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APPL8400 – Language for Specific Purposes

2025 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Cassi Liardet
Agnes Bodis
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MAppLingTESOL or MTransInterMAppLingTESOL or MTransInter
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit provides an introduction to major issues in language for specific purposes (LSP). The focus is on analysis of the socio-cultural contexts associated with business, professional and vocational areas and the specific characteristics of both oral and written text types associated with them. Such information is essential in evaluating appropriate materials and assessment tasks for teaching language for specific purposes. You will consider the implications of globalisation for communication, the impact of new technologies and new approaches to learning and teaching language. In your assessment tasks, you will have the opportunity to specialise in particular vocational or professional areas.

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: Explain the main historical trends in Language for Specific Purposes since the 1960s and critically discuss how they have impacted and informed Language for Specific Purposes teaching and learning.
  • ULO2: Critically evaluate methods and approaches to teaching Language for Specific Purposes and their suitability to different language teaching contexts.
  • ULO3: Reflect on, appraise and discuss the applications of current Language for Specific Purposes research and theory on a range of different Language for Specific Purposes teaching contexts.
  • ULO4: Apply in-depth knowledge of the features of oral and written texts associated with particular professions and vocational contexts to the selection and development of appropriate materials in the context of teaching Language for Specific Purposes, drawing on principles of needs analysis and discourse analysis.  

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.

Requesting an extension to assignment due date

On occasion, you may be in a situation when you aren't able to submit an assessment task on time. Extensions are only given in special circumstances, by completing a Special Consideration request. For more information on Special Consideration, see https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration  

Late submission of assignments

If you haven't been approved for an extension and you submit your assessment task late, penalties are applied. You should consult your unit convenor if you are in this position. Late submissions will receive a 5% per day penalty. If you submit the assessment task 10 days or more beyond the due date, without an approved extension, you will be awarded a maximum of 50% of the overall assessment marks. Weekends and public holidays are included. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
LSP Case Study 30% No 30/03/2025
Exploration of an Aspect of LSP 30% No 27/04/2025
Analysis of a Unit of Teaching 40% No 08/06/2025

LSP Case Study

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 30/03/2025
Weighting: 30%

 

An important aspect of understanding language for specific purposes is the ability to analyse genres produced within a given discourse community.  For this assignment, you will select a specialised discourse community and identify a genre distinct to this community. You will analyse and annotate the text and provide a descriptive analysis that proposes how the genre could be taught to learners of this LSP discourse community, drawing on LSP research and theory.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically evaluate methods and approaches to teaching Language for Specific Purposes and their suitability to different language teaching contexts.
  • Reflect on, appraise and discuss the applications of current Language for Specific Purposes research and theory on a range of different Language for Specific Purposes teaching contexts.
  • Apply in-depth knowledge of the features of oral and written texts associated with particular professions and vocational contexts to the selection and development of appropriate materials in the context of teaching Language for Specific Purposes, drawing on principles of needs analysis and discourse analysis.  

Exploration of an Aspect of LSP

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 27/04/2025
Weighting: 30%

 

This assignment allows you to explore in depth an aspect of LSP that interests you. You may select a topic from a pre-determined list, or you may negotiate a topic with the unit convenor.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the main historical trends in Language for Specific Purposes since the 1960s and critically discuss how they have impacted and informed Language for Specific Purposes teaching and learning.
  • Critically evaluate methods and approaches to teaching Language for Specific Purposes and their suitability to different language teaching contexts.
  • Reflect on, appraise and discuss the applications of current Language for Specific Purposes research and theory on a range of different Language for Specific Purposes teaching contexts.

Analysis of a Unit of Teaching

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 38 hours
Due: 08/06/2025
Weighting: 40%

 

This task asks you to analyse a unit of teaching; using the methods and approaches considered in this unit, and to suggest approaches, methods and activities that you might use to teach the unit to a specified group of learners.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the main historical trends in Language for Specific Purposes since the 1960s and critically discuss how they have impacted and informed Language for Specific Purposes teaching and learning.
  • Critically evaluate methods and approaches to teaching Language for Specific Purposes and their suitability to different language teaching contexts.
  • Reflect on, appraise and discuss the applications of current Language for Specific Purposes research and theory on a range of different Language for Specific Purposes teaching contexts.
  • Apply in-depth knowledge of the features of oral and written texts associated with particular professions and vocational contexts to the selection and development of appropriate materials in the context of teaching Language for Specific Purposes, drawing on principles of needs analysis and discourse analysis.  

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

APPL8400 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 Monday. In class we will engage more deeply with this content through application activities and discussion.

Time:    Monday 16.00 – 18.00 (4-6pm AEDT)

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.

Unit Schedule

Week

Date

Topics

Assessment

Due Date

1

24 February

Introduction: What is LSP and why does it matter?

 

 

2

3 March

Discourse & Discourse Communities

 

 

3

10 March

Genre in business and professional contexts

 

 

4

17 March

Investigating the language of LSP

 

 

5

24 March

Interpersonal communication in LSP

 

 

6

31 March

Intercultural Communication and English as a lingua franca

LSP Case Study

30 March

7

7 April

LSP, globalisation and new technologies

 

 

-

14 April

** Non-teaching weeks (RECESS PERIOD) **

 

 

-

21 April

Exploration of an Aspect of LSP (Recorded Presentation)

27 April

8

28 April

Needs analysis in LSP

 

 

9

5 May

Course design in LSP

 

 

10

12 May

Materials selection and design (1)

 

 

11

19 May

Materials selection and design (2)

 

 

12

26 May

Assessment in LSP

 

 

13

2 June

Researching LSP

Unit of Study Teaching Report

8 June

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 connect.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 the Service Connect Portal, 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 including clinical, practical, laboratory, work-integrated learning (e.g., PACE placements), and team-based learning activities. Some learning activities are recorded (e.g., face-to-face lectures), however you are encouraged to avoid relying upon such material as they do not recreate the whole learning experience and technical issues can and do occur. 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 2025.03 of the Handbook