UCL Centre for Languages & International Education (CLIE)

English for Academic Purposes

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In-sessional EAP Course Details

Course Dates

Two-hour classes held once a week over 18 weeks in Terms 1 and 2 (a total of 36 hours) as follows:

Term 1: 8 classes, from week beginning 15 October to week ending 14 December 2012

Term 2: 10 classes, from week beginning 7 January 2013 to week ending 22 March 2013

Please note that In-sessional EAP will not have classes during UCL Reading Weeks.

Cost

£300 for the whole course

Class Days and Timetabling

Classes will be held during the daytime Monday to Friday.

An initial timetabling session will be scheduled at the end of the enrolment period on 10 October 2012 (time and location to be confirmed), which all course applicants will be asked to attend. At this session, students will be offered a choice of available days and class times (e.g. 9-11.00, 11-13.00, 13-15.00, 15-17.00) and asked to select a class time that fits in with their main departmental timetable of lectures, seminars and regular tutorials.

Participants

UCL students enrolled on undergraduate and taught masters courses whose main language is not English. Some 1st-year MPhil/PhD students have also found this course useful. There is a maximum of 14 students per class.

Course Aims

· To further develop awareness and use of the conventions of academic English among  students from other learning cultures who are studying at UCL

· To develop reading and writing ability in a variety of registers, in particular as required for essay writing, supported by practice both in and out of class and appropriate work on grammar and vocabulary

· To further develop skills and confidence for academic speaking and listening

Taught Content

The In-sessional EAP course concentrates on academic English skills: i.e. reading, writing, speaking, listening and study skills. Grammar is given some attention, but is usually incorporated into the development and practice of skills. We will try to make the classroom activities and homework tasks as relevant as possible to the language of students’ own subject areas. Participants will receive regular feedback on writing and speaking tasks.

Course Outline

The main topics to be covered over the full 18 weeks of the course are outlined below:

Reading: paragraph structure identifying the organization of a text identifying sequencing markers identifying a writer’s point of view	Writing: paragraph structure introductions and conclusions types of essay and organization: cause and effect compare and contrast problem /solution argument cohesion; linking devices academic conventions; referencing style(s) plagiarism (how to avoid it) summary writing academic style and register research essay writing common errors (editing)
Listening: for structure and main ideas for specific information note-taking skills	Speaking: self introductions seminar discussions (Term 1) short presentations (Term 2)
Pronunciation: the phonemic alphabet (see also Pronuncation course)	Other: grammar as required (but see also Advanced Grammar Course) the structure of definitions vocabulary skills speaking and writing about numbers and data

Term 1 will begin with a Needs Analysis to establish common class needs.

Course Assessments

Assessments are held as set out below during or in parallel with the In-sessional EAP course, and are compulsory for conditional students. The assessments take the form of:

Term 2

• Speaking: introducing and leading a short seminar (with the class)

Term 2

• Writing project

• Listening: short lecture and comprehension questions

• Speaking: prepared presentation and discussion (in class)

• Reading and writing examination: Friday 15 March 2013, 14:15-16.45

Conditional Students

Conditional students are those who are required, either by UCL Registry or by their own department, to attend the course and complete all assessments.

Satisfactory completion of the above assessments, together with regular attendance and participation in the classes, will allow conditional students to fulfil the language requirements. CLIE will forward the results to Registry directly.

All students who complete assessments will receive a certificate with details of each assessment score. Conditional students will also receive an end-of-course report following the end of assessments in Term 2.

Departmental Coursework

Your tutor will NOT be able to proof-read or otherwise help you with ongoing UCL coursework which has not yet been submitted to your department.

Attendance

We strongly recommend 100% attendance on the In-sessional EAP course in order for you to benefit fully from the input and practice. If you have to miss a class, please inform the tutor beforehand. This can be done either by email or by leaving a message at the CLIE Reception.

Non-conditional students who do not take the final examination can request a Certificate of Attendance if they have attended at least 80% of classes.

Homework

Students will be expected to complete homework tasks in order to gain maximum benefit from the course. Written homework tasks will be corrected using the marking code. In addition, the tutor may give a variety of grammar, vocabulary or reading tasks.

Course Feedback / Staff-Student Consultative Exercise

There will be an opportunity for In-sessional EAP students to give general feedback on the course to senior representatives of the CLIE.

Administrative support

If you have any administrative enquiries, please contact the EAP Office in Room 121, 26 Bedford Way at the Language Centre. Email: pteap@ucl.ac.uk Tel: 020 7679 8665

Academic support

If you have any questions about your course, please speak to your class tutor. Alternatively, you may like to contact the Course Co-ordinator, Mr James Sinclair-Knopp, Room 115, 26 Bedford Way. Email: j.knopp@ucl.ac.uk

Self-study Suggestions

Most of the books listed below are available for reference in the Self-Access Centre, but please note that these books cannot be borrowed. Alternatively, they are available for purchase at good local bookshops (ask the EAP Office for advice).

Grammar books for self-study:

For simple, clear explanations and exercises:

• Swan, M & C Walter (1997) How English Works: A Grammar Practice book with answers. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Longer, more 'natural' exercises for more advanced students:

• Foley, M & D Hall (2003) Advanced Learners' Grammar: A self-study reference and practice book with answers. Harlow: Longman

Reading Practice:

We strongly recommend you buy your own copy and work through:

• Mosback, G & V Mosback (1976) Practical Faster Reading. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Writing Skills:

• Jordan, R R (1999) Academic Writing Course. Harlow: Longman

• Bailey, S (2011) Academic Writing: A handbook for students (3^rd edition) London & New York: Routledge

Listening and note-taking skills:

Ease Listening to Lectures: This interactive software helps students to develop their ability to listen to, follow, identify key information and arguments and take notes during lectures.

Study Skills (available from UCL Library)

Lewis, M & H Reinders (2003) Study Skills for Speakers of English as a Second Language. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

Using the Internet:

Useful exercises for grammar, reading, vocabulary, listening and writing can be found on the BBC Learning English Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/index.shtml

Advice and resources to help international students towards more effective study at University can be found on the Palgrave Study Guides website: http://www.palgrave.com/skills4study/studentlife/international/index.asp