| CODE | LIN5063 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| TITLE | Academic Reading, Writing and Speaking in English for Postgraduates | ||||||||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||||||||||
| EQF/MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Institute of Linguistics and Language Technology | ||||||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit comprises content at postgraduate level in the three major areas of academic literacy as follows: - Academic reading, in particular as regards sourcing, accessing and evaluating appropriate source material and storing it in a database; - Academic writing, in particular as regards the writing of long essays, dissertations and theses, but also comprising related word processing, proofreading and editing skills; - Academic speaking, in particular as regards giving and actively participating in presentations and research seminars. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit aims to familiarise students with the appropriate reading, writing and speaking skills necessary for research-based or taught postgraduate study. As such, it aims to provide students with the practical and evaluative academic reading and writing skills necessary for the production of long essays/dissertations/theses including in the ethical use of generative AI tools in line with UM regulations, and with the academic speaking skills necessary for the presentation of papers and active participation at conferences and research seminars. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: This study-unit is not knowledge-based, except insofar as its attempt to ensure that the skills learnt are discipline specific wherever appropriate. This element is most marked in the writing component and least marked in the reading and speaking components where it is not so much the skills learnt as the thematic content that tends to have a disciplinary orientation. Most of the learning outcomes are therefore more correctly located in 'Skills'. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Create a bibliography for their dissertation/thesis topic constituted of sources appropriate for academic work at postgraduate level in general and their discipline in particular; - Identify different types of academic journals and different types of journal articles with a focus on their general evaluation as well as their appropriacy in terms of possible avenues for publication; - Source and access reading material more efficiently using the resources available through the UOM library and otherwise including as regards the use of generative AI tools; - Build a database; write in-text citations and create a reference list in the referencing style required by their department; - Produce an outline of their literature review (in the form of a list of headings and subheadings) and a draft section of it (in the form of approximately 400 words of running text); - After feedback, produce an edited and proofread version of the outline and draft section of the literature review previously submitted showing, where necessary, corrected grammar, spelling and punctuation, and improved academic style in particular in terms of levels of formality and avoidance of wordiness; - Articulate appropriate general aims and research questions for their research project; - Identify what would generally be considered as the defining characteristics of appropriately written component parts of extended dissertations/theses including abstracts and IMRAD subsections, as well as some of their more common pitfalls; - Give 20-minute academic presentations using PowerPoint, showing an ability to gauge the appropriate time: material ratio and answer questions from the floor; - Ask appropriate questions and participate actively during academic presentations and research seminars. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: View reading list |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Group Learning, Lecture, Seminar & Tutorial | ||||||||||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Arthur Bezzina Natalie Schembri (Co-ord.) John Paul Vella |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2026/7. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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