COURSE OUTLINE

FOUN 1106: Academic

English for Research
Purposes
English Language Foundation Unit
Department of Modern Languages & Linguistics
University of West Indies
St. Augustine Campus

SEMESTER ONE: 2017/2018

 FOUN 1106: Academic English for Research Purposes

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics

ENGLISH LANGUAGE FOUNDATION UNIT

FOUN 1106: ACADEMIC ENGLISH FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES

Semester One: 2017-2018 Undergraduate

Pre/Co-requisites: CAPE Communication Studies: Grade 1 or 2.

Credits: 3
Mode of Delivery: Blended (Face-to-Face and online)
Course Administrator: Rhoda Bharath rhoda.bharath@sta.uwi.edu
Office & Office Hours: Room 13 Ground Floor, Faculty of Humanities & Education,
662-2002 ext 82518.
Monday 10-11 am
Tuesday 4-5 pm

1. Course description
Academic English for Research Purposes is designed to provide first year students with the
fundamental skills that undergird successful research at the undergraduate level. The areas of
emphasis include the different types of reading necessary in research, the academic language
necessary to write up research findings and the critical evaluation of academic research. Within
this course, students will be asked to identify a problem area within their specific discipline and
work through the various stages of conducting research to investigate it. Teaching will consist of
lectures, discussions and web-enabled blended learning. Critical reviews of research articles,
generating research questions and an individual research paper will form assessment strategies
within the course.

2. Rationale
This course is designed to introduce first year students to the foundational requirements of
research at the tertiary level. Many students enter the tertiary level environment ill-equipped to
meet the demands of academic research with regard to the different types of research required,
and the systematic way in which research must be conducted. Students also may lack
competence in utilizing the various reading skills necessary to successfully peruse large amounts
of information. Academic writing involves more than providing information but also conducting
research and identifying what is relevant to the audience needs.

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3. Course Aims
This course aims to enhance students critical thinking skills and encourage them to pursue their
own area of research from posed question to finished response.

4. Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Identify the building blocks of research.
2. Assess different approaches to research and analysis.
3. Distinguish between different registers for writing research.
4. Deconstruct and analyse secondary research data.
5. Produce a research paper.
6. Critically evaluate research writing.

5. Programme Goals and Course Learning Outcomes Matrix

Qualities of the Distinctive UWI Programme Level Learning Course Learning

Graduate Outcomes Outcomes

A UWI Graduate of this course will At the end of the programme At the end of the course
demonstrate the following students will be able to: students will be able to
qualities

1. A critical and creative Produce research that is Identify the building

thinker. grounded in contemporary blocks of research
issues that face the region.

2. An effective communicator Work individually and in Assess different

with good interpersonal groups to produce a coherent, approaches to research
skills. well-organized and and analysis.
academically grounded
research essay.

3. IT-skilled and information Use different forms of Deconstruct and analyse

literate. technology to research and the components of a
produce an academically research article.
sound research paper.

4. Globally Aware and well- Critically assess research Document research using
grounded in his/her regional material. Demonstrate an an approved format.
identity. awareness of the range of
language used in research.

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5. Socially, culturally and Be respectful of the research Summarise and

environmentally responsible produced by others through Paraphrase research.
and guided by strong ethical accurate documentation and
values. citation of their research.

Produce a research paper

Critically evaluate
research writing.

6. Course Assessments Description

Assessment within the course is geared towards providing students with opportunities to
demonstrate their mastery of course objectives. This course will be assessed through coursework
(50%) as described below and a final two-hour examination (50%). Students will respond
critically in essay format to the research article given. A pass mark is obtained from a
combination of coursework and a mark of 25 or more in the final examination. The final
examination MUST BE PASSED in order to obtain an overall pass in the course regardless of
the students mark in the coursework component. The following table summarizes the
assignments for this course:

% Credit Description Due Individual/Group Assessment

Assignment
(CA)
10 1 1. Generate 3 Week 2-3 persons Tutor/course
narrowed topics 5 coordinator
from the given
broad topic
2. Select one of the
narrowed topics
and generate 3
Research
Questions
3. Generate a
tentative thesis
statement that
reflects the
concerns of the
Research
Questions.

15 2 Develop a Literature Week 2-3 persons Tutor/course

Review for the chosen 8 coordinator
topic from CA 1 using no
fewer than 6 sources.

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25 3 Write a complete research Week 2-3 persons Tutor/course

paper based on Credit 12 coordinator
Assignment 1 and include
the Literature Review
from Credit Assignment 2.
50 *Final Critical evaluation of End of individual Tutor/coordinator
Examination excerpt of research article. course
*The date and time is set by the Examinations Section.

CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS:

CREDIT ASSIGNMENT 1 (10%):

For Credit Assignment 1 the groups task is to select ONE (1) of the named broad topics below
and:
1. Generate 3 narrowed topics from the given broad topic.
2. Select one of the narrowed topics and generate 3 Research Questions
3. Generate a tentative thesis statement that reflects the concerns of the Research Questions.

The broad topics are:

1. Gendered Discrimination
2. Restorative Justice

CREDIT ASSIGNMENT 2 (15%):

For Credit Assignment 2 groups are required to produce a Literature Review of different
academic sources pertinent to their selected research topic. You are required to conduct
SECONDARY RESEARCH for this assignment. This means that your specific focus is
generated from research that already exists in the chosen area. Groups are therefore required to
find at least SIX (6) academic articles on the narrowed focus that you have generated from the
broad area. Note that you should aim to use different types of sources for example, two of the
articles could be from journals accessed from the UWI librarys electronic databases; articles
may come from the librarys book collection; and other sources of secondary data. Google is a
search engine NOT a source. A complete works cited/references list comprised of a minimum of
five (5) sources is required for this assignment.

CREDIT ASSIGNMENT 3 (25%):

For Credit Assignment 3, groups are required to produce a complete Research Paper that will
incorporate the Literature Review from Credit Assignment 2 and be based on the topic, research
question and thesis of Credit Assignment 1. Credit Assignment 3 will rely strictly on
SECONDARY RESEARCH from reliable and peer reviewed sources.

Further particulars for Credit Assignments 1-3:-

1. All assignments must be typewritten (Font 12, Times New Roman) and double spaced on one side of
white letter-sized paper.

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 FOUN 1106: Academic English for Research Purposes

2. There should be a 1 margin on the left-hand side and a 1 margin on the right- hand side of each page.

3. Marks will be awarded for proper documentation which should follow the latest MLA handbook.

4. The stapled assignments must be submitted without files, binders, folders, jackets, etc. A cover page
indicating the following must be attached at the front of the essay:

Students name, Students I.D.#, Students Faculty, Semester and Academic Year, Course Code,
Course Title, Tutors Name, Tutorial Day and Time, Coursework Assignment and Date of
Submission.

5. A soft copy of Credit Assignments 2 & 3 must also be uploaded to Turnitin and the Upload Box on
myeLearning.

6. All Credit Assignments MUST BE accompanied by an Accountability Statement signed by all group members.
A copy of the form is available on myeLearning.
IMPORTANT!!! Failure to submit the signed form would result in a grade of zero. Commented [KS1]: Font size decreased here.

FINAL EXAMINATION (50%):

The final assessment for this course will consist of a critical evaluation of a previously unseen
extract of a journal article. This examination is two hours long. The date and venue will be set
by the Examination Section.

7. University Grading Scheme

A-to A+ (A- 75-79; A 80-89; A+ -90-100)
B-to B+ (B- 60-64; B 65-69; B+ 70-74)
C-to C+ (C - 50-54; C+ 55-59)
F1: 40 to 49
F2: 30 to 39
F3: 0-29

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8. Course Assessment Type and Course Learning Outcome Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes Weighting Assessment Assessment

Refer to objectives % Description Length
listed in section 4
1 2 3 4 5 6
Research 10 1. Generate 3 narrowed
Questions (Group) topics from the
given broad topic
2. Select one of the
narrowed topics and
generate 3 Research
Questions
3. Generate a tentative
thesis statement that
reflects the concerns
of the Research
Questions.
Literature Review 15 Develop a Literature 600 words
(Group) Review for the chosen
topic from CA 1 using
no fewer than 6 sources.
Research Paper 25 Write a complete 1500 words
(Group) research paper based on
Credit Assignment 1
and include the
Literature Review from
Credit Assignment 2
Final Exam 50 The final assessment for 650-750
(Individual) this course will consist words
of a critical evaluation
of a previously unseen
extract of a journal
article. This
examination is two
hours long. The date
and venue will be set by
the Examination
Section.

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9. Teaching Strategies

Method Description
Plenaries Two-hour lectures delivering core information with multi-
media support & group-based discussions.
Tutorials One-hour interactive group-based discussions and practice
exercises related to weekly lectures.
MyeLearning Online platform with self-assessment exercises that
reinforce central concepts of weekly lectures.
Group Assignments Team assignments to build collaborative skills.

10. Readings/Learning Resources

Recommended Print Readings
In addition to worksheets and exercises provided in class, the following readings are highly
recommended:

Arnold, J., C. Poston and K. Witek. Research Writing in the Information Age. Boston: Allyn and
Bacon, 1999.

Ballenger, B. P. The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers. Boston: Allyn
and Bacon, 1999.

Baxter L., C. Hughes and M. Tight. How to Research. Berkshire; New York: Open University
Press, 2010.

Bell, J. Doing Your Research Project: A Guide for First-time Researchers in Education, Health
and Social Science. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Open University Press, 2010.

Booth, W.C., G.G Colombo and J.M Williams. The Craft of Research. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press. 2008.

Castilla, E.J. Dynamic Analysis in the Social Sciences. London: Academic, 2007.

Fox, T., J. Johns and S. Keller. Cite it Right: The Source Aid Guide to Citation, Research and
Avoiding Plagiarism. Osterville, Mass: Sorceaid Llc, 2007.

Galvan, J.L. Writing the Literature Review: A Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioural
Sciences. Glendale, CA: Pyrczak, 2004.

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 FOUN 1106: Academic English for Research Purposes

Glaser, J. Understanding Style: Practical Ways to Improve Your Writing. New York: Oxford
University Press, 2010.

Grix, J. Information Skills: Finding and Using the Right Resources. New York: Palgrave
Macmillan, 2010.

Henderson, E. The Empowered Writer: An Essential Guide to Writing, Reading and Research.
Don Mills, Ontario: OUP Canada, 2010.

Slade, Carole. Form and Style: Research, Reports, Theses. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin,
2008.

Silvia, P.J. How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. Washington,
DC: American Psychological Association, 2007.

Swales, J. and C. B Feak. English in Todays World: A Writing Guide. Ann Arbor: University
of Michigan Press, 2000.

Walliman, N. and B. Baiche. Your Research Project: A Step-by-Step guide for the First-time
Researcher. London; Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2001.

Walliman, N. Research Methods: The Basics. London; New York: Routledge, 2011.

VanderMey. R. The College Writer: A Guide to Thinking, Writing and Researching. Boston, Mass:
Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012.

ONLINE RESOURCES

Dubicki, Eleonora. "Writing a research paper: students explain their process", Reference
Services Review, Vol. 43 Issue: 4, pp.673-688, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-07-2015-0036

Lester, J, D. Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2006.
http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip061/2005029394.html

Maimon, E. A Writers Resource: A Handbook for Writing and Research. Boston, Mass: McGraw-
Hill, 2003. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/mh031/2002016650.html

Rozakis, L. Schaums Quick Guide to Writing Great Research Papers. New York: McGraw-Hill.,
2009.

Additional general links:

http://www.studyskills.soton.ac.uk/studytips/reading_skills.htm

http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip088/2007052842.html ;

http://blog.ezinearticles.com/2011/03/formal-vs-informal.html

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 FOUN 1106: Academic English for Research Purposes

http://writingguide.geneseo.edu/?pg=topics/formalinformal.html

http://42explore.com/skim.htm

http://www.open.ac.uk/skillsforstudy/use-an-efficient-approach.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ-IrORkiFA

http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/reading-and-researching/critical-reading

http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/writing-resources/critical-reading

http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/skill28.htm

http://www.uis.edu/ctl/writing/Synthesizingresearch.pdf.pdf

http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/skill28.htm

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/03/

http://libguides.brandonu.ca/content.php?pid=26571&sid=197586

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11. Course Calendar

Week Plenary Tutorial Activities MyeLearning Assignments Assignment

Topic Online Independent Due Date
Activities
1. Course No Tutorial Explore myeLearning: N/A N/A
orientation
Download Course
and
Introduction. Outline and Course
Manual.

2. The Building Tutorial Orientation and Explore myeLearning: N/A N/A

Blocks of Formal Language Use
Informal vs Formal
Research.
Language
3. The Structure Assessing & Crafting N/A N/A
of the Research Questions
Research Explore myeLearning:
Paper. Building good research
questions.
4. Types of Identifying parts of N/A N/A
Research & the Research Article Explore myeLearning:
the
Types of Research
Language of
Research
5. Beginning Summary and Explore myeLearning: Credit In tutorials
the Research Paraphrase Writing. Tips for using your own Assignment 1
Process words and writing Due
concisely.

6. Documenting Sources
Writing the Explore myeLearning: N/A N/A
(online) Annotation Citation and
The Documentation
Literature How to write an
Review effective annotation.

7. Methodology Crafting the Lit Review Explore myeLearning: Corrected In tutorials

& Results How to write a Lit CA1 Return
Review?

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8. Discussion & Citation and Documentation.

Explore myeLearning: Credit In tutorials
Analysis Types of Analysis Assignment 2 & online
Due

9. Reading and Analysing Data and Explore myeLearning: N/A N/A

Assessing a Writing for Clarity How to Structure the
Research Research Paper
Paper.
10. Writing a Assessing the Research article
Explore myeLearning: N/A N/A
Critical Evaluating a paper.
Review

11. Abstract: Writing the Review Explore myeLearning: Corrected In tutorials

Summarising Reviewing a research CA2 Return
a Research article.
Paper
12. Recap Abstract Writing Informative and Credit In tutorials
Descriptive Abstracts Assignment 3 & online
Due

13. Course Review N/A N/A

(no introduction of new
subject matter)

NB: Corrected Credit Assignment 3 may be collected at the ELFU offices during Week 14.
Please check your email for a related announcement re collection.

12. University Policies and Expectations

a. Academic Integrity

POLICIES:
ALL business related to the English Language Foundation Unit is conducted either in class or
during fixed hours, in our offices located at the Ground Floor, South Block, Faculty of
Humanities and Education Building. The scheduled office hours are:

Monday to Friday The Secretariat 8:30am 4:30pm

Additionally, Student Assistants will be located within the Secretariat during the hours 9:00am to
4:00 pm.

Students CANNOT transfer coursework marks from one semester to another.

Credit assignments 1-3 MUST be submitted to your tutor ONLY during specified tutorial

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 FOUN 1106: Academic English for Research Purposes

sessions. Late Assignments are not accepted.

Excuses such as computer crashes, printer shut-down, loss of electricity and
corrupted files or viruses are not acceptable. Excuses such as work commitments, bad
weather and traffic are not acceptable either. Students must take responsibility for the
efficient organization and management of their time.
Students are strongly advised to make multiple copies of their work and to complete due
assignments before the due date to avoid the consequences of fluctuations in electricity
supply and computer malfunctions.
Plagiarism is totally UNACCEPTABLE. All sources of information utilized in submitted
work must be acknowledged in the prescribed citation format.
Students are required to ensure that they have a minimum of 75% attendance in keeping with
university regulations.

Each student must attend one plenary and one tutorial session each week. The schedule for
tutorials is available on myelearning.

b. Accommodations for students with disabilities

Students should refer to the University of the West Indies St Augustine Campus, Student
Disability policy https://sta.uwi.edu/resources/policies/Student_Disability.pdf

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