Graduate English Course - Basic Level (ES5000)
Click here for the scheduleAims and Objectives
This module aims to help graduate students from non-English speaking countries use accurate English and selected organizational patterns in their academic writing.
At the end of the module, students should be able to:
- minimize basic grammar errors in their writing;
- increase their academic vocabulary;
- write well-structured paragraphs using specific organizational patterns and see how these fit into patterns typical of research reports;
- write a well-organized long text in response to an issue highlighted in a research report; and
- use common reading techniques to comprehend simple academic texts.
Teaching Methods
- There are two 2-hour sessions each week for a total of 12 weeks.
- Throughout the semester there will be tutorials, student-teacher conferences, writing workshops and visits to the Centre for English Language Communication´s (CELC) Self-Access Learning Facility (SELF).
- To facilitate independent learning, students should regularly refer to the ES5000 website on the IVLE and the SELF´s virtual learning resource, ITSELF (http://courses.nus.edu.sg/courseware/ITSELF), where they can avail themselves of self-access learning materials.
Materials
Required Textbook:
Binder, C.A. & Lopez-Nerney, S. (2008). Writing in process: Strategies for organization and development
(3rd ed.). Singapore: Pearson Prentice Hall. (This can be purchased from the NUS Forum Bookstore.)
Recommended References:
Cain, J.S. (2003). Eye on editing 2: Developing editing skills for writing. White Plains, NY: Longman.
Lane, J. & Lange, E. (1999). Writing clearly: An editing guide. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle Publishers. (Several copies in SELF are available for student use.)
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, International Students´ Edition. Longman. ISBN: 0582237491. (This dictionary is strongly recommended because it has easy-to-understand definitions. Frequently used spoken and written English words are marked.)
Handouts
Additional materials will be provided to students throughout the semester. These will include supplementary reading and grammar materials, word lists to enhance their vocabulary and online resources for students´ self study. Students need to download these materials from the ES5000 website on the IVLE. A few materials will be given to students in hard copy.
Assessment
The final grade for this module will be drawn from continuous assessment (50%) and a final examination (50%).
Details of Continuous Assessment (50%):
|
Description |
% |
| Cause-Effect Paragraph | 10 |
| Problem-Solution Paragraph | 15 |
| Problem-Solution Long Text | 15 |
| Class Participation (Attendance, attitude and contribution to class activities) | 10 |
Details of Final Examination (50%):
Text Editing 20 %
Long Text 80 %
Reminders
Students will benefit most from this module if they:
- attend every tutorial;
- complete all assigned tasks;
- are prepared to work with others and learn from them;
- maximize opportunities for communicating in English both in and out of class; and
- exploit resources for learning independently in SELF, ITSELF and the IVLE.
The following is a suggested workload schedule for ES5000, a total of 8 hours per week:
| Tutorials | 4 hours/week |
| Preparation for the tutorials, e.g. reading assigned chapters in textbook | 1 hour/week |
| Completing assigned tasks, e.g. reading and writing assignments, and grammar exercises | 3 hours/week |
| Revision | 1 hour/week |
Graduate English Course - Intermediate Level Writing
(ES5001A)
Objectives
This course provides the opportunity for postgraduate students to improve their academic writing skills.
Format
In this module, we will discuss the general characteristics of academic writing, and you will be encouraged to explore the grammar and style of academic writing in your own discipline. Hence, instruction and practice in writing academic texts will be provided. You will have to complete in- and out-of-class writing tasks, which are designed to help you to organise and present information grammatically, accurately, cohesively, and coherently to your intended audience.
With regular attendance, active participation in class activities, completion of all course assignments, and independent learning students will be able to raise their proficiency with writing summaries, data commentaries and critiques.
Assessment
Assessment in this course is as follows:
- Writing Assignments 75%
- Participation 5%
- Final Exam 20%
Graduate English Course - Intermediate Level Speaking and Listening (ES5001B)
Objectives
This intermediate level course is designed to help foreign graduate students to improve their oral and aural skills in the English language. Students will develop competency in speaking skills to a level that will allow them to participate in general conversation and in academic discussions and to comprehend most educated English speech. At the end of the course the students should:
- have improved their listening skills for dealing with academic discourse;
- have improved their general listening skills;
- be able to express their ideas and thoughts in a natural and confident way;
- be able to give a well organised, competently delivered "professional" presentation;
- be able to pronounce English words with greater clarity though retaining a foreign accent.
Format
The course will include a variety of videos, oral presentations, listening exercises, discussions and pronunciation practices with peer and tutor feedback.
The course will run for 12 weeks with tutorials held twice weekly for two hours a session.
Assessment
Students will be assessed as follows:
- Mini Presentation (Individual) 5%
- Oral Presentation (Team) 25%
- Oral Presentation (Individual) 25%
- Critique of a Presentation 5%
- Listening Exercises 30%
- Attendance & Participation 10%
Students' grades are based on 100% Continuous Assessment i.e. there is no final exam. The grade will be reflected in the exam transcript.
Graduate English Course - Advanced Level Writing (ES5002)
Course description
ES5002 is a 12 week (48 hours) English course designed for foreign students who are pursuing a PhD in NUS by research. ES5002 teaches the organisational structure and writing conventions of research papers and theses (with the primary focus on thesis writing).
Foreign PhD students who are not exempted from Graduate English Courses (based on their results for the Diagnostic English Test) are required to take ES5002.
Requirements
Either one research paper or segments of the Introduction chapter, a Results chapter, and the Discussion/Conclusion chapter of a thesis is/are required for assessment. Students have to write these assignments during tutorial hours.
Objectives
At the end of this course students will be able to:
- identify and write up the Introduction section of a research paper or chapter, using the five stages of an Introduction
- identify and write up the Results section of a paper or a thesis chapter, using the three elements of information conventions in a research report
- identify and write up the Discussion section of a research paper or a thesis chapter, using the seven information elements
- identify the five elements of the Abstract of a thesis
- use transitional devices appropriately and accurately to link ideas or discussion in thesis chapters or research paper
- use the correct tense in all sections of the research paper or thesis chapter
Format
- lectures, hands-on workshops (critiques of actual research writing)
- analyses of samples of research papers and theses (discussion of language problems and organisational structure of theses/research papers written by past students), e-exercises
Assessment
ES5002 is a 100% continuous assessment module, with 80% for the writing assignments, 10% for e-exercises and 10% for the crititique (during a workshop).