GA4002 - Academic Language Skills for Newcastle Business School i2i

What will I learn on this module?

This module is designed to support your transition to a British university and help you develop the key skills required to successfully undertake your undergraduate degree. By the end of the module, you should be confident in how to quickly and effectively read and process texts, understand the critical thinking processes behind selecting relevant information and how to incorporate that into your own writing in an acceptable manner, including correctly citing and referencing your work. In addition, we will look at how presentations are used in universities and help you develop the skills to write and deliver high quality academic presentations.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding the difference between critical engagement and description
• Processing texts quickly and efficiently
• Understanding the importance of using good quality sources.
• Avoiding academic misconduct and building as argument by citing referencing correctly
• Using electronic referencing aids
• Developing academic writing skills
• Understanding assignment briefs to maximise your grades.
• Designing & delivering discipline-related academic presentations.

How will I learn on this module?

This module is taught by weekly interactive seminars. Each seminar will be based around a particular academic skill and will be sequenced to follow the research and writing process or tied into your business modules to prepare you for their specific requirements. Within the seminars you will be asked to participate in a variety of individual and small group tasks as well as full class discussions. Your participation is essential as with many of these tasks the process of working towards the final answer is much more important than the final answer itself. Many of the tasks have no single correct answer and so it is important that you share your views. Over the course of the module, you should develop confidence in your own ability to process texts, extract relevant information and construct written answers from it.

We will keep directed, independent learning to a minimum on this module but in order to maximise the effectiveness of our seminar time together we may ask you to read some text extracts outside of seminar time. You will be required to prepare for the assessments outside of class time.

How will I be supported academically on this module?

All teaching materials for the module are made available on the module electronic learning portal (eLP) site, Blackboard. You will be provided with a teaching and learning plan that outlines the formal sessions, along with the tutor-directed study tasks and independent reading associated with each session.

Teaching staff operate an ‘open door’ policy for students meaning you can approach them anytime during normal office hours, or via email, to answer questions, receive feedback and support your learning on the module.

What will I be expected to read on this module?

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

What will I be expected to achieve?

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• MLO1: Read and evaluate the relevance and usefulness of information in a variety of academic sources effectively
• MLO2: Recognise and apply the conventions of academic writing, and write effectively within an academic context
• MLO3: Collate subject-related information, and prepare and deliver academic presentations
• MLO4: Assess personal strengths and weaknesses in relation to academic study and language skills, and identify strategies that can be used to further develop their skills.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

How will I be assessed?

Summative Assessment:
The module is assessed by three components. These are attendance, a presentation and a written assignment. They are all pass/fail. All three must be passed to complete the module.

Attendance of 70% of the seminars is required. [All MLOs]

Preparation and delivery of a short individual discipline-related presentation that is relevant to your area of study. [MLO3]

A short individual written subject-specific assessment that is relevant to your subject discipline. [MLO2]

Feedback:
Class discussion and tutor feedback on in class exercises will support your learning and provide guidance for the summative assessments. Written feedback will be provided on summative assessed work. For presentation, feedback will be supplemented with verbal comment and discussion.


* (If you have valid grounds for non-attendance [such as illness], then appropriate documentary evidence [such as a doctor’s letter] must be provided to the module tutor at the following session.

Pre-requisite(s)

None

Co-requisite(s)

None

Module abstract

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural differences in teaching and assessment practices. The aim of this module is to support you on your business program by helping you to understand what a British university expects of you in terms of critical engagement, research skills, written academic language and verbal communication skills. Understanding these requirements will help you to take control of your studies and become an independent learner. The weekly seminars will be developed to tie in with your credit -bearing business modules and you build the skills required as you need them. Directed learning outside the seminars will be kept to a minimum to allow you to focus fully on your business program. Participation and active engagement in the seminars is absolutely essential to getting the most from this module.

Course info

Credits 0

Level of Study Undergraduate

Mode of Study 3 years Full Time

Department Newcastle Business School

Location City Campus, Northumbria University

City Newcastle

Start September 2025

Fee Information

Module Information

All information is accurate at the time of sharing. 

Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.  

Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.

 

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