an awareness of your immediate environment, and confidence in adhering to health and safety regulations
  • Presentation - Able to clearly present information and explanations to an audience. Through the written or oral mode of communication accurately and concisely.
  • Teamwork - Able to constructively cooperate with others on a common task, and/or be part of a day-to-day working team
  • Mentoring - Able to support, help, guide, inspire and/or coach others
  • Caring - Showing concern for others; caring for children, people with disabilities and/or the elderly
  • Management - Able to utilise, coordinate and control resources (human, physical and/or financial)
  • Argument - Able to put forward, debate and justify an opinion or a course of action, with an individual or in a wider group setting
  • Self-awareness & Reflectivity - Having an awareness of your own strengths, weaknesses, aims and objectives. Able to regularly review, evaluate and reflect upon the performance of yourself and others
  • Leadership - Able to lead and manage, develop action plans and objectives, offer guidance and direction to others, and cope with the related pressures such authority can result in

Courses including this module

Compulsory in courses:

Optional in courses: