University of the West of England

MODULE SPECIFICATION

(Revised July 2001)

TITLE: General English for International Students – Cambridge Proficiency Certificate (CPE) (Cambridge ESOL)

CODE: UPLQK5-20-3 VERSION: 3

MODULE TYPE: Standard

OWNING FACULTY: HLSS

FIELD: Languages

CONTRIBUTES TOWARDS: MOST UWE UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS

UWE Credit Rating: 20 CREDITS

Level: 3

Pre-requisites: None

Co-requisites: None

Excluded combinations: None

Valid from: September 2006

Discontinued from:

LEARNING OUTCOME:

At the end of this module the successful student will be able to:

• exploit a wide level of sophisticated vocabulary and idiom in an appropriate and effective way

• demonstrate a thorough and active knowledge of a very wide range of the elements of English grammar

• use actively and effectively a wide range of listening skills

• demonstrate an ability to speak accurately, appropriately, maturely and sophisticatedly in a wide range of situations

• write in a variety of styles and for a variety of purposes a range of written work including transactional letters, reports, summaries, stories, newspaper reviews, articles, and so on with a firm sense of audience and purpose and an understanding of the issues of formality, style, purpose, audience and register

• read with a high level of understanding a wide range of texts including newspaper articles, text and reference books, brochures, guides, messages, reports, advertisements and so on.

This module also prepares students to sit the Cambridge ESOL Certificate of Proficiency in English, should they wish to take it.

SYLLABUS OUTLINE:

• a wide and challenging range of contemporary and stimulating topics designed to develop reading and listening skills at a level appropriate to the Cambridge ESOL Proficiency Certificate

• the core and more sophisticated elements of the grammar of the English language presented in a communicative way

• a wide range of appropriate, relevant, sophisticated and challenging vocabulary and idiomatic language presented in authentic and stimulating settings

• a series of high level writing tasks designed to foster the skills of writing with a sophisticated and well developed sense of audience, purpose, style and register appropriate to the Cambridge ESOL proficiency level

• a range of opportunities for students to express opinions, debate ideas, solve problems, describe pictures and events and account for feelings and ideas at a level appropriate to the Cambridge ESOL proficiency level

TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODS:

This module will be delivered through a series of communicative language lessons with an emphasis appropriate to the Cambridge ESOL Proficiency Certificate in English Examination and including some of the following:

• simulation and role play

• free discussion in groups, pairs and whole of class

• debates

• mini-lectures

• explanation and practice of grammatical rules and other linguistic features

• reading comprehension

• listening comprehension

• audio and video laboratory work

• case study work

• group and pair work

• directed self-study

INDICATIVE SOURCES:

An indicative bibliography will be supplied at the beginning of the course

ASSESSMENT

A) ATTEMPT 1:

Component 1 (controlled conditions? Yes/No) % weighting 80%

One and a half hours exam

Component 2 (controlled conditions? Yes/No) % weighting 20%

A 15-minute paired interview

B) ATTEMPT 2:

Component 1 (controlled conditions? Yes/No) % weighting 80%

One and a half hours exam

Component 2 (controlled conditions? Yes/No) % weighting 20%

A 15-minute paired interview

SECOND (OR SUBSEQUENT) ATTEMPT – Attendance at taught classes is not required

Specification confirmed by Programme Director, December 2001