Proficiency in Academic English - YBAJ005

• Title: Proficiency in Academic English
• Guaranteed by: Programme Liberal Arts and Humanities (24-SHVAJ)
• Faculty: Faculty of Humanities
• Actual: from 2019
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 5
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:0/1, Ex [HS]
• Extent per academic year: 13 [hours]
• Capacity: unknown / unknown (unknown)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Guarantor: Mgr. Lily Císařovská
• Class: Courses unavailable to incoming students

Annotation

English

Last update: Mgr. Lily Císařovská (09.10.2020)

Academic English Exam is a compulsory examination to be passed during the second year of study. It consists of a book review/essay (on a book listed above) and a colloquium on your paper. This examination requires a reasonably high level of competence in English in terms of accuracy, logical coherence and textual cohesion (i.e. communicative competence alone does not suffice). The objective is to enhance your overall proficiency in academic English, especially your writing and reading skills so that you are well prepared for writing your final Bachelor Paper.

Czech

Last update: Mgr. Lily Císařovská (09.10.2020)

Popis zkoušky najdete na této stránce v anglické verzi anotace.

Registration requirements

Last update: Mgr. Eva Švancarová (18.08.2021)

This course is specifically designed for 2nd grade students of Liberal Arts and Humanities programme, therefore on-line registration is disabled.

 

Requirements to the exam

Last update: Mgr. Lily Císařovská (04.10.2023)

Choose one of the books provided on this page, read it very carefully, and write a review/essay on its topic. If you decide to focus on just one point/part of the topic (or, perhaps, cover just a few) please acknowledge and justify your selection. 

Your paper of 5 to 7 standard pages (plus relevant notes and a list of references) is due by the date for which you have registered in SIS. Please e-mail your paper to [e-mail]. After submission, usually within a week or two, you will be invited to present your paper at a colloquium and discuss your points with examiners. If your availability is restricted, please, inform us about it in advance. 

The final assessment of your achievement will reflect your ability to succinctly outline and develop the main concepts held by the author, both in writing and viva voce. Try your best to avoid any redundancies, vagueness, hackneyed phrases, parroting, or banal clichés. Pay assiduous attention to any confusing references that may occur in your text, and correct any mistakes in spelling or grammar. Make sure you quote all your resources properly. 

Your paper should be well-structured and well-written. The layout should observe a standard format and include relevant quotes and a full list of references. Needless to say all resources must be duly acknowledged and this paper must not be used in any other classes. Show that you have mastered the academic skills necessary for completing your studies. We highly recommend that you take this exam at your earliest convenience and do not postpone it till the very last moment. If the exam is carefully prepared, taking it may become a pleasant challenge.

Syllabus

Last update: Mgr. Lily Císařovská (09.10.2020)

There are plenty of resources concerning writing academic papers. The following list of recommended titles may be helpful. Choose any of them or any other similar guidelines.

 

ALAMARGOT, D.; CHANQUOY, L.: Through the Models of Writing. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2001.

BAILEY, S.: Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students. London: Routledge, 2015.

BIBER, D.; GRAY, B.: Grammatical Complexity in Academic English: Linguistic Change in Writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016.

BOTTOMLEY, J.: Academic Writing for International Students of Science. London: Routledge, 2015.

COOPER, P.: Academic English: Writing Essays & Dissertations. Prague: Metropolitan University Prague, 2011.

GRAFF G., BIRKENSTEIN C.: They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. New York: W. W. Norton & Co. Harvard, 2014.

GOODSON, P.: Becoming an Academic Writer: 50 Exercises for Paced, Productive, and Powerful Writing. Los Angeles: SAGE Publishing, 2013.

HACKER, D.: Rules For Writers: A Brief Handbook. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2000. 

HORNBY, A. S.: Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.

HAYOT, E.: The Elements of Academic Style: Writing for the Humanities. Columbia: Columbia University Press, 2014.

JORDAN, M. K.; PLAKANS, L.: Reading and Writing for Academic Success. Michigan: Michigan Publishing. 2003.

SWALES, J. M. & FEAK B. C.: Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2012. 

SWAN, M.: Practical English Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016. 

WALWORK, A.: English for Writing Research Papers. New York: Springer, 2016.