Module title
Module code
Academic year(s)
Psychological Concepts, Language and Study Skills
INT1020
2015/6
Credits
Module staff
30
Andrew Holbrook - Convenor
Paul Rogers - Lecturer
Duration (weeks) - term 1
Duration (weeks) - term 2
Duration (weeks) - term 3
Number students taking module (anticipated)
12
12
12
Module description
This module is designed to support your modules in the BSc in Psychology, enabling you to make the most of your 1st year in university. By taking this course you will become familiar with the language and concepts of the study of human behaviour and mental processes. In addition you will develop the necessary language and study skills to approach assignments and tasks set in the discipline. These include researching psychological literature, participating in group presentations and seminars, taking notes, skills for academic reading and written tasks.
The module is suitable for students with a minimum overall ability in English as a foreign language equivalent to IELTS 6.0 (with a minimum of 5.5 in writing and listening, and 5.0 in other sub-skills).
Module aims
This module aims to provide you with the opportunity to develop and strengthen your linguistic skills for the study of psychology if you already have a degree of proficiency in spoken and written English. At the same time it will provide substantial support in terms of language and concepts for the psychology modules you study alongside all other first year psychology students in the university.

During the spoken language classes the aim is for you to develop confidence, fluency and accuracy when participating in seminar discussions or giving a presentation. In your written language classes the core aim is for you to develop a good understanding of how to write essays and research reports for psychology. Secondly, you will develop your skills in reading and understanding psychological literature. At the same time, you will enhance your ability to take notes and understand lectures in psychology. With some exceptions all the work you do in this module is directly tied to the work you will be doing for your psychology modules. A further aim is that you will develop a good understanding of how to approach university examinations.
ILO: Module-specific skills
1. demonstrate adequate proficiency in spoken and written English language in the context of the study of psychology
2. use language creatively and flexibly for a range of purposes and audiences,
3. engage actively in discussion of psychological issues, showing awareness of the communicative needs of others
4. engage in analytical and evaluative thinking in the discipline of psychology
5. research and select psychology source materials effectively
6. extract and synthesise key information from a range of written and spoken sources in the discipline of psychology
7. take accurate and effective notes from written and spoken texts
8. organise and present ideas orally and in writing within the framework of a structured and reasoned argument
9. use psychology source materials appropriately in your writing, avoiding plagiarism
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
10. communicate effectively in the field of psychology using the full range of currently available methods
11. participate effectively in key elements of your taught programme
ILO: Personal and key skills
12. think independently, critically and creatively
13. manage yourself effectively including autonomy, time management, self-teaching, self-reflection, seeking and using feedback, personal responsibility, self-criticism
14. use technology relevant to your studies, e.g. library catalogues, word-processing packages, VLE, PowerPoint
15. work co-operatively with others, interacting effectively within a group
Syllabus plan
Spoken Language Skills
Listening, comprehension and note-taking skills for lectures in psychology.
Group discussion skills: using language appropriately, flexibly and creatively; formulating questions about what you have heard to initiate discussion; showing awareness of other people’s communicative needs by supporting and encouraging their contributions.
Presentation skills: presenting a topic which you have researched to your peers, having organised material to ensure clarity and coherence.
Written Language Skills
Reading skills for psychology:
Understanding the structure and ideas of complex, unsimplified written text;
Locating specific information from a variety of text types;
Engaging with text content; relating it to your own knowledge base in order to monitor your own understanding; adopting an analytical approach to text, e.g. comparing different writers’ views.
Building vocabulary for the field of psychology.
Writing and research skills for psychology:
Locating and evaluating sources.
Effective note-taking and summary writing for assignments.

Supporting arguments using source material through summary, paraphrase, quotation.
Synthesising information from different sources and incorporating into your own writing.
Referencing: using APA conventions to make correctly formatted references to sources; compiling bibliographies.
Monitoring your writing for good academic practice which avoids plagiarism; using Turnitin.
Analysis of essay titles and exam questions; establishing the focus required to answer questions.
Planning and completing a written psychology assignment.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching
Activities
240
Guided independent study
60
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
Category Hours of study time
Scheduled Learning and Teaching
Scheduled Learning and Teaching
Guided Independent Study
144
96
60
Placement / study abroad
0
Description
Lecture preparation and follow-up: in these teacher-led classes you will prepare for upcoming lectures in two psychology modules in each semester, focussing on the language needed. After the lectures, you will discuss the lecture, checking your understanding of concepts and the accuracy of your notes.
Reading and writing for psychology: in these classes you will develop strategies and study skills for reading psychology texts and writing assignments and exams.
Self-study, assigned reading, resources on ELE
Formative assessment
Form of assessment
Group Presentation - term 1
Listening and Note-taking exam - term 1
Seminar - term 2
Draft written assignments x
5 - terms 1 and 2
Summative assessment (% of credit)
Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)
ILOs assessed
10-20 minutes (5 minutes per student)
1-6, 8, 10, 12-15
70 minutes 1, 6, 7, 11
20-30 minutes (5 minutes per student)
1-6, 8, 10-11, 15
2000 words, excluding list of references
1-2, 4-5, 8-14
Feedback method
Written and Spoken teacher and peer feedback
Written and Spoken teacher and peer feedback
Written and Spoken teacher and peer feedback
Written and spoken teacher and peer feedback

Coursework
20
Details of summative assessment
Written exams
45
Form of assessment % of credit
Group presentation - term 1
7.5
Listening and notetaking examination
1 - term 1
7.5
Listening and notetaking examination
2 - term 2
7.5
Assessed seminar - term 3
20
Essay - term 1
1,2,4,6,8-12 Written and spoken teacher feedback
Reading and writing examination 2 - term 2
Individual
Presentations - term 2
20
30
7.5
Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)
10-20 minutes (5 minutes per student)
70 minutes
70 minutes
20-30 minutes (5 minutes per student
1500 word essay
2 hours
10 minutes
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
Practical exams
35
ILOs assessed
1-6, 8, 10, 12-15
1, 6-7, 11
1, 6-7, 11
1-6, 8, 10-11, 15
1,2,4,6,8-12
1,2,4,6,8-12
1-6, 10, 12, 13, 14
Feedback method
Written and spoken teacher and peer feedback
Written and spoken teacher feedback
Written and spoken teacher feedback
Written and spoken teacher feedback
Written and spoken teacher feedback
Written and spoken teacher feedback
Written and spoken teacher feedback
Original form of assessment Form of re-assessment
Group presentation
Seminar
Listening and note-taking examination 1
Listening and note-taking examination 2
Reading and writing examination 1
Reading and writing examination 2
Individual presentation (5 minutes)
Interview (10 minutes)
Listening and note-taking examination
Listening and note-taking examination
Reading and writing examination
Reading and writing examination
Re-assessment notes
ILOs re-assessed
1-6, 8, 10, 12-14
1-4, 8, 10, 12
1, 6-7, 11
1, 6-7, 11
1-2, 4, 6, 8-12
1-2, 4, 6, 8-12
Timescale for reassessment
Before exam board
Before exam board
End of term 2
Before exam board
End of term 2
Before exam board
Reassessment will apply only to the elements that have been failed. Term 1 examinations will be resat in the next assessment period. The Group Presentation is replaced by an individual one, and the Seminar is replaced by an interview since the original assessment is in groups and this would otherwise inconvenience other students who had passed. The questions set for re-

assessment will ensure that all the ILOs are met. A referred re-assessment will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading: Short J. (2010) English for Psychology in Higher Education Studies. Reading: Garnet.
Dunn D.S. (2008) A Short Guide to Writing about Psychology. New York: Pearson.
Social Psychology - Baron and Branscombe
Abnormal Psychology - Kring and Johnson
Student's Dictionary of Psychology - Hayes
Biological Psychology - Breedlove and watson
Cognitive Psychology - Goldstein
Grammar for Writing - Vicary
VLE – additional material covered in the tutorials, practical materials, and information about assessment will be available on
ELE
Module has an active ELE page?
Yes
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources www.learner.org/series/discoveringpsychology/
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
Module ECTS
Module pre-requisites
15 none
Module co-requisites
PSY1202 Introduction to Biological Psychology PSY1203 Introduction to Social Psychology PSY1204 Introduction to Clinical
Psychology, PSY1207 Cognition, Emotion and Development
NQF level (module)
Available as distance learning?
Origin date
Last revision date
Key words search
4
No
30/11/2013
29/01/2015

English, language, skills, psychological concepts and vocabulary, listening, discussion, presentation, reading, writing, communication, essay-writing, note-taking