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APPL8420 – Teaching English for Academic Purposes

2023 – Session 2, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Cassi Liardet
Philip Chappell
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MAppLing or MAppLingTESOL or MTransInterMAppLingTESOL
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
APPL7420
Unit description Unit description

This unit will provide you with an understanding of the features of academic discourse, focusing on the genres used by different disciplinary communities, and the way these communities use the lexico-grammatical resources of academic English to achieve their purposes. We examine the identities projected by academics in their writing, and the ways in which student writers develop their understanding of and ability to project appropriate identities. This understanding provides the basis for consideration of approaches to needs analysis, course and materials development and assessment. You will explore the problems faced by both proficient speakers and developing speakers of English. You will have the opportunity to follow your own interests in the selection of assessment task topics.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Identify key features of academic registers and explain how these features achieve a range of academic genres.
  • ULO2: Describe methods and approaches for teaching English for Academic Purposes and critically discuss their suitability to different language teaching contexts.
  • ULO3: Reflect on, appraise and discuss the applications of current English for Academic Purposes research on different language teaching contexts.
  • ULO4: Communicate advanced knowledge and understanding of English for Academic Purposes research and theories to diverse audiences.
  • ULO5: Critically evaluate the appropriateness of English for Academic Purposes instructional materials and their use with specific student cohorts, drawing on principles of needs analysis and discourse analysis.

General Assessment Information

Use of Generative AI

Please refer to instructions from your lecturer on the use and acknowledgement of use of Generative AI in your submitted assignments.

General Assessment Information

Grade descriptors and other information concerning grading are contained in the Macquarie University Assessment Policy.

All final grades are determined by a grading committee, in accordance with the Macquarie University Assessment Policy, and are not the sole responsibility of the Unit Convenor.

Students will be awarded a final grade and a mark which must correspond to the grade descriptors specified in the Assessment Procedure (clause 128).

To pass this unit, you must demonstrate sufficient evidence of achievement of the learning outcomes, meet any ungraded requirements, and achieve a final mark of 50 or better.

Further details for each assessment task will be available on iLearn.

Late Submissions

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (OF THE TOTAL POSSIBLE MARK) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern.

For example:

Number of days (hours) late Total Possible Marks Deduction Raw mark Final mark

1 day (1-24 hours) 100 5 75 70

2 days (24-48 hours) 100 10 75 65

3 days (48-72 hours) 100 15 75 60

7 days (144-168 hours) 100 35 75 40

>7 days (>168 hours) 100 - 75 0

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Article or Chapter Summary 20% No 14 August
Research Interview 45% No 25 September
Materials Review 35% Yes 6 November

Article or Chapter Summary

Assessment Type 1: Summary
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 14 August
Weighting: 20%

 

For this assignment, students summarise the main ideas of a research project and discuss the implications of the research on the teaching of English for Academic Purposes.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify key features of academic registers and explain how these features achieve a range of academic genres.
  • Describe methods and approaches for teaching English for Academic Purposes and critically discuss their suitability to different language teaching contexts.
  • Reflect on, appraise and discuss the applications of current English for Academic Purposes research on different language teaching contexts.
  • Communicate advanced knowledge and understanding of English for Academic Purposes research and theories to diverse audiences.
  • Critically evaluate the appropriateness of English for Academic Purposes instructional materials and their use with specific student cohorts, drawing on principles of needs analysis and discourse analysis.

Research Interview

Assessment Type 1: Media presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: 25 September
Weighting: 45%

 

Students engage with a researcher (research student or academic staff member) studying an area relevant to the teaching and learning of English for Academic Purposes to conduct and publish an in-depth interview about the area being explored and its applications to the teaching of English for Academic Purposes.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify key features of academic registers and explain how these features achieve a range of academic genres.
  • Describe methods and approaches for teaching English for Academic Purposes and critically discuss their suitability to different language teaching contexts.
  • Reflect on, appraise and discuss the applications of current English for Academic Purposes research on different language teaching contexts.
  • Communicate advanced knowledge and understanding of English for Academic Purposes research and theories to diverse audiences.
  • Critically evaluate the appropriateness of English for Academic Purposes instructional materials and their use with specific student cohorts, drawing on principles of needs analysis and discourse analysis.

Materials Review

Assessment Type 1: Qualitative analysis task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 6 November
Weighting: 35%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

 

Students critically analyse teaching materials taken from published sources

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Describe methods and approaches for teaching English for Academic Purposes and critically discuss their suitability to different language teaching contexts.
  • Reflect on, appraise and discuss the applications of current English for Academic Purposes research on different language teaching contexts.
  • Communicate advanced knowledge and understanding of English for Academic Purposes research and theories to diverse audiences.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

APPL8420 is delivered as a “flipped classroom”. This means that the main content is delivered through virtual recorded seminars. Students are expected to complete the weekly readings for the given module and carefully review the video lectures prior to attending class each Thursday. In class we will engage more deeply with this content through application activities and discussion.

Time:    Thursday 13.00 – 15.00

Location: 12 Second Way, Rm. 430 & Online via Zoom and Echo

The course convenor will be contactable through email to answer any queries that might arise.

Module Readings

There are between two and five 'required readings' for each module in this unit. You need to read a minimum of two for each module. Readings are essential as they discuss the major themes involved in the unit. You will find these readings on iLearn, via the ‘Leganto’ link.

Recommended books are shelved in the Reserve section of the library and can be borrowed for limited periods of time.

Unit Schedule

Unit Schedule

Week

Date

Topic

Tasks

Week 1

27 July

Introduction: What is academic discourse?

 

Week 2

3 August

Genre in EAP

 

Week 3

10 August

The language of academic English: Abstraction & nominalisation

 

Week 4

17 August

Voice & Identity in professional academic texts

Article Summary Due 14 August

Week 5

24 August

Voice & Identity in student writing

 

Week 6

31 August

EAP, intertextuality and plagiarism

 

Week 7

7 September

Multimodality and the use of media in EAP

 

Recess

Beyond the Paper Interview Due: 25 September

Week 8

28 September

Approaches to EAP: Study skills, literacy and literacies

 

Week 9

5 October

Needs Analysis in EAP

 

Week 10

12 October

Course Design in EAP

 

Week 11

19 October

Materials Selection & Design in EAP

 

Week 12

26 October

Assessment in EAP

 

Week 13

2 November

Researching EAP

Materials Review Report

Due 6 November

 

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Inclusion and Diversity

Social inclusion at Macquarie University is about giving everyone who has the potential to benefit from higher education the opportunity to study at university, participate in campus life and flourish in their chosen field. The University has made significant moves to promote an equitable, diverse and exciting campus community for the benefit of staff and students. It is your responsibility to contribute towards the development of an inclusive culture and practice in the areas of learning and teaching, research, and service orientation and delivery. As a member of the Macquarie University community, you must not discriminate against or harass others based on their sex, gender, race, marital status, carers' responsibilities, disability, sexual orientation, age, political conviction or religious belief. All staff and students are expected to display appropriate behaviour that is conducive to a healthy learning environment for everyone.  

 

Professionalism

In the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, professionalism is a key capability embedded in all our courses.  

As part of developing professionalism, students are expected to attend all small group interactive sessions. As an adult learner, we respect your decision to choose how you engage with your learning, but we would remind you that the learning opportunities we create for you have been done so to enable your success, and that by not engaging you may impact your ability to successfully complete this unit. We equally expect that you show respect for the academic staff who have worked hard to develop meaningful activities and prioritise your learning by communicating with them in advance if you are unable to attend a small group interactive session. 

Another dimension of professionalism is having respect for your peers. It is the right of every student to learn in an environment that is free of disruption and distraction. Please arrive to all learning activities on time, and if you are unavoidably detained, please join activity as quietly as possible to minimise disruption. Phones and other electronic devices that produce noise and other distractions must be turned off prior to entering class. Where your own device (e.g., laptop) is being used for class-related activities, you are asked to close down all other applications to avoid distraction to you and others. Please treat your fellow students with the utmost respect. If you are uncomfortable participating in any specific activity, please let the relevant academic know. 


Unit information based on version 2023.03 of the Handbook