The course is aimed at the acquisition of the so-called EAP skills or English for Academic Purposes. The course aims in particular at the acquisition of these competencies through the development of primary skills, namely Listening, Reading and Comprehension, Writing and Speaking. Specifically, the course aims to promote the following abilities in students:

• knowing how to deal with an oral text in the reception phase (Listening), that is

• make predictions based on the type of text
• predict content from visuals
• understand key vocabulary
• understand the main theme
• understand detailed information
• understand the speaker's opinions
• summarize and synthesize
• take notes on the text
• identify conflicting opinions
• make inferences
• understand figurative language
• distinguish facts from opinions
• understand specific observations and generalizations

• knowing how to deal with a written text in the reception phase (Reading), that is:

• make predictions based on the type of text proposed
• predict content from visuals
• understand the key vocabulary 
• understand the main theme
• understand detailed information
• make inferences
• summarize and synthesize
• identify the cohesive devices
• understand paraphrases

• knowing how to deal with a written text in the production phase (Writing), that is:

• develop ideas
• structure a text
• write an effective thesis statement
• order information
• prioritize arguments

• being able to communicate orally (Speaking) that is:

• express opinions and make suggestions
• provide information
• discuss and reach a decision
• identify a problem and suggest solutions
• present data and describe graphs

The program of the course plans to address various topics of both general and specific interest regarding current and scientific topics. The 35 hours of the course will be divided into 5 modules of 6 hours each within which the following topics will be addressed:

• Globalization
• Education
• Medicine
• The environment
• Energy

The remaining hours will be distributed equally at the end of each module for carrying out exercises in the classroom in preparation for the final exam, with the aim of analyzing the results in full so that each student is aware of their strengths as well as of the aspects to be improved.

Knowledge and understanding

The student will be able to:

- Understand a variety of oral and written texts of an academic nature, grasping their essential and specific aspects

- Understand the structure and main characteristics of an academic text

- Understand the main aspects and difficulties of the oral production phase in English

Applying knowledge and understanding

The student will be able to:

- Handle a variety of academic texts

- Structure an academic written text

- Interact orally with their peers in compliance with the main rules of communicative exchange

Making judgments

The student will be able to:

- Deal with general topics and specific themes using Critical Thinking Skills

Communication skills

The student will be able to:

- Use the target language to carry out communicative tasks by making use of a lexicon and linguistic structures appropriate to the context, in compliance with the main socio-pragmatic rules of communicative exchange

learninng skills

The student will be able to:

- Reflect on one's own abilities and metacognitive strategies applied to learning a foreign language

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

Teaching will happen through lessons in which students will be asked to play an active role in the learning process. In other words, it will not be typically frontal lessons but a didactic action based on a cooperative approach, thanks to which ample space will be given to group work in which each student will have to provide his own contribution to achieve specific objectives.

Attendance

Students are strongly advised to participate in lessons as much as possible as learning a foreign language requires participation and action rather than studying theory or grammar.

Course books

Books used in class are:

• UNLOCK 4: Listening, Speaking & Critical Thinking, Second Edition, Cambridge University Press, 2019
• UNLOCK 4: Reading, Writing & Critical Thinking, Second Edition, Cambridge University Press, 2019

For an in-depth grammar:

• English Grammar in Use, Raymond Murphy, Intermediate (Blue cover), Cambridge University Press, Fifth Edition 2019

Assessment

The course includes a single final exam in which it is intended to ascertain the achievement of the educational objectives as regards mainly oral and written comprehension. The test will consist of a series of True / False, Multiple Choice and Completion activities, similar to those performed during the course and with which attending students will already be familiar.

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.

Course books

Non-attending students who will not have the opportunity to actively and cooperatively participate in classroom teaching will be able to find the material of the lessons on the Moodle blended platform. If they want to equip themselves with the books used in class, they will be able to carry out the same activities independently and practice further with material easily available on the internet.

Books used in class are:

• UNLOCK 4: Listening, Speaking & Critical Thinking, Second Edition, Cambridge University Press, 2019
• UNLOCK 4: Reading, Writing & Critical Thinking, Second Edition, Cambridge University Press, 2019

For an in-depth grammar:

• English Grammar in Use, Raymond Murphy, Intermediate (Blue cover), Cambridge University Press, Fifth Edition 2019

Assessment

The course includes a single final exam in which it is intended to ascertain the achievement of the educational objectives as regards mainly oral and written comprehension. The test will consist of a series of True / False, Multiple Choice and Completion activities, similar to those performed during the course and with which attending students will already be familiar.

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.

Students are strongly advised to participate in lessons as much as possible as learning a foreign language requires participation and action rather than studying theory or grammar.