The equivalent of English course B in Swedish secondary school, and completed course IM101E – International Migration and Ethnic Relations I or other courses equal to 30 higher education credits in social science.

The aim of the course is for students in the social sciences and humanities to acquire knowledge and understanding of various types of academic language; furthermore, they should develop the ability and assurance to communicate, both in writing and orally, and observe established genre conventions.

The course focuses on the distinctive features of different academic genres (both written and oral). The aim is for students to recognize the structures underpinning these genres and to understand their rationale. Furthermore, the students are trained to communicate both orally and in writing in an academic context, and also to reflect on their own and others’ written and oral production.

On completion of the course, the student:

• demonstrates a basic ability to communicate effectively in different academic contexts;

• demonstrates a basic understanding of argumentation, style and structure in different academic genres used in social sciences and humanities, both written and oral;

• can apply an understanding of the basic elements of rhetoric to the construction of short, genre-specific, academic texts,

• demonstrates ability to carry out a simple oral academic presentation;

• demonstrates a basic ability to analyse, describe and assess academic language, and

• demonstrates an analytical and reflective approach to his or her own use of academic language and to academic language in general.

Learning activities are lectures, seminars, group work and self-study. The teaching is based on active scholarship, which implies that students have a large responsibility for their own learning.

The course is examined through four written assignments (1, 2, 2, and 6 credits respectively) and through oral assignments done in seminars, both in groups and independently (4 credits in total). Grades for the written assignments are A, B, C, D, E, U (Fail); grades for the oral seminars are PASS/FAIL

Students who do not pass the regular course exams are offered two additional re-sit opportunities in connection to the course. After these first three opportunities, students’ right to further re-examination is limited to three additional opportunities. All re-sits follow the same form as the original exams.

Mapels, W. and Redman, P. (2011). Good Essay Writing: A Social Sciences Guide. 4th Edition. SAGE Publications Ltd Digital Comp: London.

Peck, J. and Coyle, M. (2012). The Student's Guide to Writing: Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar. London: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9780230373884.

Van Emden, J. and Becker, L. (2010). Presentation Skills for Students. London: Palgrave Macmillian. ISBN 9780230243040.

Other course material may be provided by the tutor as appropriate, up to a maximum of 200 pages consisting of both electronic material and hard copy.

All students are offered an opportunity to give oral or written feedback towards the end of the course. A summary of the results will be made available on the school’s web-pages. The students may also give oral or written feedback after each course module.