Study Guide

Learning outcomes

Proficiency level: B2

Students are able to
- comprehend, analyze and summarize authentic professional texts in English
- learn and master strategies for expanding professional vocabulary
- use strategies for effective reading.

Implementation and methods of teaching

The course is delivered online through Moodle and there are no lessons for the course.

This is a short 5-6 week course, meaning assignment deadlines are close together and students must be able to work through the course in a very tight time-frame. If students cannot commit to the course it is not recommended to take this summer course, but to enrol for an implementation in either the autumn or spring semesters.

Students study the course material independently and practice their reading skills through assignments. The assignments consist of reading both popular and academic texts using various reading strategies, completing Moodle quizzes based on their understanding of the text, completing practice written assignments, as well as completing one final written assignment.

Timing and attendance

Online course, no attendance requirements as there are no lessons.

Learning material and recommended literature

Provided by the teacher through Moodle.

Alternative completion methods

None

Working life cooperation

None

Learning environment

Moodle (including external links for texts needed for reading).

Student time use and work load

The overall workload estimate is 81 hours of individual work, including studying the course materials, reading texts, completing quizzes, completing practice assignments, and working on the final written assignment. It is expected students will adhere to given deadlines.

This is a short 5-6 week course, meaning assignment deadlines are close together and students must be able to work through the course in a very tight time-frame. If students cannot commit to the course it is not recommended to take this summer course, but to enrol for an implementation in either the autumn or spring semesters.

Contents

Learning vocabulary-building strategies, reading techniques (skimming, scanning, critical reading), and text structure by using reading comprehension exercises.

Additional information for students: previous knowledge etc.

The course is taught at minimum of B2 level, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Assessment criteria

The final course grade will be based on the following:
- Completion of the theory assignment (Pass/Fail)
- Completion of the practice quizzes and practice assignments
- Quiz results in the 'Testing' section
- Grade for the final written assignment

The student must complete and pass all work in the final Testing section of the course in order to pass the course.

The student must complete all work in the course during the implementation time of the course.

Assessment scale

1-5

Failed (0)

The student fails to complete the assignments in time or the submitted assignment repeatedly fails to meet the required criteria.

The student does not pass the testing section or does not complete all of the necessary coursework.

The student fails to capture any of the main points of a given text in their summary and the summary is very difficult to understand due to problems in grammar, syntax or spelling.

Assessment criteria: level 1 (assessment scale 1–5)

The student masters the contents of the course in a satisfactory way.

The student can read specialized texts using basic reading strategies and has a poor active reading vocabulary.

The student can obtain information, ideas and opinions from specialized sources within his/her field, provided he/she can use a dictionary. The student can understand the main ideas of specialized articles outside his/her field.

Assessment criteria: level 3 (assessment scale 1–5)

The student masters the contents of the course well.

The student can read with a certain degree of independence, adapting style and speed of reading to different texts and purposes, and has a good active reading vocabulary.

The student can obtain information, ideas and opinions from specialized sources within his/her field, provided he/she can use a dictionary to confirm his/her interpretation of terminology. The student can understand the main ideas of specialized articles outside his/her field.

Assessment criteria: level 5 (assessment scale 1–5)

The student masters the contents of the course in an excellent way.

The student can read with large degree of independence, adapting style and speed of reading to different texts and purposes, and has a broad active reading vocabulary.

The student can obtain information, ideas and opinions from highly specialized sources within his/her field. The student can understand specialized articles outside his/her field, provided he/she can use a dictionary occasionally to confirm his/her interpretation of terminology.