IL1PALC: Academic Language and Communication

Module code: IL1PALC

Module provider: International Study and Language Institute

Credits: 0

Level: 4

When you’ll be taught: Summer (vacation) semester

Module convenor: Ms Gill Kendon, email: g.b.kendon@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s): IL1PAPGPN (Postgraduates) or IL1PAPGUN (Undergraduates) (Open)

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 27 February 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module is designed to prepare international students for success in both undergraduate and postgraduate studies. It is the final module of the Pre-sessional English Programme (PSE) and for students with at least a B2 English level or those who have completed earlier modules in our extended PSE courses. Summative assessments in this module, and those in IL1PAPGPN/ IL1PAPGUN will determine the final score and academic outcome of PSE.
In this module, students will engage in lively discussions on current academic topics. These activities will improve students’ speaking fluency, enhance their listening and note-taking skills, and boost their ability to understand complex written texts. Students will engage with real-world materials, like public lectures and academic articles, many of which are based on content from the 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.
On completion, students will be equipped with the essential skills and strategies needed to confidently engage with authentic academic texts. The module also helps students recognise how and when to use AI tools effectively and responsibly as part of their study routine.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of a clearly structured audio-visual lecture by taking con-current notes to effectively record detail to allow for engagement with the topic.
2. Fully collaborate in a real time organised discussion about an academic topic with other students whose first language is not English by for example presenting ideas, furthering the discussion, and responding appropriately.
3. Integrate and report information and arguments from more than one source into coherent and structured paragraph (s) using own words where possible.
4. Critically respond to text source (s) in writing e.g. AI-generated and human content.

Module content

Students will focus on developing the following key academic skills and language knowledge:
Listening competencies for degree study:

• Recognising structure and patterns within a lecture e.g. problem-solution, cause-effect relationships
• Identifying main ideas and supporting details
• Identifying the relationship between ideas within a text or lecture
• Coping with concurrent note-taking whilst listening to audio visual material

51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø into writing competencies for degree study:

• Recognising structure and patterns within a text e.g.. problem-solution, cause-effect relationships
• Identifying main ideas and supporting details
• Integrating and reporting information and arguments from more than one source into coherent and structured paragraph (s) using own words where possible.
• Critically responding to text source (s) in writing e.g. through an examination of differences in language and content between AI generated writing vs human writing.

Interactive speaking competencies for degree study:

• Presenting their ideas and further developing other’s ideas and opinions.
• Initiating and responding appropriately e.g. inviting questions, effective turn-taking, etc.
• Summarising and evaluating the main points of discussion

Language knowledge at ‘confident’ English user level:

• Demonstrating confident control of simple grammatical forms, and producing some complex forms.
• Using a range of appropriate vocabulary connected to current academic topics
• Demonstrating good overall intelligibility with appropriate intonation, sentence and word stress, and generally accurate pronunciation of individual sounds.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Whether students have chosen on campus or online delivery mode for this module, it will run over 6 weeks and is taught in small groups of on average 16 students. In both the on campus and online courses, students will spend approximately 60% of their time in a classroom (virtual or physical) with other students and a teacher. The rest of their time will be spent working independently on guided tasks. The guided tasks include a review and expansion of taught material. Appropriate e-learning technologies will be used for the guided independent tasks, as well as work in class.

Students will be expected to take an active part in classroom tasks which will include pair and group work, peer review, and small group discussions.

Study hours

At least 31.5 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve the minimum pass mark in the three module assessments which constitute their language sub skill grades for listening, reading and speaking.

Students also need to achieve the minimum pass mark in the module assessment for IL1PAPGPN/ IL1PAPGUN which constitute their language sub skill grade for writing.

The above four assessments contribute to the overall PSE pass. There are two categories of pass marks depending on students’ English language entry requirement for their intended degree programme.
1.A standard pass mark for students with an English language offer of 6.5 overall (6.0 subskill) or below.

These students must achieve a minimum of the expected English language level of an overall 55% [6.0] at the end of the PSE, and no less than 45% [5.5] in any one sub skill: Listening, Speaking, 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, and Writing.

2. A higher pass mark for students with an English language offer of 7.0 overall (6.0 subskill) or above.

These students must achieve a minimum of the expected English language level of an overall 65% [6.5] at the end of the PSE and no less than 55% [6.0] in any one sub skill: Listening, Speaking, 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, and Writing].

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students receive practice and in class feedback on developing assessment skills and strategies.

Reassessment

Additional costs