Study Guide

Objective

You become aware of your writing skill level at the onset of your studies. You realise the skill level required to write academic papers. You explore the concepts of context, formality, report and essay writing, as well as the basics of argumentation in writing. You develop your academic vocabulary related to your field of study and can utilise key terms in formal writing. You learn the key elements of sentence and paragraph structure in writing and are able to apply this knowledge towards the composition of a writing portfolio. You are able to compose a formal review by the end of the course and are aware of many of the elements which will be needed in further writing tasks, including the thesis.

Content

- The concepts of genre, formality and objectivity, the basics of argumentation and academic integrity in report and essay writing
- Reading strategies
- Paraphrasing, summarising and quoting, and Karelia style guide and reporting instructions
- Embedding visuals and data commentaries
- Presentation skills

Teaching methods

Lectures and seminars, literature, writing workshops, independent work and tutorials

Completion alternatives

Accreditation of prior learning: If the student has accomplished Academic English (writing and presentation skills) in higher education establishments (universities), s/he can apply for accreditation of prior learning. However, the student has to demonstrate his/her knowledge and skills in Karelia reporting and thesis instructions.

Student workload

24 hours of lectures and workshops, 4 hours of counselling and feedback, 53 hours of independent work

Content scheduling

Academic reading and vocabulary
Style, genres and conventions of academic texts
Essay writing
Paraphrasing and summarising
Citation techniques
Report writing
Data commentaries
Presenting a seminar paper and/ or project report

Further information

The course requires B1.2 or higher level of English skills. If your skills are not yet sufficient, taking a prep course is highly recommended.

Evaluation scale

H-5

Assessment methods and criteria

The assessment is based on the following:
Essay 20%
Summary 10%
Report 30%
Presentation 20%
Continual evaluation 20%

Assessment criteria, fail (0)

The student has not submitted the necessary assignments or given sufficient proof of his/her skills.
The texts and speech are not comprehensible and there are serious lexical, grammatical or textual problems that inhibit understanding.
The student does not follow the basic academic conventions, such as citations.
The student has violated academic integrity, for example, by plagiarising

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

The student
- is aware of the academic style and different text types.
- knows the conventions used in academic texts and is able to use them in his/her writing
- produces fluent and comprehensible texts and speech for academic audience
- shows ability to use resources to develop his her skills