Welcome
Welcome to your course Academic English skills, which is also known by its code EAP7340.
This is one of four courses in the integrated EAP2 program. This means that although you will focus in this course on particular aspects of academic reading, academic writing and academic ways of speaking and listening, you should remember to transfer these skills and information to the other courses in the EAP2 Program.
Course overview
The Academic English skills course is designed to assist international students, especially those of you from non-English speaking backgrounds, to enhance your skills in reading, writing, listening to and speaking academic English. This course, together with the other three courses in your EAP Program, aim to equip you for undergraduate study either at an Australian university campus or with a USQ educational partner in your home country. Consequently in EAP2, rather than learning English, you will be learning how to use English to complete tasks that will prepare you for your university studies.
Lecturers in undergraduate programs expect students to begin their degree studies with some fundamental literacy and oral skills. This course helps to meet these expectations by using a teaching methodology that encourages you to learn through regular practice activities and assignment tasks. Tutors will provide extensive spoken and written feedback to guide you in writing academic style essays, reading a range of authentic written texts, and speaking with confidence in a tutorial presentation format.
Course resources
The study materials for this course include:
●
introductory material
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study materials
To complete some of your written and spoken assignments successfully, you will need to access additional resources primarily from the USQ Library through its printed material or electronically accessible material.
<http://www.usq.edu.au/library/>
As a USQ student you can also access online support material. Here are two USQ sites that might help you further with some of the topics in this course.
<http://www.usq.edu.au/ltsu/alsonline/default.htm>
<http://www.usq.edu.au/ltsu/courses/default.htm>
Course structure
The Academic English skills course consists of three inter-related parts: reading, writing and speaking/listening. Although classes will be typically organised to focus on one of these skills, you are expected to reflect on what you have learned in one part and adapt this learning to other parts of this course, and to the other courses in the EAP Program. Classes are scheduled so that you study three parts concurrently; beginning each part in week one of the program and finishing in the final week of the teaching period; typically in week 9.
Course outline
Part 1
Section A – Focus on writing skills
This consists of three modules. The first module focuses on writing style and raises your awareness of the characteristics of academic and non-academic text. The second module analyses paragraph structure and draws your attention to the characteristics and function of the different types of sentences that make up a paragraph. The final module in this section focuses your attention on the structure and function of the various components of an expository essay and emphasises how the different sections are inter-connected.
Each module is designed to build on previous modules. Each module consists of an explanation of the key learning features, samples of relevant written texts, a variety of activities to demonstrate your understanding and application of the key features, and instructions to apply this learning to a particular assessment item. Please note that you are expected to apply the expository writing skills learned in this course to the other three courses of the program. In particular, in the course EAP7320 Communication processes, you will revisit some of the key features of writing taught here.
Section B – Focus on reading skills
This consists of two modules. The first module