FACULTY OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION

UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK

Course Code PBI 1092

Course Title Academic English 2

Course Status Generic (Offered for 2015/2016 intake onwards)

Coordinator Mr. Damien Mikeng (mdamien@unimas.my)

Instructors A.P. Dr. Soubakeavathi Rethinasamy, Dr. Jecky Misieng, Dr. Joseph
Ramanair, Ms. Melisa Malini Raja Gopal, Mr. Dean Yeo Kai Liang,
Mr. Ahmed Shamsul Bahri Mohamad Tuah, Mr. Dexter Sigan John

Prerequisite MUET Band 4 and above

Course Synopsis This course aims to develop students’ ability in reading, writing and oral
presentation for academic purposes. Students will be introduced to appropriate
skills and strategies to facilitate the reading of academic texts in their
particular disciplines. They will also be guided through the skills required in
writing a variety of texts in their relevant fields of study. The focus
throughout the course is on how language functions in the academic genres
covered.

Course Aims The aim of this course is to develop students’ ability in reading, writing and
presenting for academic purposes.

Course Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to

Objectives demonstrate the following skills:
i Infer meaning of texts in students’ fields of study (C2)
ii Use APA referencing style to cite sources (C3)
iii Produce written academic texts in the genres covered by using various
paraphrasing techniques. (A2)
iv Explain academic topics orally using appropriate language and
presentation skills (A3)
Teaching- Classes are conducted in small group tutorial mode. The emphasis is on
Learning students’ reading and writing skills. Students are required to attend 2-hour
Approach face-to-face session per week, complete oral and written assignments, group
discussions and self-access learning (including online activities).

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Learning Hours Guided LHs Self LHs
Lectures (14 weeks x 2 hours) 28 28
Student-Centred Learning 6 12
Final Examination/Assessment 2 4
Sub-total 36 44
Total 80

Course Content LU1 : Essential Academic Skills

 Part A: Types of References
 Part B: Citations and Referencing
 Part C: Paraphrasing

LU2 : Reading Skills

 Identify main idea and extract specific details (what’s on the line)
 Infer and predict from contexts (between the lines)
 Evaluate and summarise key ideas (beyond the lines)

LU3 : Oral Presentation Skills

 Produce an effective oral presentation for academic settings
 Use accurate and appropriate expressions in presenting
 Communicate ideas and opinions clearly and precisely

LU4 : Information Report (Classification)

 Purpose of text – to classify factual information on a topic
(classification)
 Identify the structure of an Information Report
 Practice the language features of an Information Report
 Produce an Information Report with proper citation and referencing
 Present the overview of the written Information Report in groups.

LU 5 : Explanation Report (Process)

 Purpose of text – to explain ‘how’ and ‘why’ a natural or social
phenomenon occurs (process)
 Identify the structure of an Explanation Report
 Practice the language features of an Explanation Report
 Produce an Explanation Report with proper citation and referencing
 Present the overview of the written Explanation Report in groups.

LU 6 : Discussion Essay
 Purpose of text – present various sides of argument on a specific issue
(e.g. benefits and drawbacks, pros and cons)
 Identify the structure of a discussion essay
 Practice the language features of a discussion essay
 Produce a discussion essay on a given topic

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Assessment Coursework
Strategies Assessment 1a: Oral Presentation (Info Report) 10%
Assessment 1b: Information Report (Written) 20%
Assessment 2a: Oral Presentation (Explanation Report) 10%
Assessment 2b: Explanation Report (Written) 20%
Sub-total 60%
Final Examination 40%
Total 100%

References American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of the

American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC:
American Psychological Association.
American Psychological Association. (2010). Concise rules of APA style (6th
ed). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
American Psychological Association. (2010). Mastering APA style: Student's
workbook and training guide (6th ed). Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association.
Derewianka, B. (1994) Exploring how texts work. Newtown, NSW: Primary
English Teaching Association.
Kennedy, M. L., & Smith, H. M. (2005). Reading and writing in the academic
community (3rd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Mathur, A. (2009). Become Proficient in Speaking and Writing Good English.
India: Pustak Mahal.
Meyers, A. (2005). Gateways to academic writing: Effective sentences,
paragraphs and essay. New York, NY: Longman.
Oshima, A., & Hogue, A. (2006). Writing academic English (4th ed.). New
York, NY: Longman.
Purdue University. (2010). The OWL at Purdue. Retrieved from
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl
Van Emden, J. (2010). Presentation skills for students (2nd ed.). New York,
NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Students are strongly advised to strictly follow the Academic Regulation for
UNIMAS Undergraduates.

Important: Special Note on Plagiarism

As part of the teaching and learning process it is necessary to assess to what extent students have
understood what is being taught and learned.

To assess and to provide feedback and remediation, if necessary, it is essential that students
submit their own words, not those of a published (or unpublished) author, a friend, or another
student. This does not mean students cannot incorporate work from other sources, but the
majority of the work/opinions/ideas should belong to the student submitting the work. Quoting or
paraphrasing the work of another person is acceptable only in small quantities and only where
due reference must be made. This is achieved by including citations and a complete list of
references at the end of the work, using the 6th APA format which is taught in this course.

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Copying without due reference is unacceptable, as is copying the work of another student, or
submitting work already assessed in a previous course. It is known as plagiarism and is a serious
academic offence. No marks will be given for an assignment which is substantially not the
student's own work. Students may be reported to the Dean or to a disciplinary body of the
University.

To avoid plagiarism, take notes in your own words. Occasionally quote or paraphrase and
reference accordingly. When writing the final copy for assessment, close all textbooks and write
from the notes you have taken. Remember, the final text you produce for assessment should be
written in your own words.