English for psychologists & speech and language therapists [ LANGL1842 ]

> https://moodleucl.uclouvain.be/course/view.php?id=1973

Students must have reached level A2+ of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

• The course is based on different topics related to psychology, educational science and speech therapy.
• The texts and videos used in the course are authentic materials and require (for the reading texts) the student to prepare the texts at home using reading techniques acquired.
• Analaysis and commentary of the texts and videos in class require the active participation of the student.
• The student may be asked to make short oral presentations.
• Vocabulary and basic structures are reinforced by written and oral exercises (analysing, commenting)
• Grammar is studied in context and reinforced by systematic exercises.

At the end of the course, students should have acquired the following skills:

Reading comprehension

• understand in detail both descriptive, argumentative and academic  texts oriented towards their fields of interest in psychology and educational science (Level C1 of the CEF)

Listening comprehension

• understand in detail lectures as well as radio and TV programmes concerning general topics and oriented towards their fields of interest in standard and clearly articulated English language (Level B2 of the CEF).

Code

• master vocabulary (elementary, intermediate, academic and specific to psychology)
• master grammar (verb forms)
• master phonetic symbols and stress patterns

1. At the beginning of the year, the students take a compulsory exemption test of the same level as the final exam.  The students who pass the test with a mark of at least 12 out of 20 will be exempted from the course.
2. During the year, exemption test on academic vocabulary.
3. Tests on grammar at regular intervals.
4. Written exam
5. Oral exam on the English Phonetic Alphabet, the pronunciation of general and specific vocabulary and the reading of an extract from the videos seen in class.

• preparation : individual text reading (at home) following reading strategies.
• extensive and intensive text analysis and commentary in class.
• extensive and intensive exercises of video programmes in laboratory.
• explanations and exercises on verb forms.
• explanations of the English sound system and stress patterns.
• correction of mistakes of pronunciation of both general and specific vocabulary.

This course of English for Psychologists is aimed at improving reading and listening comprehension skills and is based on authentic material oriented towards the students' fields of interest (psychology, educational science and speech therapy); it is also aimed at giving the students a better mastery of the linguistic code of English through systematic grammatical and pronunciation exercises as well as developing the students' general, specific and academic vocabulary.  

By the end of the course, the students should have reached level C1 of the CEF for their reading comprehension skills and level B2 for their listening comprehension skills.

• The course notes 'English for Psychologists' (available at the ILV)
• The on-line course on Moodle-UCL where the student will find extra reading and listening comprehension exercises, grammar and vocabulary exercises as well as all the videos seen in class.

• The course is held in fairly small groups (25 to 30 students)
• Teachers are available during office hours, by appointment or by e-mail.