English Professional Skills, B2 (3 cr)

Evaluation scale

H-5

Content scheduling

- 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 the key terminology of the field

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

- On-line materials
- Materials provided by the teacher

Teaching methods

Written and oral distance tasks, online discussions, presentations

Student workload

3r = 80h

Evaluation methods and criteria

- Activity in online sessions (100% presence)
- Written and oral distance tasks

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

Written skills:
Some fluency but writing is sometimes unclear.
Some sense of style but inconsistent at times. Appropriate genre needs attention.
Frequent grammatical and/or spelling errors, sentence structures confusing at times
Vocabulary is constant but details lack colour.
Oral skills:
Phrases connected in a simple, yet somewhat logical way helping to create some fluency
Some sense of style but inconsistent at times. Appropriate genre needs attention.
Frequent grammatical errors, sentence structures confusing at times
Vocabulary is limited, details lack color. Quite many pronunciation mistakes

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

Written skills:
Good fluency using appropriate structure and stages of the writing genre.
Good sense of style but tendency to slip into very informal style. Good use of cohesive and metatextual elements.
More than a couple of spelling or other small mistakes and a few errors in grammar.
Vocabulary is varied and supporting details good though some unfinished details.
Oral skills:
Clear, detailed descriptions of specific subjects. Good fluency using appropriate structure
Good sense of style but tendency to slip into very informal style.
Good command of grammar, very few errors in grammar.
Good command of pronunciation and varied vocabulary

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Written skills:
Excellent fluency, clear evidence of cohesion.
Evidence of competence in formal and informal style and an ability to adapt English for professional purposes.
Very few errors in grammar and spelling.
Vocabulary is excellent. Ideas are presented articulately. Evidence of wide lexis.
Oral skills:
Clear, smoothly-flowing fluency in a style appropriate to the context. Logical structure which helps the recipient to notice and remember significant points.
Evidence of competence in formal and informal style and an ability to adapt English for professional purposes.
Excellent command of grammar
Vocabulary is excellent and ideas are presented articulately
Excellent pronunciation

Further information

Teams