ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS

Assessment Tasks

*Refer to assignment briefs for a more detailed breakdown of the assessments

1. Assignment 1 – Collaborative Writing (Due date: week 3, Friday by 3.00

p.m.)

Details of task:

In pairs, students will produce an essay outline on topics given in Appendix 2.

Value: 5%

Word limit: 80 – 100 words

Estimated return date: 1 week after submission

Marking criteria: refer to marking rubrics

2. Assignment 2 – Individual Writing (Due date: week 5, Friday by 3.00 p.m.)

Details of task:

Students will produce a full essay individually. You are strongly encouraged to
use the writing conventions taught in the course.

Value: 5%

Word limit: 150 – 200 words

Estimated return date: 1 week after submission

Marking criteria: refer to marking rubrics

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3. Assignment 3 – Informative Speech (Due date: week 8)

Details of task:

You will need to deliver an informative speech to inform your audience about
a topic of your choice. Your speech has to be clear and coherent. You should
try to highlight several key ideas in your speech to make it more interesting.

Example of speeches:

a) Why did the Titanic sink?

b) The history of blue jeans
c) How to get an A for your English assignment

Value: 10%

Time limit: 5 minutes per person

Estimated return date: n/a

Marking criteria: refer to marking rubrics

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Examination(s)
The final exam for this course is conducted in week 10

Grading
At the end of the semester, you will receive a grade for your course in the range of A
– F. The grades have the meaning specified in the table below.

Grade Description
A Excellent
B Very good
C Good
D Satisfactory
E
Inadequate
F

Assignment submission

Hard Copy Submission:

Assignments must include a cover sheet. The coversheet template for the
Foundation Programme is accessible through course resources on VISION.

All students must keep a copy (electronic and printout) of all assignments completed
and submitted. Should an assignment be missing, you must be able to reproduce a
copy within 24 hours. Failure to do so will be counted as non-submission.

All written assignments submitted should be word-processed and well-presented.

You should use 12 point Times New Roman. One inch margins should be
maintained all around. Assignments should be double-spaced, with pages
numbered consecutively. For citations and referencing, choose the system used in
your discipline and be consistent.

Coursework submitted late will have a penalty of a 5% deduction of the total mark for
each day (excluding weekends) the coursework is late.

Remember that plagiarism is intellectual theft and is a major offence which the
University takes seriously in all cases. Students must therefore take care to avoid it.
Those who are found to have plagiarised will be subject to the University’s
disciplinary procedures, which may result in penalties ranging from the deduction of
credits and courses already achieved by students to compulsory termination of
studies. Students are advised to refer to Regulation 50 at
http://www.hw.ac.uk/ordinances/regulations.pdf and to the Guidelines for Staff and
Students on Discipline at http://www.hw.ac.uk/registry/Discipline.php for further
details of how the University deals with all acts of plagiarism.

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.Returning assignments
Assignments are normally returned in class or at a time arranged by the lecturer.

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 ASSIGNMENT BRIEF: ESSAY OUTLINE

This assignment must be done in pairs.

Information

Deadline: Week 3 by 3.00 p.m.

Word limit: 80 - 100 words
Percentage: 5%

Assignment requirements
Topic: Prepare an outline using the template given in Appendix 1 for an essay based
on topics listed in Appendix 2. You do not have to write in full sentence – keywords
and point forms are accepted.

Your outline must include:

 An introduction
 Two or three body paragraphs
 A conclusion

Marking criteria

Please refer to the marking rubric below:

Criterion Descriptor Percentage

(%)
Excellent This outline is structured and detailed. It presents all
(high quality, detailed, the ideas this essay will explore. 3.5 – 5
exceeds expectations)

Very Good This outline is for the most part structured and 3
(decent quality, somewhat detailed. The main points appear but lack some detail
detailed, meets and might or clarity. Some information may distract readers.
occasionally exceed
expectations)
Good This outline is somewhat structured and is somewhat 2.5
(meets requirement, some detailed. Some main point(s) may be unclear,
parts are detailed and undeveloped.
mostly meets expectations)
Satisfactory This outline is somewhat structured and is only fairly 2
(essentially meets minimal detailed. Some main point(s) may be unclear,
expectations) undeveloped, or even absent entirely.

Poor This outline is incomplete and/or poorly structured. It 0 – 1.5

(fails to meet the is unclear and has no clear organisation.
requirement of this
assignment)

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 APPENDIX 1

THE OUTLINE (5%)

Names & Student ID: _______________________________ Score: __________

_______________________________

Introduction:
Opening sentence: ______________________________________________________________

Information: 1) ______________________________________________________________
2) ______________________________________________________________

Thesis statement: ______________________________________________________________

Body Paragraph:
Topic sentence: ______________________________________________________________

Main idea (1): ______________________________________________________________

Elaboration: ______________________________________________________________
Example: ______________________________________________________________

Body Paragraph:
Topic sentence: ______________________________________________________________

Main idea (2): ______________________________________________________________

Elaboration: ______________________________________________________________

Example: ______________________________________________________________

Conclusion:
Paraphrase thesis: ______________________________________________________________

Summary of ideas: ______________________________________________________________

0
Comment/ opinion: ______________________________________________________________

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 APPENDIX 2
ESSAY TOPICS

1. Positive and negative effects of today’s communication.

2. Do you think English will remain to be a global language despite

globalisation?

3. Any recent Invention that you think proved beneficial or detrimental to society.

4. In the past 100 years, there are many inventions such as antibiotics, airplanes

and computers. What do you think is the most important invent for the past

100 years? Why?

5. Extreme sports like skiing, rafting, diving should be banned. Agree or

disagree? Argumentative / persuasive/ opinionated type essay.

6. Do you think that formal written examinations are a good way to assess

knowledge at school?

7. The information revolution has changed the ways of mass communication and

had some negative and positive effects on individuals’ lives as well as on

society. To what extent you are agreed or disagree?

8. Television has many useful functions to play in everyone’s life, for some its

relaxation, for some it is the companion. Discuss your viewpoint and support

your answer with examples and discussion point.

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 ASSIGNMENT BRIEF: INDIVIDUAL ESSAY

This is an individual assignment.

Information

Deadline: Week 5 by 3.00 p.m.

Word limit: 150 – 200 words
Percentage: 5%

Assignment requirements
Topic: Write an essay based on the topic given. You are strongly encouraged to use
the writing conventions that have been taught in this course.

Your essay must include:

 An introduction
 Two body paragraphs
 A conclusion

Marking criteria

Please refer to the marking rubric below:

Criterion Descriptor Percentage (%)

Excellent This outline is structured and detailed. It presents
(high quality, detailed, all the ideas this essay will explore. 3.5 – 5
exceeds expectations)

Very Good This outline is for the most part structured and 3
(decent quality, somewhat detailed. The main points appear but lack some
detailed, meets and might detail or clarity. Some information may distract
occasionally exceed readers.
expectations)

Good This outline is somewhat structured and is only 2.5

(meets requirement, some fairly detailed. Some main point(s) may be
parts are detailed and unclear, undeveloped, or even absent entirely.
mostly meets expectations)
Satisfactory This outline is somewhat structured and is only 2
(essentially meets minimal fairly detailed. Some main point(s) may be
expectations) unclear, undeveloped, or even absent entirely.

Poor This outline is incomplete and/or poorly 0 – 1.5

(fails to meet the structured. It is unclear and has no clear
requirement of this organisation.
assignment)

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 ASSIGNMENT BRIEF: INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATION

This is an individual assignment.

Information

Deadline: Week 8
Time limit: 5 minutes
Percentage: 10%

Assignment requirements

You will need to deliver an informative speech to inform your audience about a topic
of your choice. Your speech has to be clear and coherent. You should try to highlight
several key ideas in your speech to make it more interesting.

Example of speeches:

a) Why did the Titanic sink?

b) The history of blue jeans
c) How to get an A for your English assignment

Marking criteria

Please refer to the marking rubric below:

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 APPENDIX 3
INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATION MARKING RUBRIC 10%
Name: ___________________________ Score: ___________

Criterion Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Poor

(10) (8 – 9) (6 – 7 ) (4 – 5) (1 – 3)
Introduction 1. Gets attention Meets any Meets any two Meets only Partially meets
2. Clearly identifies three of the of the four one of the one of the criteria
topic four criteria criteria four criteria
3. Establishes
credibility
4. Previews the main
points

Body Main points are clear, Main points Main points Main points Main points are
well supported and are need clarity are not clear not stated
sources are cited somewhat and support, and have no
clear, some lack of sources support
support, and
some
sources are
cited
Conclusion 1. Reviews main points Reviews Reviews main Brings closure Does not bring
2. Brings closure main points, points but closure; the
3. Memorable brings does not bring audience is left
closure closure hanging
Use of Use of language Use of Use of Use of Use of language
Language contributes to language language language is inappropriate
effectiveness of the does not causes causes
speech, and vocalized have potential potential
pauses (um, uh, er etc.) negative confusion, confusion,
are not distracting impact, and and/or and/or
vocalized vocalized vocalized
pauses pauses pauses
(um, uh, er (um, uh, er (um, uh, er
etc.) not etc.) are etc.) are
distracting sometimes distracting
distracting
Clarity Speaks clearly and Speaks Speaks clearly Speaks clearly Often mumbles or
distinctly all the time clearly and and distinctly and distinctly cannot be
with no mispronounced distinctly most of the most of the understood with
words nearly all the time with no time with no more than three
time with no more than two more than mispronounced
more than mispronounce three words
one d words mispronounce
mispronounc d words
ed word
Time Within allotted time Within 5% of Within 10% of Within 20% of Not within 20% of
the allotted allotted time allotted time allotted time
time
(Rubric adapted from Dan Rooney)

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