The course provides interactive lectures and in-class activities with a focus on the use of academic English at an upper intermediate level (B2 level on the CEFR scale).

The interactive lectures and in-class activities will focus on the relevant scientific field. The program addresses grammar and vocabulary; reading, understanding and discussing academic texts; listening to, understanding and discussing oral texts with the support of audio-visual materials; producing and presenting written texts in academic contexts.

Knowledge and understanding: students must demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the key grammar and vocabulary of the B2 level on the CEFR scale as well as the ability to understand both written and spoken texts in English, whether academic or non-academic, related to the relevant scientific field.

Applying knowledge and understanding: by the end of the course, students should be sufficiently able to apply their knowledge and understanding of academic English to novel situations and complex problems, including those not strictly related to the relevant scientific field.

Making judgements: students must demonstrate the ability to discuss, in English, issues relating to the relevant scientific field with maturity and independent judgement.

Communication skills: by the end of the course the student will have acquired sufficient skills to communicate clearly, appropriately, and effectively in English with specialists from the relevant scientific field, with specialists from other subject areas, and with nonspecialists.

Learning skills: by the end of the course, students will have developed the study and language skills they need to deepen and refine their use of English in the relevant scientific field independently.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Interactive lectures and in-class activities on materials prepared by the lecturer with the support of multimedia resources (audio-visual media, database, websites).

Innovative teaching methods

Flipped Classroom

Debate

Attendance

Students' English will need to be around level B1 or higher.

Given the interactive and laboratory nature of the course, attendance is strongly recommended.

Students are expected to attend class regularly (at least 2/3 of the total number of hours) and to complete the assigned exercises and any additional activities.

Course books

There is no textbook for the course. The learning materials (PPTs, background readings, audio-visual materials, exercises, list of multimedia resources) are prepared by the lecturer and made available on the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Assessment

The test includes a written exam and an oral interview.

The written part consists of exercises designed to assess a student’s knowledge of the key grammar and vocabulary of the B2 level on the CEFR scale as well as their reading comprehension and writing skills.

Oral part. Students will be required to present and discuss in English (in response to specific questions from the lecturer) a topic selected by the lecturer from among the materials studied in depth during the course. Students must demonstrate that they have independently and adequately worked through the materials and that they are able to present them using correct, articulate, and effective language as well as appropriate specialized vocabulary and terminologies.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Individual study.

Attendance

Students' English will need to be around level B1 or higher.

It is mandatory that students who enrol for non-attendance contact the lecturer in advance to agree on possible compensation strategies for missing interactive and laboratory activities.

Course books

There is no textbook for the course. The learning materials (PPTs, background readings, audio-visual materials, exercises, list of multimedia resources) are prepared by the lecturer and made available on the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Assessment

The test includes a written exam and an oral interview.

The written part consists of exercises designed to assess a student’s knowledge of the key grammar and vocabulary of the B2 level on the CEFR scale as well as their reading comprehension and writing skills.

Oral part. Students will be required to present and discuss in English (in response to specific questions from the lecturer) a topic selected by the lecturer from among the materials studied in depth during the course. Students must demonstrate that they have independently and adequately worked through the materials and that they are able to present them using correct, articulate, and effective language as well as appropriate specialized vocabulary and terminologies.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.