English for Specific Purposes

3 ECTS credits
90 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 1021022BNR for all students in the 2nd semester at a (B) Bachelor - advanced level.

Semester

2nd semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Enrollment Requirements

Om English for Specific Purposes op te nemen moet je tegelijk ook English Proficiency II volgen of ervoor geslaagd zijn.

Taught in

Faculty

Faculty of Languages & Humanities

Department

Linguistics and Literary Studies

Educational team

Julie Deconinck (course titular)
Louise Holtzem

Activities and contact hours

26 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
39 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

In this course students will practise and hone their English writing skills in relation to genre, context, and communicative purpose.

We will take the definition of register that students have been familiarized with in English Proficiency I and English Proficiency II as a point of departure. The course then homes in on the features of register in three specific settings:

1. Professional contexts

2. Academic contexts

3. Creative expression

In other words, the course aims to help students develop their English proficiency skills in order to communicate effectively in a number of distinct settings.

Practically, this means we will work on two main areas: vocabulary expansion (1) and writing skills (2).

1) Students are expected to systematically expand their lexical range in the aforementioned contexts. New vocabulary – words and phrases – is acquired through targeted vocabulary exercises and/or listening and reading exercises. This vocabulary is then consolidated in an integrated manner through writing assignments.

2) The writing assignments are aimed at further developing the writing skills trajectory first established in English Proficiency I and II. Emphasis is placed on informative texts (e.g. emails, formal letters), academic texts (e.g. abstracts, the Bachelor thesis), and narrative texts (e.g. creative writing). Special attention will be paid in writing assignments to functional language, style, register, and cultural conventions.

Course material

Digital course material (Required) : Handouts, Lou Holtzem (& Julie Deconinck)

Additional info

Although grammar will not be taught explicitly, specific grammar topics can be covered on a need-to-know basis.

The interactive seminars will be supplemented with online quizzes to consolidate grammar and vocabulary and with feedback sessions to highlight and discuss points for improvement in the writing assignments.

Learning Outcomes

Competences

In terms of writing skills, students work towards level C1 on the European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Based on Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=0900001680459f97 (Links to an external site.)

This entails they can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors, and cohesive devices.

For ESP specifically, this means they

can communicate effectively in English writing that is adapted to context, genre, audience, and communicative goal(s);
can name and identify formal and stylistic conventions of English in academic texts and formal written communication;
can use language flexibly and effectively in informative texts such as formal letters and emails, academic texts such as an abstract, and narrative texts such as a story;
can adequately summarize and paraphrase academic discourse;
can produce a cohesive and coherent abstract in accordance with the conventions of the academic register;
can write cohesive and coherent emails and cover letters in accordance with the conventions of professional contexts;

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 40% of the final mark.
Other Exam determines 60% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

written exam with a relative weight of 40 which comprises 40% of the final mark.

Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

continuous assessment with a relative weight of 60 which comprises 60% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

The assessment of ESP is twofold.

On the one hand, there will be a written exam in June which comprises a range of lexical exercises and writing assignments and counts for 40% of the final mark.

The mark for continuous assessment (60%) will be based on a number of writing assignments throughout the semester.

Students who want to pass the course need to have participated / completed all assessment components (i.e., 3 written assignments and one written exam).

In the second exam session, the total mark for English for specific purposes  will be based on:

· a written exam that counts for 70%

· continuous assessment (i.e. a paper assignment) that counts for 30%

If the student obtained a pass mark for the continuous assessment in the first exam session, the mark will be transferred to the second session.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context