| Unit name | Accelerated Academic Language and Literacy |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LANG00023 |
| Credit points | 40 |
| Level of study | QCA-3 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Miss. Newton |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
IELTS overall 7.0; minimum 5.5 in Speaking, Listening and Reading components; minimum 6.0 in the Writing component or equivalent. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
Language and Communication Studies LANG00017 |
| Units you may not take alongside this one | |
| School/department | Centre for Academic Language and Development |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
Accelerated Academic Language and Literacy aims to engage you and help you to excel in academic language and literacy skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) in preparation for your undergraduate pathway. During the unit you will undertake collaborative and individual tasks that will develop not only your academic skills, but also your group-working skills, both of which are invaluable for university study and your future career. On Accelerated Academic Language and Literacy you will explore a range of contemporary topics, such as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through Problem Based Learning (PBL), and conduct research in your local context and within your subject area empowering you to analyse, evaluate and create knowledge about your future subject discipline.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
Accelerated Academic Language and Literacy complements the unit Language and Communication Studies (LANG00017). The purpose of these two units is to provide the foundations of academic language and literacy skills required for undergraduate study. Learning on these two units will be applied across your IFP subject units helping you to develop essay and report writing, presentation and seminar skills, and listening and reading strategies.
An overview of content
This is a 40-credit unit within the International Foundation Programme which is designed to prepare international students for undergraduate study at a UK university and is aimed at students with a minimum B2+ level of English.
The unit aims to develop students' academic language and literacy through problem-based learning using an integrated skills approach, focusing on reading, writing, listening and speaking, as well as appropriate academic vocabulary and grammar. To prepare students for the study culture of UK higher education, there is a focus on critical thinking and the social construction of knowledge through the critical analysis of texts which students will respond to in a variety of oral and written formats. This will be done through group-based activities to develop team-working skills, as well as through individual tasks to promote learner autonomy. In addition, students will be guided to critically reflect on their own learning and their ability to engage with a range of written and spoken texts.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will be introduced to global concepts through the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and use these as lenses to analyse and collect primary data on an issue within your subject area. You will unpack and critically analyse reading and listening texts and by the end of the course will be able to transfer these reading and listening strategies to your future discipline. You will leave the course with the skills and tools necessary to understand and respond to academic texts as well as produce them, and you will be able to critically evaluate your learning on the course.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
Learning is facilitated in weekly small group sessions with both individual and group-based work. In addition to a range of authentic texts, appropriate e-learning technologies will be used for self-study and self-assessment as well as work in class.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
When assessment does not go to plan
Any student registered on the International Foundation Programme will be offered a conditional place on an undergraduate degree at the University of Bristol. Students must meet the entry requirements to be admitted onto an undergraduate degree at the University of Bristol. Different degree programmes may have different entry requirements. The IFP Board will review the mark profiles of all students who are close to attaining the entry requirements but are outside the previously agreed near miss criteria and may agree to admit them to a degree programme. If not admitted, students may be offered a further opportunity (i.e. two attempts in total) to meet the entry requirements for their intended degree programme at the University of Bristol by re-taking a relevant assessment. Marks are not capped for this purpose. If a student is absent or their performance in assessment is significantly affected due to exceptional circumstances, they may re-take the relevant assessment at the next appropriate time, without penalty.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. LANG00023).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
