March 2012-13 Academic Success Programme English Language Training Services Swansea University
Contents Programme Introduction 3 Short course outlines 4 Drop-in class outlines 6 Individual Appointments 9 Class Dates and Times 10 How to Apply 11 Contact Information 11 Additional support and advice 12 2
Programme Introduction This booklet will give you information about the Academic Success Programme classes available to you while you are studying at Swansea University. You can take advantage of a range of classes and courses which will help to enhance your academic performance in a friendly, relaxed environment. Make the most of your time at Swansea University by enrolling on a suitable course for you today! What is the Academic Success Programme? The classes offered within the programme are designed to help you successfully manage the transition into UK Higher Education study. Whether you are from the UK or overseas, our courses will help you to become familiar with the university system and its academic requirements, while enhancing your academic study skills. If you are an International student, you can also benefit from ongoing language support to enable you to communicate fully in the British academic system and British life in general. We have also arranged subject specific classes with some colleges. Contact us by email or ask your personal tutor for details. There are three ways to get involved in the programme: Certificated short courses - enrol online. Flexible lunchtime and afternoon drop-in sessions just turn up. One-to-one appointments book online. Join In Have Fun Be Successful The following pages will give you more detailed information about the classes and explain how to register. 3
The following short courses must be booked online and you should attend weekly Writing Undergraduate Essays 2 hours per week x 8 weeks 2 options This course will help you to develop essential skills in academic essay writing. The writing process is clearly explained in stages through demonstration and practise. A minimum of 90% attendance is required. Academic formality and Essay Structure Unity and Cohesion Planning and Organisation Working with Essay titles Summarising and Paraphrasing Incorporating Sources/Writing a bibliography There will be a short, assessed writing task at the end of this course. You will receive a certificate showing your attainment grade. Advanced Academic Writing 2 hours per week x 7 weeks 2 options This course is designed to develop an awareness of the theory and conventions of academic writing from structure to style, with an increasing focus on writing at postgraduate level. Course Content Conventions of register in academic writing Structure and style of extended writing Development of academic and personal style How to convey the writer s stance Appropriate grammar and vocabulary to consolidate writing skills There will be a short, assessed task at the end of this course. You will receive a certificate showing your attainment grade. 4
Critical Thinking 2 hours per week x 6 weeks 1 option Critical thinking is a fundamental component of academic life. This course provides you with an introduction to critical thinking and helps you to recognise different types of arguments in academic texts, enabling you to feel more confident about your ability to express yourself in a reasoned way. What is critical thinking? Recognising strong, sound and poor arguments Persuasion through language Detecting bias Recognising the author s position Developing your own strategies You will receive a certificate for this course for 100% attendance. N.B. You will be required to buy a work-book for this course costing around 5.50 (available from Waterstone s, Swansea University) Presentation Skills 2 hours per week x 5 weeks 1 option Being able to deliver an effective oral presentation is an essential skill in academic and professional life. This course gives you the opportunity to optimise your communication skills and develop confidence in this area. Preparing for presentations Group presentations Content and communication of presentations Presentation style Visual aids and PowerPoint You will receive a certificate for this course for 100% attendance. N.B. You will be required to buy a work-book for this course costing around 5.50 (available from Waterstone s, Swansea University) 5
The following drop-in classes are flexible and you can attend any class at any time Research Writing for Post-Graduate Students These classes aimed specifically at students carrying out research and writing their dissertations. Writing abstracts Writing literature reviews Paraphrasing Referencing and citation Report writing Grammar & Writing I & II These classes deal with aspects of English Grammar needed for the production of accurate written work, such as revision of verb tenses and the language functions, vocabulary and structures used in academic writing. Writing in the correct tense Use of the passive Use of articles punctuation Sentence construction Language structures for different purposes Advanced Academic Grammar These classes focus on development and application of advanced grammar to inform and improve academic writing. Building on existing knowledge, grammar is explored at text level in order to assist students in understanding the key systems and patterns within English grammar. Textual analysis Changing emphasis in a sentence Word formation Forming and using noun phrases Unpacking the language in academic texts 6
Academic Essay Writing This is a ten unit essay-writing class aimed at helping you to produce better academic essays. Planning your essay so that it answers the question Paragraph construction Writing introductions and conclusions Appropriate academic writing style Correcting your errors Quoting, paraphrasing and summary writing. BBC TV News Listening Comprehension These classes help to improve your listening skills, working with authentic material from the BBC TV news and giving you an opportunity to listen for specific information, extend your vocabulary and develop awareness of current affairs. Watching/listening to BBC news for: significant information key vocabulary items intensive listening cultural and political awareness colloquial language Reading Skills Improve your academic reading skills in these classes which give you the opportunity to work closely with a variety of academic texts to develop strategies for dealing with unfamiliar vocabulary and complex sentences and information. Effective note-taking from reading texts Summarising and paraphrasing Vocabulary work Detailed comprehension Recognising the writer s viewpoint 7
Essential Grammar This course aims to give revision in the essential grammar required to produce grammatically accurate sentences, in preparation for your assignments. Course Content Essential elements of grammar Sentence structure Active/Passive Pronunciation Designed to improve all aspects of pronunciation, from individual sounds to full phrases. You will be able to practise the pronunciation of difficult sounds in a relaxed and friendly environment. Individual sounds Syllable stress Word stress Intonation Rhythm Speaking & Discussion These classes use a range of thought provoking or controversial topics to encourage discussion and debate in a friendly informal environment. Wide range of topics to suit all interests Language of discussion Debating strategies 8
Individual appointments can be booked via Blackboard All students are able to make one-to-one appointments with a tutor where you can seek advice on all aspects of your academic work. The tutors WILL NOT proof read your written work but will look at a few pages with you and give you feedback on how to improve. You should book appointments at least 24 hours in advance, but not more than 2 weeks ahead. You cannot book more than one single appointment per week. This allows fairness and flexibility for all students Appointments can be booked by following this link: www.swansea.ac.uk/elts/asp (you need to be logged into Blackboard) Or via Blackboard directly by clicking on: My Studies ASP Make an individual appointment 9
Class Dates and Times Drop-in Classes (Just turn-up to any class) 28 th 22 nd March 2012 Day Class Time Room Monday Grammar and Writing I 12:00 12:50 Faraday B Monday Research Writing for Postgraduates 14:00-14:50 Faraday B Tuesday Grammar and Writing II 12:00 12:50 Faraday B Tuesday Advanced Academic Grammar 14:00-14:50 Faraday B Tuesday Pronunciation 15:00 15:50 Faraday B Wednesday BBC TV News listening comprehension 12:00 12:50 Faraday B Wednesday Academic Essay Writing (Repeat of last term) 14:00-14:50 Faraday B Thursday Reading Skills 12:00 12:50 Faraday B Thursday Essential Grammar Workshop 14:00 14:50 Faraday B Friday Speaking & Discussion 12:00 12:50 Faraday B Certificated Courses (Enrol online and attend the full course) 28 th 22 nd March 2012 Course name Course length Day & time Room Writing Undergraduate Essays Option 1 Writing Undergraduate Essays Option 2 Advanced Academic Writing Option 1 Advanced Academic Writing Option 2 Presentation Skills Option 1 Critical Thinking Option 1 2 hours per week x 8 weeks = 16 hours 2 hours per week x 8 weeks = 16 hours 2 hours per week x 7 weeks = 14 hours 2 hours per week x 7 weeks = 14 hours 2 hours per week x 5 weeks = 10 hours 2 hours per week x 6 weeks = 12 hours Monday 10:00 12:00 Starts 28 th January Wednesday 14:00 16:00 Starts 30 th January Monday 15:00 17:00 Starts 28 th January Thursday 10:00 12:00 From 31 st January Tuesday 10:00 12:00 From 29 th January Thursday 15:00 17:00 Starts 31 st January Grove 265 Grove 265 Grove 265 Grove 265 Grove 265 Grove 265 10
How to Apply Drop-in Classes You can register for any of the drop-in classes when you attend your first class; just turn up and complete a registration form. Certificated Courses For the certificated courses, you need to enrol online. All courses are limited to 20 students per course and if you enrol, you are committing to attend the full programme on a weekly basis. You can enrol for a maximum of 2 courses per term. Appointments Appointments can be booked online. You can book no more than one appointment per week, unless otherwise agreed with one of the Academic Success Programme tutors. You should book appointments at least 24 hours in advance but not more than 2 weeks ahead. This allows fairness and flexibility for all students. Online enrolment and appointment booking information can be found here: www.swansea.ac.uk/elts/asp Or login to Blackboard and click on MY STUDIES and then ASP Contact Information Tutor Email Extension Office Sandy George s.george@swansea.ac.uk 6597 Grove 266 Liz Stratton e.stratton@swansea.ac.uk 6613 Grove 259 Irene Turner i.p.turner@swansea.ac.uk 4515 Grove 267 Pete Hanratty p.hanratty@swansea.ac.uk 6613 Grove 259 Ali Fuge a.fuge@swansea.ac.uk 6613 Grove 259 11
Additional Support and Advice Gwyneth Lewis is the Royal Literary Fund fellow and can give you free, confidential advice on all aspects of academic writing. Sign up for an appointment online: http://www.wejoinin.com/g.lewis@swansea.ac.uk for half-hour slots book 2 for an hour. There's no need to struggle alone! G.Lewis@swansea.ac.uk ISS Information Systems and Services Your library provides a range of services including careers and employability, archives, information literacy support and training, media and IT support, subject specialist librarians and a broad range of online services. ISS run a range of sessions to advise on referencing or EndNote web and managing your online reputation which any student can attend. See the ISS pages for further details: http://www.swansea.ac.uk/iss/isstraining/ 12