Study Guide

Objective

The aim of the course is to activate and develop the students’ field-relevant English language and communication skills. The students will gain professional skills in various spoken and written communicative situations encountered in working life and society. In addition, they will learn to utilize tools and techniques to further develop their skills in authentic, field-specific contexts. More specifically, students will focus on developing their language and communication skills in.
Upon completing the course, the students should have acquired skills to communicate at level B2 according to European Framework of Reference for Languages, which states that at B2-level students should be able to produce clear, coherent and well-structured texts, present detailed descriptions related to one’s field of interest, express and exchange opinions using fluent language, follow complex arguments, and read longer articles and reports.

Content

- writing professional, field-specific texts
- presenting and discussing field-specific topics in a professional manner
- reading field-specific texts and utilizing the information in professional contexts
- learning and using key terminology of their field
- becoming professional, autonomous language users in working life

Materials

The material related to the course on itslearning.

Teaching methods

Online learning, independent learning, problem-based learning, flipped learning, working life-based learning, self-reflection

International connections

Online learning, independent learning, problem-based learning, flipped learning, working life-based learning, self-reflection

Student workload

The learning tasks consist of assignments, tasks done during the lessons and homework. More exact instructions on itslearning.

Content scheduling

Practising the oral and written skills in English with field-specific and varied assignments. Writing texts, giving a presentation, discussing, reading texts, practising vocabulary.

Timing in the spring semester 2022. Exact dates found in the schedule.

Evaluation scale

H-5

Assessment methods and criteria

The assessment is based on presence (75 % presence, the student is allowed to be absent from two (2) lessons) and assignments. Assignment-specific instructions on itslearning.

Assessment criteria, fail (0)

The student does not complete the required tasks during the course. The oral and written production and understanding is scarce. The absences exceed the limitation, the student quits the course.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

The student succeeds passably in the oral and written production. The student is able to communicate even though the communication is inaccurate at times. The lack and inconsistency of the vocabulary repertoire limits the communication. There are deficiencies in the structures of the language.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

The student is able to succeed well in varied oral and written production situations. The student masters a varied vocabulary repertoire of the field and uses it well but there may be some inaccuracies in the language production. The student demonstrates skills to use structures in a versatile and correct manner but there might appear some mistakes in more demanding structures.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The student demonstrates excellent skills in varied and demanding oral and written production situations. The student knows how to communicate in a context-appropriate manner. The student masters to a versatile and excellent extent the vocabulary of the field and in other contexts as well. The student is able to use multiple structures and shows how to use them in an almost impeccable manner.