2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

ELU3018 Language for Politics and Society

Module manager: Peter Matthews
Email: P.R.Matthews@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: 1 Jul to 15 Sep (2.5mth) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module is an English language content-based pre-sessional designed to support students who either do not meet the English language requirements for their chosen post-graduate programme or who wish to gain a better understanding of the academic language and literacy practices in their area of study.The module is taught in partnership between academics from both the University of Leeds Language Centre and the Schools of Sociology and Social Policy (SSP) and Politics and International Study (POLIS) allowing the learning of language to be integrated and built around key content areas, and students to develop a deeper understanding of how knowledge and theory are communicated in their own subject.This module will help students develop the language skills, knowledge and understanding required for postgraduate study in their chosen fields. Students will study subject specific content to help them develop their language competence and ability to communicate at an appropriate academic level within their chosen field of study.The module consists of content themes; each theme will be based around an introductory content lecture. Students will work on understanding this content and the language used, alongside that of core texts, through a series of academic language and skills classes and seminars. Students will have the chance to work both individually and with others. The final assessments will be based around individual pieces of work, involving some element of independent research.

Objectives

This module provides students with the opportunity to:

1. Meet the language requirements of their future academic programme;
2. Display linguistic and literacy skills to a level that will enable them to communicate competently within their discipline specific academic context at post-graduate level;
3. Develop an awareness and understanding of the culture, context and discourse of academic study in the chosen field.
4. Develop as reflective learners with a demonstrable ability to work both autonomously and in a group situation, with a cultural awareness and understanding of ethical academic practices.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students should have begun to develop:

1. A use of written and spoken academic language to suit a clear communicative purpose through a coherent, accurate and fluent range of appropriate lexical and grammatical structures;
2. an awareness of subject specific genre, discourse and function; making appropriate language choices in relation to audience and purpose at whole text, paragraph and sentence level;
3. an ability to follow subject specific academic conventions in both spoken and written tasks, such as referencing, synthesising sources and their own argument, meeting task requirements and building collaborative understanding;
4. a critical approach to their own work and the work of others through use of a range of appropriate sources to develop an argument with a clear position;
5. an ability to critically reflect on their own learning and demonstrate awareness of resources and techniques they could employ to continue their own development;
6. an ability to communicate an awareness of the cultural and ethical issues of academic study within their field.

Skills outcomes
This module introduces a foundation to key theories in Western Sociology which students will be expected to be familiar with prior to studying at postgraduate level.
If you have not studied Sociology previously, you are strongly advised to read the following, or similar, introductory textbook before starting this module:

Giddens, A. and Sutton, P.W. (2017 8th ed.) ‘Sociology’ Polity Press ISBN-13: 9780745696683

Syllabus

Academic content is based around topics provided by the Schools of Sociology and Social Policy (SSP) and Politics and International Study (POLIS) with the following academic language and literacy skills being woven into the content:

- Reading texts in a range of genres
- Listening and speaking skills
- Writing academic texts in a range of genres
- Seminar and discussion skills
- Presentation skills
- Discipline related lexis
- Reflection, group and independent learning strategies

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
On-line Learning	28	0.50	14.00
Lectures	6	1.50	9.00
Seminars	33	2.00	66.00
Tutorials	6	0.20	3.00
Class tests, exams and assessment	2	1.00	2.00
Independent online learning hours			80.00
Private study hours			76.00
Total Contact hours			94.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			250.00

Private study

This is a full-time course. On average students will have 16 hours of tuition per week and will be expected to do an additional 20 hours or more of independent study each week, which will include reading and preparing for seminars, lectures and assessments and completing learning tasks.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Formative feedback will be given on the following written and spoken tasks to monitor student progress in preparation for the final assessments:

- 1 x essay plan – no word limit but for 1,000 word essay
- 1 x concept map + summary – 200 word limit (for summary)
- 1 x essay draft – no word limit but for 1,000 word essay
- 2 x seminar discussions (generic feedback) – 30-35 mins

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	1,000 words	40.00
Assignment	Concept map and summary (200 words)	10.00
Group Discussion	30-35 minutes	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 13/11/2024

Disclaimer

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