| Unit name | Accelerated Academic Writing |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LANG00019 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | QCA-3 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Ms. Taylor |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
IELTS 7.0 overall; IELTS writing component: 6.0 (minimum) or equivalent |
| Co-requisites |
Accelerated Text Response (LANG0NEW2) |
| School/department | Centre for Academic Language and Development |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Accelerated Academic Writing is a 20-credit unit within the International Foundation Programme, which is designed to prepare international students for undergraduate study in the UK. It is designed specifically for the IFP+ students on the IFP STEM, Arts and Humanities as well as IFP Social Sciences and Law.It is one of a number of complementary units whose overall aims are to improve the language, academic literacy and subject knowledge required to succeed at a British university.
Accelerated Academic Writing aims to introduce and practise the process of planning, drafting, evaluating and editing written academic work. It explores a range of academic functions, features of academic style and organisation, and academic grammar and vocabulary in order to improve the students' overall academic literacy.
At the end of this unit students will be able to:
1. Plan, write and revise a well organised multi-paragraph piece of writing (500-700 words) in an appropriate academic style using a variety of academic functions with a level of linguistic accuracy sufficient to allow ease of reading and communication of message;
2. Evaluate their own learning based on a portfolio of evidence;
3. Edit written work effectively (self and peer);
4. Recognise and recall key academic vocabulary (Coxhead, 2000).
Students on the IFP+ will attend 4 hours of study per week. There will be 2 lessons of two academic hours per week; students on the IFP+ pathway will be taught separately to those on the standard pathway. Learning is facilitated in small group classroom sessions (12-16). Individual and group-based work is integrated as appropriate. In addition to a range of textbooks and authentic texts, use will be made of appropriate e-learning technologies for self-study and self-assessment as well as work in class.
This 20-credit level 3 unit involves formative and summative assessment.
Assessment for learning (formative):
Developmental e-portfolio consisting of 7 pieces of academic writing and 2 reflective pieces (weighting 50%; ILO 1,2,3). Students follow a draft / feedback / re-draft process scheduled into the scheme of work. Students receive tutor-led and peer-led formative feedback on the initial drafts and tutor-led feedback on final drafts. A grade is assigned on effectiveness of response to feedback in the final draft of each piece of written work.
Assessment of learning (summative):
Examination: Timed writing 500-700 words (1.5 hours; weighting 30%; ILO 1, 3);
Examination: Grammar (editing) test (weighting 10%; ILO 4);
Examination: Vocabulary test (AWL1-4) (60 minutes; weighting 10%; ILO 4).
Bailey, S. (2011) Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students. Abingdon: Routledge.
Paterson, K. & Wedge, R. (2013) Oxford Grammar for EAP. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Targeted materials are available on Blackboard VLE (self-assessment tools, interactive tutorials and all course documents).
