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2021/2022

English for the Social Sciences

Code: 101106 ECTS Credits: 12
Degree Type Year Semester
2500259 Political Science and Public Management FB 1 A
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Lovell Margaret West Underhill
Email:
Margaret.West@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
english (eng)
Some groups entirely in English:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Teachers

Lovell Margaret West Underhill
June Meyer
Merce Coll Alfonso

Prerequisites

It is advisable for students to have at least level B2 of English on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The main objectives of this subject are for students to:

  • Improve their competence in written and oral English. Depending on the student’s level at the beginning of the year, level B2.2 or C1 may be achieved.
  • Understand authentic texts of average difficulty in their field of study and summarize them.
  • Understand audiovisual material and speeches related with their studies.
  • Talk about topics that are relevant to the social sciences without basic grammar mistakes and with clear pronunciation.
  • Use the most common rhetoric and debating techniques in the social sciences field.
  • Write argumentative and opinion essays on topics related to the social sciences, especially in the fields of political science, international relations and sociology.
  • Organize ideas and content appropriately in a written text.
  • Cite sources of information correctly and avoid plagiarism.

Competences

  • Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  • Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  • Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  • Students must be capable of knowing and applying basic terminology in English related to political sciences.
  • Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  • Working autonomously.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Distinguishing written texts in English.
  2. Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  3. Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  4. Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  5. Producing a speech in English with specific terminology from the politic sciences.
  6. Producing basic written texts in English.
  7. Producing significant oral messages in English.
  8. Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  9. Using basic English vocabulary and grammar.
  10. Working autonomously.

Content

By using real texts and audiovisual material related to the field of social sciences, the following aspects will be taught: terminology, vocabulary, grammatical structures, discourse devices and reading comprehension in key areas of political science, international relations and sociology. Special emphasis will be placed on developing academic study skills.

FUNCTIONAL SKILLS:

SPEAKING:

  • Giving speeches
  • Giving presentations with and without visual aids
  • Debating and expressing one’s opinion

WRITING:

  • Writing cohesive paragraphs
  • Expressing one’s opinion in writing
  • Writing an opinion essay
  • Writing a summary of a text.
  • Writing a review of an article or text
  • Describing graphs and trends
  • Citing sources and writing a list of references 

READING:

Reading comprehension: news, research and opinion articles related with the social sciences and books.

LISTENING:

Listening comprehension: different formats (news reports, informative videos) and different accents (British, American, etc.).

USE OF THE LANGUAGE:

  • Register and formality
  • Linking devices
  • Verb + preposition combinations
  • Verb tenses: Review of all tenses
  • Modal verbs: Review of all
  • Reported speech
  • Passive voice
  • Inversion
  • Subordinate Clauses
  • Verb Patterns
  • Other language points and lexical items, depending on the texts used throughout the course.

Methodology

This course is instrumental and essentially practical. In addition to the varied learning activities carried out in the classroom, students are expected to prepare material, oral presentations and readings autonomously at home. Furthermore, with the increasing need for virtual teaching and learning activities, students will be obliged to carry out more tasks outside the classroom, with the virtual support of the professor(s). 

The methodology of this course will be based on the following types of activities:

  • Guided activities (30%, 3.6 credits)
  • Supervised activities (20%, 2.4 credits)
  • Autonomous activities (40%, 4.8 credits)
  • Assessment activities (10%, 1.2 credits)

Guided activities:

Lectures, group discussions, oral presentations and debates, resolution of problems and case studies, completion of exercises, etc.


Supervised work:

Tutorial support, learning activities in the Moodle classroom, preparation of debates and presentations, revision and correction of homework.


Autonomous study:

Reading texts, articles and books; grammar and vocabulary exercises; writing assignments; watching audiovisual material. 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Classes (on campus or on Moodle) 30 1.2 7, 3, 9
Debates, oral presentations, speeches, simulations 20 0.8 5, 7, 4, 8, 10, 9
Oral comprehension 20 0.8 8, 9
Textual production 20 0.8 5, 6, 4, 3, 8, 10, 9
Type: Supervised      
Homework revision and correction 20 0.8 7, 2, 3, 8, 9
Preparation of debates and oral presentations 15 0.6 5, 7, 4, 8, 10, 9
Tutoring 5 0.2 7, 9
Virtual activities 20 0.8 7, 6, 3, 8, 9
Type: Autonomous      
Exercises, assignments, activities 50 2 1, 6, 4, 2, 8, 10, 9
Preparation of written tasks 25 1 6, 4, 2, 3, 8, 10, 9
Search for information and material 10 0.4 1, 4, 2, 3, 10
Study time and exam preparation 35 1.4 8, 10, 9

Assessment

Continuous Assessment (formative)

- Writing activities carried out at home, in class or on Moodle: 20%

- Oral presentations, debates and speeches: 20%

- Midterm examination at the end of the 1st term (similar format to the final exam): 20%

- Participation in learning activities (on campus, at home and in the Moodle classroom) throughout the school year: 20%

Language learning is a process that requires a sustained commitment by the student throughout the course. Therefore, continuous assessment of the student’s oral and written production is given significant weight. 

Final Examination (summative assessment): 20%

  • Grammar and terminology relevant to the social sciences
  • Reading comprehension
  • Text production (essay writing)

Assessment Calendar (approximate)

- Midterm Examination: end of the first semester

- Final Examination: according to the Faculty's calendar

- Other activities: throughout the course

- Reassessment: according to the Faculty's calendar

Final Mark:

- In order to pass the course, the student must pass the final examination. 

- The final mark will be calculated according to the weight assigned to each item of assessment, provided that the student passes the final examination.

- Students who complete more than 35% of the tasks assigned for evaluation or who take the final examination will not receive "no avaluable" (“cannot be assessed”) as their final grade.

- If total or partial plagiarism is detected in any assessed item, the student will receive a zero on that test, exercise or activity.

Reassessment:

If a student is failingthe course after the final examination date, reassessment may be permitted, according to the official reassessment calendar, if certain conditions are met. 

Reassessment of this subject may consist of taking the resit examination and/or the submission of certain assignments (group and participation activities cannot be made up), if the following conditions are met:

- The student must have completed and submitted at least 50% of the items for assessment by the original deadline.

- The student must have achieved an overall average of 3.5 or higher.

Students who are repeating the subject:

In accordance with article 117.2 of the UAB Academic Regulations, the evaluation of students who have been enrolled in the subject in previous academic years may consist of a single synthesis examination. Students who wish to be evaluated in this way should contact the professor at the beginning of the school year.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Final assessment test (summative) 20% 3 0.12 1, 6, 4, 3, 8, 10, 9
Midterm examination (first term) 20% 3 0.12 1, 6, 4, 3, 8, 10, 9
Oral presentations, debates, speeches 20% 3 0.12 5, 7, 4, 8, 10, 9
Participation in learning activities (in class, at home & on Moodle) 20% 12 0.48 1, 7, 6, 4, 2, 3, 8, 9
Submission of written assignments 20% 9 0.36 6, 4, 2, 3, 8, 10, 9

Bibliography

Compulsory Reading:

In the 2021-2022 school year, it is compulsory to read either the original novel in English or the simplified version by Penguin/Pearson of the following book:

→ Orwell, George. (1949 and other years of publication). Nineteen eighty-four. [Any edition of the book in English is acceptable, whether on paper or digital.]

→ Orwell, George. (2008). 1984. Penguin Readers Level 4. (2nd ed.) Pearson English graded readers.

 

Complementary References:

Below is a list of books and websites that may be useful for learning English or for the content of this subject. It is not by any means an exhaustive list of resources.

A. Reference and practice books

  • Kennedy-Scanlon, M., Cebrian, J.; Bradbury, J. (2010). Guided Error Correction: Exercises for Spanish-speaking students of English level C1. Book 1. Servei de Publicacions de la UAB.
  • Kennedy-Scanlon, M., Cebrian, J.; Bradbury, J. (2011). Guided Error Correction: Exercises for Spanish-speaking students of English level C1. Book 2. Servei de Publicacions de la UAB.
  • Kennedy-Scanlon, M., Pladevall, E. & Cebrian, J. (2012). Guided Error Correction: Exercises for Spanish-speaking students of English. Level B2. Servei de Publicacions de la UAB.
  • Lansford, Lewis; Paul Dummet; & Helen Stephenson. (2016). Keynote Advanced. Student’s Book. Cengage & National Geographic.
  • McCarthy, Michael & Felicity O'Dell (2016) Academic Vocabulary in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Quirk, Randolph; Sidney Greenbaum; Geoffrey Leech & Jan Starvik (1985). A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. London: Longman. Also published by Pearson in soft cover in 2010.

B. Websites with guidance on academic writing

  • American Psychological Association. apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines
  • Purdue University (USA), Purdue Online Writing Lab. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/index.html
  • Writing Center of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA). https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/

C. Online English dictionaries (all with audio recordings of the pronunciation of words)

  • Cambridge Dictionary: dictionary.cambridge.org
  • The Free Dictionary: thefreedictionary.com
  • Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online: ldoceonline.com
  • Macmillan Dictionary: macmillandictionary.com
  • Oxford Dictionaries: lexico.com 

D. Other types of online dictionaries

  • Online Collocation Dictionary: freecollocation.com
  • Power Thesaurus: powerthesaurus.org
  • Word Reference (translator and multilingual dictionary): wordreference.com

E. Some sources of news and opinion articles in English 

  • BBC News: www.bbc.com
  • El País in English: english.elpais.com 
  • The Conversation: theconversation.com
  • The Guardian: www.theguardian.com 
  • The Local.es: www.thelocal.es 
  • The New York Times: www.nytimes.com

Software

Essential computer equipment:

  • For this subject, it is essential to have access to a computer with a word processor and Internet connection.
  • Students will need to use a laptop or smartphone in the great majority of on campus classes.
  • There may be virtual classes. Therefore, each student must have a webcam and sound system that permits him/her to fully participate in online classes (hearing, speaking, seeing and being seen).
  • Some assignments may involve the creation of video recordings.

Other considerations:

  • Students must consult the Moodle site (the Virtual Campus) frequently to keep informed of the content, assignments, calendar, changes in class format (on campus or online), etc. Furthermore, students will be required to complete certain tasks in Moodle (such as participating in forums and completing quizzes) and submit other assignments electronically on the Moodle site (including essays).
  • Outside of class time, the usual means of communication between professor and students should be the use of official UAB email accounts. Meetings can also be arranged by email, whether they be in person or by video conference.