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English Prep · Intermediate

Academic Reading

EPY203 — Core — Semester 1

ModuleEPY203
CategoryCore
US credits3
ECTS6

Course Description

Develops strategies for reading longer and more academic texts: predicting, identifying main ideas and supporting details, understanding text structure, working out vocabulary from context, inference and summarising.

Course Objectives

To help learners read academic and semi-academic texts efficiently and with understanding.

Key Topics

  1. Predicting and previewing
  2. Main ideas and supporting details
  3. Text structure and signposting
  4. Vocabulary in context and the Academic Word List
  5. Inference and the writer's purpose
  6. Summarising a text

Course Outline (selected weeks, Semester 1)

WeekTopic & Activity
1Reading strategies
Preview, predict and skim longer texts.
Workshop: Reading smarter.
4Main ideas
Identify main ideas and supporting details.
Task: Mapping an article.
7Vocabulary in context
Work out meaning from context and word parts.
Lab: Academic Word List.
10Inference
Identify the writer's purpose and implied meaning.
Seminar: Reading between the lines.
13Summarising
Write a short summary of an academic text.
Task: Summary writing.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Use previewing and skimming to approach longer texts.
  2. Identify main ideas and supporting details.
  3. Work out the meaning of unknown words from context.
  4. Recognise text structure and the writer's purpose.
  5. Summarise the key points of a text.
Assessment

Continuous assessment: weekly class tasks and a learning portfolio, a midterm progress check during the teaching weeks and an end-of-module assessment in the final exam week (a written task and, where relevant, a speaking assessment). Results are reported as Pass, Merit or Distinction, with the CEFR level reached in each skill.

Learning Resources
  • BCBT Digital Library: graded readers, academic English and test-preparation materials
  • Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) with weekly tasks, audio and video
  • Language lab sessions for listening, pronunciation and speaking practice
  • Microsoft Office 365 for writing, presentations and portfolio work
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