Expression and Argumentation in English
Code: 107736 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive Communication | FB | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Elisabet Pladevall Ballester
- Email:
- elisabet.pladevall@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
Students are advised to have an English level of B1-B2 to successfully complete the course.
Objectives and Contextualisation
The main objective of this course is to improve students’ ability to analyze and produce written and oral texts in English in relation to the field of interactive communication. It aims to build learners’ confidence and proficiency in expressing themselves.
By the end of the course, students will understand the key characteristics of various textual models and apply this knowledge to create clear and coherent written and oral texts in English.
1. Evaluate the prominence, influence and value of the English language in the field of global interactive communications.
2. Identify various types of interactive communication content and associated text types, their target audience and desired purpose.
3. Produce written texts that are well-organised, coherent, and effectively communicate their desired message using a range of appropriate and accurate lexis and grammatical structures.
4. Produce oral texts that are well-organised, coherent, and effectively communicate their desired message using a range of appropriate and accurate lexis and grammatical structures.
5. Design and deliver an oral presentation to an audience on a given topic related to their chosen field.
6. Respond effectively to questions on a presentation they have given to further the question-asker’s understanding.
7. Speculate about innovations and advances in technology and communications using a range of linguistic devices.
8. Engage in online exchanges between several participants, effectively linking contributions to previous ones in the thread.
9. Demonstrate ability to apply ‘soft skills’ necessary for university-level education and future employment (e.g. collaboration and teamwork, critical thinking, self-management, leadership).
10. Communicate using language that is notsexist, unnecessarily gender-specific or in any way discriminatory.
Learning Outcomes
- CM05 (Competence) Evaluate the narrative resources of interactive communication in English in order to detect good practices of oral and written expression which avoid discriminatory uses of language.
- KM04 (Knowledge) Identify the expressive and narrative resources of the English language for interactive communicative projects, both oral and written.
- SM04 (Skill) Generate grammatically correct and rhetorically effective statements for interactive written and oral communication contents, products, applications, and services in English.
- SM05 (Skill) Distinguish the different textual models and the basic tools for linguistic consultation in English.
- SM06 (Skill) Use inclusive and non-sexist language in standard English appropriately and correctly when building own oral and written texts in different supports for digital communication.
Content
Topic 1. Identity: explore how our personality, character and preferences are shaped by the world around us, social media and our interactions, both online and offline.
Topic 2. Different Worlds: Drive into various digital worlds such as video games and virtual reality. Analyse how these can impact our lives both positively and negatively, and how to develop arguments in favour of and against their use.
Topic 3. Always Connected: Explore how our online interactions and communities influence our ideas and behaviour, and how we can communicate more effectively in our online world.
Topic 4. Presenting with Confidence: Learn linguistic resources for oral presentations; design and deliver a structured oral presentation to your peers which is effective for the purpose of the task, audience and context.
Topic 5. Getting It Right: Explore how to communicate using language that is not sexist, unnecessarily gender-specific or discriminatory. Study how to use AI ethically in content creation and communications.
Note: The course content will be sensitive to issues related to gender perspective and the use of inclusive language.
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Theoretical and practical classes | 15 | 0.6 | CM05, KM04, SM04, SM05, SM06, CM05 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Seminars | 33 | 1.32 | CM05, KM04, SM04, SM05, SM06, CM05 |
| Team work | 20 | 0.8 | CM05, KM04, SM04, SM05, SM06, CM05 |
| Tutorials | 5 | 0.2 | SM04, SM06, SM04 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Practical assignments and personal study | 57 | 2.28 | CM05, KM04, SM04, SM05, SM06, CM05 |
The methodology of this course includes theoretical-practical classes, seminars, tutorials, group and individual work, and personal study.
A detailed schedule with the content of the different sessions will be presented on the introductory day of the course. It will also be posted on the Virtual Campus, where students can find a detailed description of the exercises and practical work, various teaching materials, and any information necessary for proper course follow-up.
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.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active class participation | 10% | 4 | 0.16 | SM04, SM06 |
| Exam | 40% | 3 | 0.12 | CM05, KM04, SM04, SM05, SM06 |
| Oral presentation | 25% | 5 | 0.2 | CM05, KM04, SM04, SM06 |
| Written essay | 25% | 8 | 0.32 | SM04, SM06 |
Assessment
At the time of each assessment activity, the teacher will inform the students (via Campus Virtual) about the procedure and the date for reviewing the grades.
Students will obtain a “Not assessed/Not submitted” course grade unless they have submitted more than 1/4 of the assessment items.
In the event of a student committing any irregularity (plagiarism, cheating on an exam, improper use of AI) that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively when the teacher specifies so. Students must clearly identify any parts generated with these technologies, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how AI has influenced the process and final outcome of the assignment. Failure to disclose the use of AI in this assessed activity will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty to the assignment grade, or more serious sanctions in severe cases.
Reassessment
Only students who have been previously assessed and have an overall average mark above 3.5 may be elligible for reassessment.
Students cannot take the reassessment exam to improve their final mark.
Reassessment will consist of an exam (listening, reading, writing, speaking, lexis & grammar).
Single assessment
Students who opt for this type of assessment will take the following three tests on the same day:
-
An exam (listening, reading, writing, speaking, lexis & grammar) (50%)
-
A written essay on a subject-related topic (25%)
-
An oral presentation on a subject-related topic (25%)
The same reassessment system as for continuous assessment will be applied.
Bibliography
Students do not need to buy any books. Digital materials and photocopies will be provided.
Bibliography:
CERAMMELLA, Nick and LEE, Elizabeth (2008) Cambridge English for the Media. Cambridge University Press.
CLARE, Antonia; WILSON, (2022) Speakout B2 3rd Edition. Student’s Book, Pearson Education
DAY, Jessie (2013) Line Color Form: The Language of Art and Design. Allworth.
HOSTETLER, Michael J. and KAHL, Mary, L. (2024) Advanced Publish Speaking. A Leader's Guide. Routledge.
LEHMANN, Whitney, (2023) Social Media Theory and Communications Practice. Routledge
MURPHY, Raymond, (2019) English Grammar in Use, 5th Edition. Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Useful (free) online resources:
Oxford Learner’s Dictionary:
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/
Cambridge Thesaurus:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/thesaurus/
Youglish (listen to native speakers saying specific words to improve your pronunciation)
Flo-joe Word Bank (daily vocabulary exercises):
https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/wordbank/
BBC Learning English (general):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/
BBC Learning English: 6-minute podcasts with quizzes and transcripts:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english
British Council:
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/vocabulary/b1-b2-vocabulary
Software
OFFICE
* Word
* Powerpoint
IMAGE - VÍDEO & AUDIO EDITING - POSTPRODUCTION
* Da Vinci / Premiere / Final Cut
* Affinity Photo / Photoshop
* Audacity / Audition
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
* Miro
https://miro.com/
* Canva
https://www.canva.com/
* Figma
https://www.figma.com/
PROTOTYPING – MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
* Wordpress (H5P)
* Klynt
http://klynt.net/
* Metaverse
https://studio.gometa.io/landing
* Genial.ly
https://genial.ly/es/
* Wix
https://www.wix.com/
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (SEM) Seminars | 1 | English | first semester | afternoon |
| (SEM) Seminars | 2 | English | first semester | afternoon |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | English | first semester | afternoon |