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The Role of the Communication The Role of the Communication and Success Strategies Course and Success Strategies Course As A Support Service of the As A Support Service of the Extended Extended ProgrammeProgramme of the of the North West UniversityNorth West University

ByByNeo P. Neo P. TshetloTshetlo

North West UniversityNorth West University--Mafikeng CampusMafikeng Campus

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

The initial mandate was to provide study The initial mandate was to provide study skills to Science students.skills to Science students.

The course was referred to as Study The course was referred to as Study Skills. The term Skills. The term ‘‘communicationcommunication’’ was was added because of the intended focus on added because of the intended focus on academic communicative competence.academic communicative competence.

The term The term ‘‘study skillsstudy skills’’ was replaced was replaced with with ‘‘success strategiessuccess strategies’’..

1.Rationale For The (CSS) 1.Rationale For The (CSS) Course In The Course In The B.ScB.Sc And And B.ComB.Com

Extended Extended ProgrammesProgrammes

The CSS course is currently located in the The CSS course is currently located in the English Department with a mandate to English Department with a mandate to ‘‘serviceservice’’ the the FPsFPs in the two in the two EDPsEDPs..Rationale:AcademicRationale:Academic and lifeand life--long success long success hinges on the conscious harnessing of a hinges on the conscious harnessing of a range of elements.range of elements.The overarching outcome of the CSS The overarching outcome of the CSS course is to facilitate academic and lifecourse is to facilitate academic and life--long success. long success.

Rationale (cont)Rationale (cont)

The course tacitly reinforces the The course tacitly reinforces the universityuniversity’’s mission objective to s mission objective to ““develop, develop, educate and empower through quality educate and empower through quality teaching and learning, wellteaching and learning, well--rounded rounded graduates who are able to think laterally graduates who are able to think laterally and critically in their service to the and critically in their service to the country and its peoplecountry and its people”” (NWU Mission (NWU Mission Statement: 2005).Statement: 2005).The CSS course further supports the The CSS course further supports the objectives of the two faculties which objectives of the two faculties which encompass the ICAR values.encompass the ICAR values.

2.The CSS Course2.The CSS Course’’s s Contribution To The Extended Contribution To The Extended

Programmes:Programmes:

Support is primarily provided by:Support is primarily provided by:facilitating the acquisition of English language facilitating the acquisition of English language receptive and productive skillsreceptive and productive skills(communication skills);(communication skills);raising awareness regarding the holistic raising awareness regarding the holistic nature of success (success strategies) andnature of success (success strategies) andhighlighting the value of critical thinking in highlighting the value of critical thinking in learning.learning.

Contribution (cont)Contribution (cont)

English is used as a medium of English is used as a medium of communicating (deciphering and communicating (deciphering and constructing) academic information.constructing) academic information.

The focus is on the acquisition of English The focus is on the acquisition of English language proficiency that will facilitate language proficiency that will facilitate academic success.academic success.

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3. The Relevance of CALP and 3. The Relevance of CALP and BICSBICS

The ability to communicate socially The ability to communicate socially ––BICS BICS does not necessarily translate into academic does not necessarily translate into academic communicative competencecommunicative competence--CALP CALP (Cummins:1984) which includes comparing, (Cummins:1984) which includes comparing, classifying, synthesisingclassifying, synthesising-- CRITS CRITS (Haynes:2007).(Haynes:2007).Students are exposed to academic writing Students are exposed to academic writing standards and conventions.standards and conventions.Guidelines are given for academic oral Guidelines are given for academic oral presentations.presentations.

4.4. Reading strategies and Reading strategies and MetacognitionMetacognition

Students are guided to apply Students are guided to apply ‘‘fitfit--forfor--purposepurpose’’ reading strategies and skills like reading strategies and skills like scanning, skimming and the SQ3R approach.scanning, skimming and the SQ3R approach.

Their awareness is raised Their awareness is raised w.r.tw.r.t the the significance of significance of metacognitivemetacognitive skills in skills in monitoring their own progress and taking monitoring their own progress and taking ownership of all facets of their learning. ownership of all facets of their learning.

5.Word Bank Account, Knowledge5.Word Bank Account, Knowledgeand Vocabulary Acquisitionand Vocabulary Acquisition

Students are encouraged to become avid readers as Students are encouraged to become avid readers as part of a vocabulary acquisition agenda.part of a vocabulary acquisition agenda.

The metaphor of a bank account is used to illustrate The metaphor of a bank account is used to illustrate the WBA concept.the WBA concept.The inculcation of a culture of reading is The inculcation of a culture of reading is emphasisedemphasisedso that they can become so that they can become ““voracious seekers of voracious seekers of informationinformation…”…” (Carson:1996).(Carson:1996).Passages used for incidental vocabulary acquisition Passages used for incidental vocabulary acquisition (Nation:1992).(Nation:1992).They are encouraged to be critical thinkers who They are encouraged to be critical thinkers who interact with various texts as opposed to rote interact with various texts as opposed to rote learners.learners.

6. 6. Assessment for LearningAssessment for Learning

Assessment is not just a tool for student Assessment is not just a tool for student evaluation but also a useful strategy for evaluation but also a useful strategy for classroom learning (Earl:2003).classroom learning (Earl:2003).It is used to promote the It is used to promote the ‘‘success success strategies agendastrategies agenda’’..For e.g. comprehension passages are For e.g. comprehension passages are excerpted from books like Ben Carsonexcerpted from books like Ben Carson’’s s (1996) (1996) Think Big, Unleash Your Potential Think Big, Unleash Your Potential for Excellencefor Excellence, Stephen Covey, Stephen Covey’’s (1990) s (1990) 7 7 Habits of Highly Successful People Habits of Highly Successful People (paradigm shift).(paradigm shift).

Texts are also chosen for their topical value Texts are also chosen for their topical value and relevance.and relevance.

ConclusionConclusionStudents underStudents under--perform because of lack of perform because of lack of exposure.exposure.

Academic problems are symptomatic of their Academic problems are symptomatic of their sociosocio--economic backgrounds.economic backgrounds.

‘‘AtAt--riskrisk’’ students are, wherever possible, students are, wherever possible, identified and referred.identified and referred.

Need for more strategic and structured Need for more strategic and structured interinter--disciplinary intervention and disciplinary intervention and interaction.interaction.

LanguageLanguage--rich environments to allow for the rich environments to allow for the various functions of language.(Halliday:1978)various functions of language.(Halliday:1978)

Further research needed to enhance . the Further research needed to enhance . the efficacy of the course as an credible tool for efficacy of the course as an credible tool for the increase of throughput. the increase of throughput.