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the work starts at pg 7 so look at pg 7 

FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES

UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS PROGRAMME

ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-2021, 1st Semester

January – 2021

WRIT1 1

Programme Title: BMS, A&F, MM, BE, BIS

Module Title: English for Academic Purposes& Study Skills

Module Code: GLT 3006

Assessment Method: WRIT 1

Level: 3 Block: 1

Module Credits: 20 Weighting: 50%

Due Date: 22-Dec-2020, 12:00 AM Word Count: 2000

Module Leader: Ms. Firdos Fida

Version: [No.]

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Module Title Module
Number

JACS Subject Code(s)

and % of each subject

ASC Category(ies)

English for Academic Purposes & Study Skills GLT3006 Q330 ASC 9

Level (3 to 8) Credits
ECTS Credit

Module Value (1=20

credits)

% Taught in

Welsh

Module Type

3 20 10 1.0 0% Taught

Teaching Period (Term/Semester) Pre-requisites

Semester 1 & 2 IELTS 5.0 or equivalent

Module Leader School(s)
Campus

Ms. Firdos Fida Gulf College Oman

Assessment Methods

Assessment Code and

Method

Duration/Length of

Assessment Method

Weighting of

Assessment

Threshold Approximate Date

of Submission

WRIT1 Reflective Journal 800 words 20% N/A End of Semester

PRES1 Presentation 30 minutes 30% N/A End of Semester

CTEST1 Summative Test 2 hours 50% N/A End of Semester

Aim(s)

1. To equip students with sufficient knowledge of Academic English to undertake university study.

2. To improve students’ skills and competence in listening to, reading, writing, and speaking using Academic English.

3. To prepare students for the rigours of UK university life and academic practices.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the module, a student should be able to:

1. Manage themselves as students in a UK university;

2. Prepare for lectures, conferences and seminars in a variety of styles;

3. Take notes and write them up accurately;

4. Analyse texts to infer a writer’s point of view or bias;

5. Plan, research and write an academic body of text;

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6. Use quotation, paraphrase and summary to support their work;

7. Explain the meaning and ramifications of plagiarism;

8. Orally present an academic body of work of their own writing;

9. Reflect upon their experience of the research process and issues they encounter.

Learning and Teaching Delivery Methods

Method Rationale Type of Contact

(scheduled/ guided

independent

study/placement)

Total

hours

Lectures To enable core knowledge and understanding content to be

delivered to the whole module cohort

Scheduled 24

Seminars /

Tutorials /

Workshops

To allow exploration of all aspects of module content (knowledge,

understanding, skills & other attributes) in an interactive group

setting

Scheduled 24

Independent

Study

To enable students to independently develop their understanding

of the module concepts and to complete formative & summative

assessment activity

Independent Study 152

Total 200

Indicative Content

1. Speaking: Phonetic pronunciation, rhythm and stress patterns, using dynamic speech patterns, presentation techniques,

debating techniques.

2. Listening: Questioning techniques, understanding lectures, note taking & recording, understanding register, discourse

markers & signpost words, listening for gist and specific information, extended listening & summarising lectures.

3. Reading: Text analysis, reading, research and reference recording, locating information, identifying bias and evaluating

evidence, identifying facts & opinions, critical reading.

4. Writing: Note taking, planning writing, writing styles, using quotation, paraphrase & summary, plagiarism & unfair

practice and referencing.

Required Reading

 Cox, C, and Hill, D. (2004) EAP Now Frenchs Forest: Pearson

 Ellis, G. & Sinclair, B., (2005) Learning to Learn English, 12th edition, Cambridge: CUP.

 McCarter, S. (2002) A book on Writing, 2nd edition, Mid Lothian: IntelliGene

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Recommended Reading

 Roberts, R. Gakonga, J and Preshous, A (2014) IELTS Foundation, Oxford: Macmillan Publishers Limited.

 Bailey, S (2018) Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students, London: Taylor & Francis Ltd

 Bailey, S. (2003) Academic Writing, a practical guide for students, London: Routledge.

 Glendinning, E.H. and Holmstrom, B. (2005) Study Reading, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

 Hamp-Lyons, L. and Heasley, B. (2005) Study Writing, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

 Lynch, T. and Anderson, K. (2005) Study Speaking, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

 Lynch, T. (2005) Study Listening, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

 Oshima, A. and Hogue, A. (2006) Writing Academic English, 4th ed., New York: Longman.

 Porter, D. (2001) Check Your Vocabulary for Academic English, London: Peter Collin Publishing.

 Swales, J. M. and Feak, C. (2003) Academic Writing for Graduate Students, Michigan: University of Michigan
Press.

 Wallace, M. J. (1998) Study Skills in English, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Access to Specialist Requirements

Use of an IT laboratory

Blackboard VLE materials for use in-class and self-access purposes

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Gulf College – Faculty of Business and Management Studies – In academic

Affiliation with CARDIFF SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

A. Written work

 A signed declaration that the work is your own (apart from otherwise referenced
acknowledgements) must be included after the reference page of your assignment

 Each page must be numbered.
 Where appropriate, a contents page, a list of tables/figures and a list of abbreviations should

precede your work.
 All referencing must adhere to School/Institutional requirements.
 A word count must be stated at the end of your work.
 Appendices should be kept to the minimum and be of direct relevance to the content of your

work.
 All tables and figures must be correctly numbered and labelled.

B. Other types of coursework/assignments

 Where coursework involves oral presentations, discussions, poster presentations, etc.,
specific instructions will be provided by your module leader/team.

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Rewrite below part just after the References of your assignment.

WORK DECLARATION

I, [Name of Student], hereby declare that the uploaded WRIT 1 through Turnitin is my own work. I

affirm that this has been researched and completed in accordance with the college rules and

regulations on plagiarism.

I acknowledge the advice given by the module tutors on proper referencing to avoid plagiarism and

the rules on the academic unfair practice.

I acknowledge that I read and understand the plagiarism guide written at the end of this

assessment.

Any academic misconduct will be handled according to the rules and regulations of the university.

[Name of Student]

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General instructions

WRIT 1 must be submitted before due date.
The only circumstance in which assignments can be submitted late is if a Mitigating Circumstances

(MC) form is submitted at the same time. In these circumstances work may be submitted within five

(5) working days. Make sure to secure MC form and submit the same to the concerned staff.

Write the number of words used; the number of words will be + or – 10% of the total words allowed.

A work declaration must be included just after the reference page of your assignment. This ensures

that you prepare your work in good faith. Any form of collusion and/or academic unfair practice will

be dealt with according to the pertinent rules and regulations of the partner university. Please read

carefully the plagiarism guide.

Assessment Details

This WRIT 1 comprises 50% of the total assessment marks. It contains TWO sections. In Section A,

the students have to read an article or a passage of 1000-1200 words and summrise it. In Section B,

the students are supposed to listen to a 10-12 minutes podcast which will be in the form of either a

lecture, an interview or a discussion and write a summary of what they have heard. Apart from

writing the summary, they need to answer the given questions related to the topic of the reading

passage and audio they hear.

This will develop the following skills:

 Develop the critical thinking of the students in analysing the various tasks.

 Take notes and write them up accurately;

 Analyse texts to infer a writer’s point of view or bias;

 Plan, research and write an academic body of text;

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Assessment Task

This assignment is in relation with reading an article and listening to a podcast. Each student is tasked

to read an article or a passage of 1000-1200 words. You also have to listen to a 10-12-minutes

podcast. You need to analyse and understand the text and audio and take notes to write the

summary. The summary should include;

1. Introduction

Write a short introduction about the reading text and audio you listen to.

2. Body paragraph

State the main idea of the text and audio and explain the important points.

3. Conclusion

Summarise the main idea and the underlying meaning of the article and the audio.

In addition to the summary, the students have to answer the given questions related to

topic of the reading passage and the audio.

Guidelines for writing the assignment

– You will write the summary in an organised manner on what you will read and listen to.

You need to refer to various sources to answer the questions related to topics of the

reading passage and the audio and provide in-text citation and references for the

same.

– The number of words allowed is mentioned for each task.

– Use Arial as a font style with 12 as font size.

– Provide the list of sources you used at the last page of your assignment with proper label

‘References’.

– All referencing must be in Harvard Referencing Style.

– The number of words can be + or – 10% of the total words allowed.

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Section A.

Read the article ‘Do students learn as much when they read

digitally as they do in print?’ by Naomi S. Baron

Executive Director, Centre for Teaching, Research, and Learning, American University

Do students learn as much when they read digitally

as they do in print?

For both parents and teachers, knowing whether computer-based media are improving or

compromising education is a question of concern. With the surge in popularity of e-books,

online learning and open educational resources, investigators have been trying to determine

whether students do as well when reading an assigned text on a digital screen as on paper.

The answer to the question, however, needs far more than a yes-no response.

Reading in print versus digitally

In my research, I have compared the ways in which we read in print and onscreen. Between

2013 and 2015, I gathered data from 429 university students drawn from five countries (the

U.S., Japan, Germany, Slovenia and India).

The students in my study reported that print was aesthetically more enjoyable, saying things

such as “I like the smell of paper” or that reading in print is “real reading.” What’s more, print

gave them a sense of where they were in the book – they could “see” and “feel” where they

were in the text.

Print was also judged to be easier on the eyes and less likely to encourage multitasking.

Almost half the participants complained about eyestrain from reading digitally (“my eyes

burn”), and 67 percent indicated they were likely to multitask while reading digitally

(compared with 41 percent when reading print).

At the same time, respondents praised digital reading on a number of counts, including the

ability to read in the dark, ease of finding material (“plenty of quick information”), saving

paper and even the fact they could multitask while reading.

Measuring learning

But the bigger question is whether students are learning as much when they read onscreen.

A number of researchers have sought to measure learning by asking people to read a

passage of text, either in print or on a digital device, and then testing for comprehension.

Most studies have found that participants scored about the same when reading in each

medium, though a few have indicated that students performed better on tests when they

read in print.

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The problem, however, with learning-measurement studies is that their notion of “learning”

has tended to be simplistic. Reading passages and answering questions afterwards may be

a familiar tool in standardized testing, but tells us little about any deeper level of

understanding.

Some researchers are beginning to pose more nuanced questions, including one scholar

who has considered what happens when people read a story in print or on a digital device

and are then asked to reconstruct the plot sequence. The answer: Print yielded better

results.

Another aspect of learning is to see how outcomes differ when students are doing their

reading in less prescriptive experimental conditions. One study let students choose how

much time to spend when reading on each platform. The researchers found that participants

devoted less time to reading the passage onscreen – and performed less well on the

subsequent comprehension test

This finding is hardly surprising, given the tendency so many of us have to skim and search

when going online, rather than reading slowly and carefully. In my study, one student

commented,

“It takes more time to read the same number of pages in print comparing to digital.”

Another complained, “It takes me longer because I read more carefully.”

Critical thinking and reading

How does the learning question relate to educational goals? There is much buzz today about

wanting students to be good at critical thinking. Definitions of that goal are elusive, but it’s

pretty clear they involve being able to understand complex ideas, evaluate evidence, weigh

alternative perspectives and construct justifiable arguments.

To become proficient in critical thinking – at least in a literate society – students need to be

able to handle text. The text may be long, complex or both. To make sense of it, students

cannot skim, rush ahead or continually get distracted.

So, does reading in print versus onscreen build critical thinking skills?

The comprehension studies we talked about earlier tell us little about the kind of reading we

recognize as necessary for serious contemplation or analysis. An alternative approach, at

least for starters, is asking students about their digital and paper-based reading patterns –

much as physicians ask for histories (along with physicals and lab tests) to figure out what

ails their patients.

While my own study didn’t directly measure learning, it did query students about their

reading patterns and preferences. The responses to some of my questions were particularly

revealing.

When asked on which medium they felt they concentrated best, 92 percent replied “print.”

For long academic readings, 86 percent favoured print. Participants also reported being

more likely to reread academic materials if they were in print.

What’s more, a number of students indicated they believed print was a better medium for

learning. One said, “It’s easier to focus.”

Others stated, “[I] feel like the content sticks in the head more easily” and “I feel like I

understand it more.”

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By contrast, in talking about digital screens, students noted “danger of distraction” and “no

concentration.”

Obviously, student perceptions are not the same thing as measurable learning outcomes.

And my research didn’t probe connections between reading platforms and critical thinking.

However, a pattern did emerge: Print stood out as the medium for doing serious work.

Digital is convenient and cheaper

At the same time, we cannot ignore other factors impacting students’ decisions about what

reading platform to choose for school work.

Convenience is one big consideration: More than 40 percent of participants in my study

mentioned convenience (including easy access to materials) as what they liked most about

reading onscreen.

Money is another variable. Students were highly conscious about differential prices for print

and digital versions of reading materials, with cost often driving choice. As one student put it,

“Cost rules everything around me.”

Many students revealed a mismatch between finances and learning. When queried about

which reading platform they would choose if cost were the same, 87 percent said “print” for

academic work.

Adapting to digital learning

We also need to keep in mind the growing trend for universities to adapt their curricula to fit

the proverbial “procrustean” bed of a digital world – a world tailor-made for skimming,

scanning and using the “find” function rather than reading slowly and thoughtfully.

The question then is how can universities help students read text thoughtfully, reflectively,

and without distraction on digital devices?

One key could be adaptation. Research suggests students may be overconfident about what

they are understanding when they read digitally. Teaching them to be mindful in their digital

reading (for instance, by writing down key words from the reading) may help in learning.

Another form of adaptation is happening in the realm of digital hardware and software.

Modern screens cause less eyestrain, and annotation programs continue to improve. Some

digital reading devices now come with tools enabling them to digitally approximate physical

page flipping and multiple place-marking.

However, in my view, while short-and-to-the-point may be a good fit for digital consumption,

it’s not the sort of reading likely to nurture the critical thinking we still talk about as a hallmark

of university education.

(Author – Naomi S. Baron,

Executive Director, Centre for Teaching, Research, and Learning, American University)

1. Write a summary of the article ‘Do students learn as much when they read digitally as

they do in print?’ (400 words)

2. Do you think people don’t read enough books these days? Explain. ( 150 words)

3. Reading books in a foreign language is a good way to learn that language. Do you

agree or disagree? Explain (150 words)

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4. How would you describe the importance of reading in developing communication

skills?(100 words)

5. How can students improve their reading skills?( 100 words)

6. Do you think that e books will eventually make paper books obsolete? (100 words)

Section B.

Listen to the talk ‘Music and the Human Brain’ and complete the

tasks.

1. Write a summary of the talk you heard. (400 words)

2. Do you think life is more stressful today than fifty years ago? (150words)

3. Do you think having a hobby is useful in reducing stress? (150 words)

4. What motivates young people to learn and develop their skills? (100 words)

5. What are the advantages of including skill subjects in school syllabus? (100 words)

6. How have the means of entertainments changed over the last 25 years? (100 words)

END OF ASSIGNMENT TASK

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ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-2021, First Semester

Marking Criteria for WRIT1- EAPSS L3 BLOCK 1

Module: GLT3006 English for Academic Purposes& Study Skills

Weighting: 50%
Student’s

Name:

Assessment: WRT1 Student ID No.

CRITERIA AND DESCRIPTION
ALLOCATED

MARKS

MARKS

First Marker
Second

Marker Agreed Mark

Comprehension (20%)
Understanding of the text for analysis.

20%

Key Points (20%)
Identification of key points in the assignment and

covering them thoroughly.
20%

Relevance/Significance (20%)
Achieves the learning objectives of the task.

Writing is related to the topic with clear evidence

of accomplishing the task requirements.
20%

Language Proficiency (20%)
Sentences are written with accurate and

meaningful vocabulary, free from grammatical

errors and the mechanics of writing are properly
used.

20%

Organisation (20%)
All the parts of the task are well defined, coherent,

with relevant details and includes accurate format
of the writing.

20%

TOTAL Marks out of 100 100%

______________________________ ______________________________

First Marker’s Signature Second Marker’s Signature

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Plagiarism

1. Plagiarism, which can be defined as using without acknowledgement another person’s

words or ideas and submitting them for assessment as though it were one’s own work, for instance

by copying, translating from one language to another or unacknowledged paraphrasing. Further

examples of plagiarism are given below:

Use of any quotation(s) from the published or unpublished work of other persons, whether

published in textbooks, articles, the Web, or in any other format, which quotations have not been

clearly identified as such by being placed in quotation marks and acknowledged.

Use of another person’s words or ideas that have been slightly changed or paraphrased to make it

look different from the original.

Summarising another person’s ideas, judgments, diagrams, figures, or computer programmes

without reference to that person in the text and the source in a bibliography or reference list.

Use of services of essay banks and/or any other agencies.

Use of unacknowledged material downloaded from the Internet.

Re-use of one’s own material except as authorised by the department.

2. Collusion, which can be defined as when work that has been undertaken by or with others is

submitted and passed off as solely as the work of one person. This also applies where the work of

one candidate is submitted in the name of another. Where this is done with the knowledge of the

originator both parties can be considered to be at fault.

3. Fabrication of data, making false claims to have carried out experiments, observations,

interviews or other forms of data collection and analysis, or acting dishonestly in any other way.

Plagiarism Detection Software (PDS)

As part of its commitment to quality and the maintenance of academic standards, the University

reserves the right to use Plagiarism Detection Software (PDS), including Turnitin. Such software

makes no judgment as to whether a piece of work has been plagiarized; it simply highlights sections

of text that have been found in other sources.

The use of plagiarism detection software fulfills two functions. The first is to enhance student

learning (i.e. as a developmental tool); the second is to guard against and identify unfair practice in

assessment.

Further information and guidance can be found in the University’s policy on the Use of Plagiarism

Detection Software.