School of something
FACULTY OF OTHER
It’s not just about language: the
Leeds content-based pre-sessional
Outline
Motivation for the content-based approach
The course
Jane Brearley, Language Centre
• Structure of the new programme
Elaine Lopez, School of Education
• The academic content
• The language seminars
Reflections, thoughts and comments
University of St Andrews
27 February 2016
Background
Changes to UKVI policy
• Courses below degree level (e.g. Foundation IFY and pre-sessionals)
require applicants to hold an IELTS from an approved SELT centre to
make a successful visa application.
• There is only a limited number of UKVI approved SELT centres globally.
• HEI admitting students to study at degree level or above are allowed to
choose their own way to assess the student’s English language
competence.
• If a pre-sessional course is offered as part of the degree course (e.g.
taught master) then it can benefit from the same discretionary
arrangements.
Why are we doing CBPS?
 UKVI
 Single CAS
Secure IELTS needed for short-term courses
 Integration with academic departments
What is the change? –programmes now
Current Summer Programmes
10 Week intake (July):
Academic English Business Management
Academic English Postgraduate Study
Academic English Undergraduate Study
General English (no progression)
6 Week intake (August):
Academic English Business Management
Academic English: InterComm (for Media/AMC).
Academic English Postgraduate Study
Academic English Undergraduate Study
General English (no progression)
Pass for
progression
And in future?
What will it look like?
First four week strands
Business
Social Science
and Arts
Science and
Engineering A
Six week strands
Content
Lecture 1
Language
Seminars
Content
Lecture 2
Language
Seminars
Content
Lecture 3
Language
Seminars
(Input)
(Working
with input)
(Input)
(Working
with input)
(Input)
(Working
with input)
Automatic progression
10 week and 6 week
10
Business
Social Science and Arts
Science and Engineering A
6
Course Strand
1.
2.
3.
Language for Marketing
Language for Economics and Finance
Language for Human Resource Management
4.
Language for Business Management and Enterprise
5.
6.
Language for Communication and Society
Language for Arts and Humanities
7.
8.
Language for Law and Society
Language for Education
9.
Language for Science and Engineering B
Academic Input
• Three two-week ‘modules’, each centering around one core
(2 hour) input session
• Reading lists and input (e.g. lecture)
• Emphasis on what students will encounter:
• Types of text
• Modes of presentation
• Outputs expected
• Participation expected
(academic available half a day a week for questions etc.)
Academic leads have been
asked to give:
The overall title/topic of the course strand
Brief description of the content of the strand
For each module of the strand: 1, 2 and 3
• Lecture title
• Brief description of lecture
• A core reading list (up to 5 texts)
A suggested reading list (wider; items not listed in the Core
Reading)
Academic leads have been
asked to give:
•An indication of any particular •An indication of which type of
useful focus
writing is most appropriate
• quantitative research methods
•
extended essays
• qualitative research methods
•
case studies
• reading of complex theoretical
texts
•
lab reports
•
reflective writing
• reading of empirical studies
•
exam answers
• reading of non-academic texts
(please explain)
•
other
• poster presentations
• other presentation skills
• ability to work in groups
Criteria and constraints
• No overlap with the content of any existing modules
• Of interest/ relevance to students across the School of
Education and Linguistics (not just TESOL)
Developing Academic Input
1. Choosing topics
•
Focus on research interests
•
Help from administrators
•
Conversations with School of Education colleagues
•
Conversations with the Language Centre
•
Selecting appropriate readings
2. Developing the content
•
Writing the lectures and essay questions
•
Advising LC colleagues on
content/development/materials
The language seminars
LEARNING OUTCOMES
LANGUAGE FOR EDUCATION
On completion of the module, students should:
Language Acquisition: an introduction to
learning and cognition
Be able to use and manipulate written and spoken academic
language to suit a clear communicative purpose, including having
a wide lexical resource, a range of appropriate structures and the
ability to use these coherently, accurately and fluently
Module 1: Child language learners (outline
and reading)
Module 2: Studying second language
learning (outline and reading)
Module 3: The effect of working memory on
language learning. (outline and reading)
Tasks
Assessed essay (titles set by academic lead:
modules 1 and 2)
Assessed presentation (an area of interest in
the individual student’s subject specialism/ a
topic in relation to the lectures)
Assessed reflective writing consists of two
texts (300 words minimum) on (1) choice of
essay title and (2) the essay writing process
Have begun to develop an awareness of subject specific genre,
discourse and rhetorical function; making appropriate choices in
relation to audience and purpose at whole text, paragraph and
sentence level
Have begun to develop an ability to follow subject specific
academic conventions in both spoken and written tasks, such as
referencing, citations, synthesising sources and their own
argument, meeting task requirements, turn taking and building
collaborative understanding
Be developing a critical approach to their own work and the work
of others through use of a range of sources, counter-argument
and/ or evaluation; development of an argument with a clear
position
Be able to work effectively with others on a discipline specific
task;
Have begun to critically reflect on their own learning and
demonstrate awareness of resources and techniques they could
employ to continue their own development
Be able to communicate an awareness of the cultural and ethical
issues of academic study within the field of Education
The language seminars
LANGUAGE FOR ARTS AND
HUMANITIES
Theme - Thinking
Lecture 1: On thinking. (outline and
reading)
Lecture 2: On thinking and
creativity. (outline and reading)
Lecture 3 : Reflection (outline and
reading)
LEARNING OUTCOMES
On completion of the module, students should:
Be able to use and manipulate written and spoken academic language to
suit a clear communicative purpose, including having a wide lexical
resource, a range of appropriate structures and the ability to use these
coherently, accurately and fluently
Have begun to develop an awareness of subject specific genre, discourse
and rhetorical function; making appropriate choices in relation to audience
and purpose at whole text, paragraph and sentence level
Have begun to develop an ability to follow subject specific academic
conventions in both spoken and written tasks, such as referencing,
citations, synthesising sources and their own argument, meeting task
requirements, turn taking and building collaborative understanding
Tasks
Be developing a critical approach to their own work and the work of others
through use of a range of sources, counter-argument and/ or evaluation;
development of an argument with a clear position
Essay
Be able to work effectively with others on a discipline specific task;
Presentation
Have begun to critically reflect on their own learning and demonstrate
awareness of resources and techniques they could employ to continue
their own development
Reflective writing/Rationale
Be able to communicate an awareness of the cultural and ethical issues of
academic study within the field of Arts and Humanities
How will we get there? (Put yourself in the students’ place because of
academic content)
The syllabus
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Part 1: On thinking – the concept of thinking and critical
thinking
Listening with a purpose - Reflecting on input - Note-making
1
Tasks
Structure of texts - Finding the argument
Presentation skills
Part 2: On thinking and creativity.
Note-making 2 - Thinking on paper - planning an outline
Dealing with secondary reading - Sourcing texts Summarising and paraphrasing
Text structure - paragraph structure - coherence in texts Building an argument
Part 3: The use of reflection
Reflection
Group and peer practice - dealing with criticism.
Supporting a point of view.
Building autonomy - Developing academic self-awareness
Using reflection for future action
Essay
Presentation
Reflective writing/Rationale
Seminars -Preparing your thoughts, preparing for seminars,
discussing concepts, engaging in seminars
On completion of the module, students should:
Be able to use and manipulate written and spoken academic
language to suit a clear communicative purpose, including
having a wide lexical resource, a range of appropriate
structures and the ability to use these coherently, accurately
and fluently
Have begun to develop an awareness of subject specific
genre, discourse and rhetorical function; making appropriate
choices in relation to audience and purpose at whole text,
paragraph and sentence level
Have begun to develop an ability to follow subject specific
academic conventions in both spoken and written tasks, such
as referencing, citations, synthesising sources and their own
argument, meeting task requirements, turn taking and building
collaborative understanding
Be developing a critical approach to their own work and the
work of others through use of a range of sources, counterargument and/ or evaluation; development of an argument with
a clear position
Be able to work effectively with others on a discipline specific
task;
Have begun to critically reflect on their own learning and
demonstrate awareness of resources and techniques they
could employ to continue their own development
Be able to communicate an awareness of the cultural and
ethical issues of academic study within the field of Arts and
Humanities
Reflections, thoughts and
comments
• It’s not just about language
• Helping the Language Centre
• Controlled, systematic way to access departments and receive
information about course content
• Helping the academics
• Internationalisation
Thank you for listening
That is the end