Teaching Plan Information

Presentation

This first-year course belonging to the Degree in Humanities has a double scope. First, it fosters the acquisition and practice of skills connected to academic and argumentative reading and writing as well as to the analysis of literary texts in English. Secondly, it offers an introduction to a variety of concepts related to the English language from cultural, literary, linguistic and sociolinguistic points of view. The essays and literary texts in the syllabus will address how English language use is affected by inequality in a wide range of contexts such as colonialism and ethnocentrism, politics, freedom of speech, literacy and gender.

Associated skills

Through the work done in class, students will develop their communicative, intercultural and critical thinking skills, as well as their language awareness. They will also develop their own strategies to acquire and contrast information from a variety of sources, to build and support arguments and interpretations of texts orally and in writing, to negotiate meaning and opinions in small-group work, and to participate in small-group and classroom discussions in English.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students must be able to:

• Understand and analyze contemporary academic discourse in English.
• Respond to academic texts discussed in class in a clear, analytical manner.
• Understand and interpret contemporary literary texts in English.
• Analyze the rhetorical and linguistic strategies used by writers and speakers to communicate meaning in both academic and literary texts.
• Structure and write academic argumentative texts following the conventions of the Humanities.
• Listen, understand, synthesize and communicate the contents of an academic lecture in English.

Sustainable Development Goals

Quality Education          

Gender Equality                 

Reduced inequalities

Prerequisites

By the beginning of the course, students should have attained level B1 in English of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) or a similar level. We recommend that you take advantage of the resources available at the university to improve your command of English: library self-learning materials, UPF language courses, Internet resources and, specially, the mentoring program in English organized by the Faculty of Humanities.

Contents

The plenary classes are structured around several thematic areas related to the English language from a humanistic perspective. Each theme is articulated around texts of different genres that are common in the study of the Humanities, whether academic, literary or journalistic. These classes will introduce students to basic linguistic, sociolinguistic, literary and cultural concepts that will help them read, analyze and interpret texts. Audiovisual resources related to specific topics will also be used. In the seminar sessions, besides reading and analyzing literary texts, students will complete several writing tasks to practice the writing of argumentative academic essays. They will have the opportunity to practice their oral communicative skills in debates of academic format.

Teaching Methods

Active participation in the plenary and seminar classes is part of the course methodology. Consequently, a regular attendance to both the plenary classes and the seminars is paramount to pass the course. Students are expected to read and prepare the assigned texts before class.

Evaluation

The grade breakdown for the course will be as follows:

1. Final Exam (i.e. a multiple-choice test and an argumentative paragraph) (the exam will be based on readings and concepts from both plenary and seminar sessions): 45%

2. Final Academic Essay Writing (based on readings and concepts from both plenary and seminar sessions): 15%

3.  Continuous assessment of student participation:

a)  Plenary written in-class and homework tasks: 15%

b) Seminar oral and written homework as well as in-class tasks: 25%

To pass the course, students must get a minimum mark of 5 in the June Final Exam.

Please check the UPF final exam/evaluation calendar before making any travel plans.  Make-up exams will be given only in case of emergencies and duly justified medical conditions.

Remedial evaluation:

If students fail the course, they will take a Remedial Exam (i.e. “examen de recuperació”) including questions similar to the Final Exam and an essay component similar to the Final Essay Writing.

Continuous assessment tasks cannot re re-taken (i.e. “no recuperable”). However, the grade received for continuous assessment will count towards the remedial evaluation and will complete the grade given to the Remedial Exam.

In sum, the grade of Remedial Evaluation will be based upon the following breakdown:

• Remedial Exam: 70%
• Continuous assessment (i.e. taks done during the course; students cannot make up for continuous assessment tasks): 30% (15% average of plenary tasks + 15% average of seminar tasks)

Bibliography and information resources

1. Crystal, David. The Stories of English. Penguin, 2005.

2. Horobin, Simon. The English Language: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2018.

3. Lodge, David. The Art of Fiction. London: Vingage. 2011 (1992).

4. McCarthy, Michael & Felicity O’Dell. English Vocabulary in Use. Upper-Intermediate. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2001.

5. McCarthy. Michael & Felicity O'Dell. Academic Vocabulary in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2008.

6. McCormack, Joan & John Slaght. English for Academic Study–Extended Writing & Research Skills. Course Book. Reading: Garnet Education, 2009.

7. Murphy, Raymond. English Grammar in Use. Fourth Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2012.

8. Pallant, Anne. English for Academic Study–Writing. Course Book. Reading: Garnet Education, 2009.

9. Penhallurick, Rob. Studying the English Language. 2nd. Ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave-Macmillan, 2010.

10. Swan, Michael. Practical English Usage. 3rd. Ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005.

Teaching Plan Information

Presentation

This first-year course belonging to the Degree in Humanities has a double scope. First, it fosters the acquisition and practice of skills connected to academic and argumentative reading and writing as well as to the analysis of literary texts in English. Secondly, it offers an introduction to a variety of concepts related to the English language from cultural, literary, linguistic and sociolinguistic points of view. The essays and literary texts in the syllabus will address how English language use is affected by inequality in a wide range of contexts such as colonialism and ethnocentrism, politics, freedom of speech, literacy and gender.

Associated skills

Through the work done in class, students will develop their communicative, intercultural and critical thinking skills, as well as their language awareness. They will also develop their own strategies to acquire and contrast information from a variety of sources, to build and support arguments and interpretations of texts orally and in writing, to negotiate meaning and opinions in small-group work, and to participate in small-group and classroom discussions in English.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students must be able to:

• Understand and analyze contemporary academic discourse in English.
• Respond to academic texts discussed in class in a clear, analytical manner.
• Understand and interpret contemporary literary texts in English.
• Analyze the rhetorical and linguistic strategies used by writers and speakers to communicate meaning in both academic and literary texts.
• Structure and write academic argumentative texts following the conventions of the Humanities.
• Listen, understand, synthesize and communicate the contents of an academic lecture in English.

Sustainable Development Goals

Quality Education          

Gender Equality                 

Reduced inequalities

Prerequisites

By the beginning of the course, students should have attained level B1 in English of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) or a similar level. We recommend that you take advantage of the resources available at the university to improve your command of English: library self-learning materials, UPF language courses, Internet resources and, specially, the mentoring program in English organized by the Faculty of Humanities.

Contents

The plenary classes are structured around several thematic areas related to the English language from a humanistic perspective. Each theme is articulated around texts of different genres that are common in the study of the Humanities, whether academic, literary or journalistic. These classes will introduce students to basic linguistic, sociolinguistic, literary and cultural concepts that will help them read, analyze and interpret texts. Audiovisual resources related to specific topics will also be used. In the seminar sessions, besides reading and analyzing literary texts, students will complete several writing tasks to practice the writing of argumentative academic essays. They will have the opportunity to practice their oral communicative skills in debates of academic format.

Teaching Methods

Active participation in the plenary and seminar classes is part of the course methodology. Consequently, a regular attendance to both the plenary classes and the seminars is paramount to pass the course. Students are expected to read and prepare the assigned texts before class.

Evaluation

The grade breakdown for the course will be as follows:

1. Final Exam (i.e. a multiple-choice test and an argumentative paragraph) (the exam will be based on readings and concepts from both plenary and seminar sessions): 45%

2. Final Academic Essay Writing (based on readings and concepts from both plenary and seminar sessions): 15%

3.  Continuous assessment of student participation:

a)  Plenary written in-class and homework tasks: 15%

b) Seminar oral and written homework as well as in-class tasks: 25%

To pass the course, students must get a minimum mark of 5 in the June Final Exam.

Please check the UPF final exam/evaluation calendar before making any travel plans.  Make-up exams will be given only in case of emergencies and duly justified medical conditions.

Remedial evaluation:

If students fail the course, they will take a Remedial Exam (i.e. “examen de recuperació”) including questions similar to the Final Exam and an essay component similar to the Final Essay Writing.

Continuous assessment tasks cannot re re-taken (i.e. “no recuperable”). However, the grade received for continuous assessment will count towards the remedial evaluation and will complete the grade given to the Remedial Exam.

In sum, the grade of Remedial Evaluation will be based upon the following breakdown:

• Remedial Exam: 70%
• Continuous assessment (i.e. taks done during the course; students cannot make up for continuous assessment tasks): 30% (15% average of plenary tasks + 15% average of seminar tasks)

Bibliography and information resources

1. Crystal, David. The Stories of English. Penguin, 2005.

2. Horobin, Simon. The English Language: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2018.

3. Lodge, David. The Art of Fiction. London: Vingage. 2011 (1992).

4. McCarthy, Michael & Felicity O’Dell. English Vocabulary in Use. Upper-Intermediate. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2001.

5. McCarthy. Michael & Felicity O'Dell. Academic Vocabulary in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2008.

6. McCormack, Joan & John Slaght. English for Academic Study–Extended Writing & Research Skills. Course Book. Reading: Garnet Education, 2009.

7. Murphy, Raymond. English Grammar in Use. Fourth Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2012.

8. Pallant, Anne. English for Academic Study–Writing. Course Book. Reading: Garnet Education, 2009.

9. Penhallurick, Rob. Studying the English Language. 2nd. Ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave-Macmillan, 2010.

10. Swan, Michael. Practical English Usage. 3rd. Ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005.