LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies

Understanding Essay Questions

These learning object activities will help you to understand how questions are structured and give you practice in recognising key components of essay questions. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing.

Preparing for exams

In this learning object, you will learn;  to identify the myths and realities about taking exams, to gain practice in using your memory for revision; to investigate what to do before, during and after an exam. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing.

Managing your time successfully

In this learning object activity, you will learn to; practise ways of avoiding wasting time, Provide opportunities for improving your time management skills and look at ways of prioritising your time. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing.

Academic presentations: teaching presentation skills to foreign students

These videos are designed to be used either in the classroom or for self-study. The video deals with the basic structure of an academic presentation including useful words and phrases, signposting, the use of notes vs. reading from a script, the importance of key content words.

Study skills for university
This sample of online learning materials will help you to become familiar with and practise some important skills concerned with university study.

EAP: English language skills for university study
This sample of online learning materials introduces and practises some important English language skills needed by international students planning to study at a British university.

EAP: University Challenge: a short orientation and listening course for international students
The aims of these materials is to raise awareness of university life in the UK, to raise awareness of key study tasks and to provide listening and note-taking practice. The course consists of four short modules, each featuring a key study task: writing essays, understanding lectures, participating in seminars and tutorials, and reading/research skills.

New hats for old: Intercultural competence and the integration of language and linguistics teaching
This paper discusses the development, delivery and outcomes of a module in Intercultural Communication aimed at first year undergraduate students of English Language and Linguistics, French, and Spanish at Kingston University. The incorporation of key skills and the integration of the varied linguistic and cultural experiences of the students was central to the module.

Online languages and reflective learning
This paper describes a programme of university language courses, delivered as a combination of both online and face-to-face teaching. The authors believe that the approach taken can promote learner reflection. Evaluation studies reported a good level of student satisfaction and focus groups indicated an increased quality of student work. Further work to foster greater reflection is discussed.

Academic and professional skills for language learning
This section of the web guide provides an overview of what Academic and Professional Skills (APS) are and why they should be integrated in degree courses involving languages. It illustrates the rationale behind the introduction of APS, the logic behind making them compulsory, the way in which their integration impacts on curriculum and assessment. It also highlights the issues to address to make the embedding of APS into the languages curriculum effective. It finally provides suggestions on how to integrate APS, using the European Language Portfolio and networked-based learning.

Argumentation
This contribution discusses the role of argumentation in the teaching of language and linguistics.

Student essays - an academic literacies perspective
Students writing in the university - an academic literacies perspective - intergrating the process of writing about academic knowledge with the teaching of academic knowledge - writing as a social and disciplinary practice in contrast to writing as a technical skill.