Ateneo - UPO

This course is intended for students with an intermediate level of English who should reach B2 level. The course aims to prepare students to communicate effectively in academic and scientific contexts, both in writing and speaking, providing them with the necessary skills for participating in conferences, publishing research, and interacting in international professional settings.

1. Cambridge English for Scientists, Tamzen Armer, 2011, Cambridge University Press ISBN: ‎978-0521154093
2. Destination B2. Grammar and Vocabulary, Mann&Taylore-Knowles, 2008, Macmillan ISBN: 9780194810302

Achieve the B2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Develop the communication skills and specialized English language knowledge, enabling science students to communicate more confidently and effectively.
Enhance students' language skills with practical reading and writing abilities—such as applying for research funding or writing articles for publication—as well as speaking and listening skills.

Placement Test / B1 Level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)

The course consists of face-to-face classes and self-study. Attending at least 80% of classes is highly recommended although it is not compulsory. Attending and non-attending students are invited to register for the course on the DIR platform.

It is emphasized that it is absolutely necessary for students to have the indicated teaching materials, which will be used for in-class activities during the lessons. For any other type of material, it is recommended to regularly consult the course page on the DIR platform.
Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/servicesstudents-physical-or-learning-disabilities
Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The assessment is computerized and consists of two parts:
1. Listening, reading, and use of English based on course materials (50% of the overall grade).
2. A written exam aimed at evaluating the acquisition of the main practical and theoretical content through the production of a short essay on topics related to the core areas of the course (such as the structuring of scientific articles and research reports, writing abstracts, introductions, conclusions, and discussions of articles, or drafting research proposals, funding applications, and reports; 50% of the overall grade).
To pass the exam, students must achieve at least a satisfactory result (18) in both parts.
Important: Students can sit the English exam no more than three times during the academic school year. More information regarding examination can be found in the University guidelines (art. 35 del Regolamento didattico di Ateneo).

The course is divided into two parts, one of which focuses on grammar and corresponds to the following units from the book Destination B2: Grammar and Vocabulary:
(present time: present simple and continuous, present perfect simple and continuous, state verbs)
3 (past time: past simple and continuous, past perfect simple and continuous, would, used to/ be/get used to)
5 (future time/ present tenses in time clauses/ prepositions of time and place)
7 (articles/ countable and uncountable nouns/ quantifiers)
9 (conditionals: zero, first, second, third, mixed, inverted/ unless, in case, as/so long as, provided (that))
11 (modals: ability, permission, advice, criticism, obligation and necessity, degree of certainty)
13 (the passive/ the causative /direct and indirect objects)
15 (-ing form or infinitive/ prefer, would rather, had better/ infinitive of purpose)
17 (questions/ question tags/ indirect questions)
19 (reported speech/ reported questions/ reporting verbs)
21 (relative clauses / participles)
23 (unreal past, wishes / contrast),

and a section on Scientific English, corresponding to the 10 units from the book Cambridge English for Scientists:

1. Getting started in research (planning a career in science, applying for research funding, writing up a résumé or CV, preparing for an interview)
2. The scientific community (communicating with scientific communities, writing a critical review)
3. Finding a direction for your research (doing a literature review, using evidence in arguing a point, taking part in a meeting)
4. Designing an experiment 1 (describing approaches to data collection, designing an experimental set-up, describing material phenomena and forces, making predictions of experimental results)
5. Designing an experiment 2 (describing a process, evaluating the results of an experiment, describing problems with an experiment, keeping a lab notebook)
6. Writing up research 1 (describing states and processes, describing data: numbers/ numerical values, writing up from lab notes)
7. Writing up research 2 (analysing data-statistical analysis, summarising data in visual form, writing captions for figures, describing visual data)
8. Writing up research 3 (organising the results and discussion sections, preparing and writing the results section, preparing and writing the discussion section)
9. Writing up research 4 (writing the introduction, writing the abstract, giving a title to your paper, contacting journals)
10. Presenting research at a conference (giving a paper at a conference, socialising at a conference, presenting a poster)

1) Knowledge and Understanding: The course aims to develop linguistic skills in various areas, including vocabulary and morphosyntax. It is expected that, by the end of the course, students will be able to manage B2-level texts and audio materials with relative ease.
2) Learning skills: Students will be guided through the exploration of learning strategies in order to successfully apply the ones corresponding to their needs and abilities.
3) Communication Skills: By the end of the course, students are expected to manage both oral and written expression at a B2 level, particularly in academic and scientific contexts.
4) Ability to Apply Knowledge and Understanding: The course will cover key areas of scientific communication that students should master to successfully promote their research, including how to write coherent sentences, how to communicate with colleagues, how to read research papers and abstracts, and how to prepare and deliver academic presentations.