English for Arts Students. An intermediate course

langl1212  2020-2021  Louvain-la-Neuve

English for Arts Students. An intermediate course
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information below is subject to change, in particular that concerning the teaching mode (presential, distance or in a comodal or hybrid format).
4 credits
60.0 h
Q1 and Q2
Teacher(s)
Avery Catherine; Brabant Stéphanie; Delghust Jean-Luc (coordinator); Henriet Marielle;
Language
English
Prerequisites
Have reached the objectives of the LANGL1111 course (or equivalent).

The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.
Main themes
The themes discussed in class relate to the students' various majors with a particular emphasis on the history, current situation and culture (in the broad sense of human activities) of the countries where the language is spoken.
Aims

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

1 By the end of this course, students are able to
  • have a detailed understanding  of decriptive and argumentative texts on both general and major-specific texts
    > Reading comprehension: level C1 of the CEFR
  • have a detailed understanding of talks/lectures as well as TV, radio or online programs about both general and major-specific texts, provided the language used is standard and produced with proper articulation
    > Listening comprehension: level B2  of the CEFR
  • communicate clearly and in detail about the general topics addessed in class
    > Speaking skills: level B2 of the CEFR
  • master the general and specific vocabulary of the themes discussed (intermediate level)
  • master the main grammar points
  • display an attitude of learner autonomy through a reflexive and proactive approach to learning and practicing English.
 
Content
The materials include written and audio-visual sources in modern English. Their content is related to history, art history, philosophy, archeology and some of the debates at the heart of those disciplines.
The materials also include linguistic resources (explanations & exercises on grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation...) linked to those sources.
Teaching methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

The course is primarily predicated on class attendance, and relies on active participation on the students' part before, during and after the class sessions. All communication takes place in the target language. English is used in as practical a way as possible, through debates, discussions, presentations, etc., whose goal is to not only broaden the students' vocabulary range and improve their command of grammar and pronunciation, but also to improve thei self-confidence and ease when speaking English.
The students adopt a reflexive and proactive attitude towards their own learning process. In addition to the course notes and their active participation in both the online and in-class activities, they are expected to keep track of their process in a structured file (English Bucket List project) which records their objectives, output, action points and progress. The documents and templates necessary for this project are available in the course notes and online.
Evaluation methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

There are three parts to the assessment:
  • In-class Q1 tests (3 tests on 4 skills: Reading Comprehension; Listening Comprehensions; Grammar + Vocabulary) = 20%
    The average mark of these 4 skills constitutes the January mark.
    Students whose average mark on these 4 tests is below 10/20 will have to take a written exam in June on this course material and add an item in their English Bucket List for each item with a fail score (below 10/20). 
    For all students (irrespective of an overall pass grade or not), an extra item will have to be added to their English Bucket List for each failed skill, in order to improve on that skill by the end of Q2.
  • In-class Q2 tests (2 tests: Grammar & Vocabulary) = 10%
  • Continuous assessment and end-of-year oral exam = 70% (participation & preparation, tasks during the year, "English Bucket List project", end-of-year oral exam with the teacher)
    The end-of-year oral exam tests the student's language proficiency as well as the continuous work during the whole year and the quality of the personal English Bucket List Project of the student.
August/September resit (2nd session): students who need to take the LANGL1212 exam during the August/September session will need to take those parts of the assessment for which they have not obtained 10/20. For the "Continuous assessment and end-of-year oral exam" part, a substantial assignment with various tasks will be given to the students. This assignment will need to be handed in on the first day of the August/September exam session, and will be the subject of an oral exam.
Students who fail for the June session are responsible for getting in touch with their teacher within 5 business days after the official communicaiton of the exam results (proclamation) to know which part(s) of the assessment they need to take again. The weighing of the final September mark is the same as in June.
Students can find a detailed description of the "English Bucket List Project" in the course introduction. 
Other information
Outside classes, teachers are available during their contact hours (min 1h/week) to help out students who ask for help. Students are strongly advised not to put off asking for additional help if they feel they need it.
Online resources
The "LANGL1212 - English for Arts" course on Moodle UCL
Teaching materials
  • Syllabus LANGL1212 - English for Arts - Course intro & Q1 Material (disponible en PDF en début de Q1 sur Moodle UCL et en dépot à Univ Copy)
  • Syllabus LANGL1212 - English for Arts - Q2 Material (disponible en PDF en début de Q2 sur Moodle UCL et en dépot à Univ Copy)
  • English Bucket List - Projet individuel - Documents & Templates disponibles dans l'espace de cours sur Moodle UCL
  • Espace cours LANGL1212 - English for Arts sur Moodle UCL
Faculty or entity
ILV
Force majeure
Teaching methods
Depending on the health situation, the LANGL1212 course is adapted as follows:
  • Asynchronous (online) resources and activities are set up on Moodle UCL (mainly) for the most appropriate parts of the course to allow students to prepare for class sessions and work on the material individually. These preparatory activities are compulsory and necessary for effective participation in the course sessions, and are taken into account in the continuous assessment grade.
  • In order to ensure sufficient time for preparation, the synchronous course time (normally 2 hours / week) is reduced to one course session every 2 weeks, in half groups.
  • Depending on the health situation, the course is given face-to-face (small groups with social distancing) or online on Teams. When courses are given online, some sessions may bring the two half groups together, depending on the activities planned.
Teachers communicate adaptations to the students via Moodle UCL and the Teams channels. Students are asked to keep themselves informed through these channels, and get in touch with their teacher as soon as possible if they have questions or difficulties with the tasks set.
Evaluation methods
Q1 mark: The score for Q1 is normally calculated on the basis of classroom tests, which do not take place in the case of distance learning. The weighting of the January mark over the year remains unchanged.
Plan A: If the health situation permits, the grade for Q1 will be calculated on the basis of a written, face-to-face examination that includes the parts originally set to be evaluated in the classroom tests (see Mode d'évaluation des acquis des étudiants). Students who have obtained an average of less than 10/20 in this Q1 assessment must retake the material in a written examination in the June session.
Plan B: If the health situation does not allow the organisation of a face-to-face written exam, the grade for Q1 will be calculated on the basis of:
  • Continuous assessment (participation, tasks during the year - especially the Q1 Wrap-Up video, progress with the Bucket List...)
  • Participation in a formative online evaluation test in the January session. This test will cover the 4 parts initially set to be evaluated in the Q1 classroom tests (see Mode d'évaluation des acquis des étudiants). This will enable students to situate themselves in their learning and mastery of the subject matter in order to adapt their involvement and commitment to the course in Q2 if necessary.
Students who have obtained an average score of less than 10/20 on this assessment in Q1 should contact their teacher in week 1 of Q2. They will be given a series of tasks and deadlines to get their work in order and make up for the work missed in Q1.
June evaluation
The general weighting for the June session remains unchanged, see course introduction in the course notes.
Part of the final June grade (10%) is normally calculated on the basis of written tests in class, which do not take place in the case of distance learning. This part of the grade will be calculated on the basis of grammar questions during the June oral exam.
Plan A:
All students: Oral exam assessment
  • Grammar questions on the grammar covered during the academic year.
  • Presentation and discussion of the student's personal English Bucket List project.
Students who did not pass or sit the January written exam will take a face-to-face written exam on the Q1 material in the June session.
Plan B:
All students: Oral exam assessment
  • Grammar questions on the grammar covered during the academic year.
  • Presentation and discussion of the student's personal English Bucket List project.
Students who did not pass or sit the January written exam will take a remote written exam (Moodle Test + Teams) on the Q1 material in the June session.
____________________________
Second session (August/September session)
The content for the 2nd Session assessment does not differ from what is described above (see "Mode d'évaluation des acquis des étudiants" for more details): students who need to take the LANGL1212 exam during the August/September session will need to take those parts of the assessment for which they have not obtained 10/20.
The practical organisation will be as follows:
PLAN A:
  1. Written tests: if sanitary measures allow, the written tests covering the parts originally set to be evaluated in the classroom tests (see Mode d'évaluation des acquis des étudiants) will take place on site.
  2. Oral exams: online, using Teams.
PLAN B:
  1. Written tests: if sanitary measures do not allow on-site exams, the written tests covering the parts originally set to be evaluated in the classroom tests (see Mode d'évaluation des acquis des étudiants) will take place online (Moodle Test + Teams).
  2. Oral exams: online, using Teams.


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Aims
Bachelor in Philosophy

Bachelor in Ancient and Modern Languages and Literatures

Bachelor in History

Bachelor in History of Art and Archaeology : General

Bachelor in Ancient Languages and Literatures : Classics

Bachelor in Ancient Languages and Literatures: Oriental Studies

Bachelor in History of Art and Archaeology : Musicology