December 2017

1

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong Community College

Subject Description Form

Subject Code CCN1006

Subject Title English for Academic Studies (Business) II

Level 1

Credit Value 3

Medium of Instruction

English

Pre-requisite / Co-requisite/ Exclusion

Pre-requisite CCN1005 English for Academic Studies (Business) I

Objectives

This subject is a continuation of CCN1005. It aims to further enhance students’ English language abilities to function effectively in a post-secondary, English-medium learning environment. Attention is given to reinforcing students’ confidence in pursuing further studies in business subjects. Where possible and appropriate, teaching materials relevant to topics in business will be used.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the subject, students will be able to: (a) conduct effective discussions for academic purposes.

(b) conduct basic research to gather primary data and information for

academic writing.

(c) write small-scale, fully fledged research essays to present arguments. (d) use appropriate lexico-grammatical resources to communicate

effectively on issues related to business.

Subject Synopsis/ Indicative Syllabus

Speaking Skills Academic discussions (on business topics): expressing opinions, asking for clarification and inviting contributions. Writing Skills Structure of a research essay; Writing a small-scale, fully fledged research essay (on a business topic) to present an argument; Incorporating data and information from different sources to support a thesis; Skills for proofreading and revising written texts. Research Skills Designing and conducting basic research (e.g. interview / questionnaire) using an appropriate data collection method.

December 2017

2

Discipline-related Communication Skills Reading, analysing and using texts for the discipline of business; Further vocabulary development relevant to the field of business.

Teaching/Learning Methodology

Students will be required to participate actively in the learning process. During seminars, students will take part in a wide range of interesting and challenging language learning activities such as role-plays and discussions, which reflect students’ needs in their academic studies in college. In particular, students will be required to plan and collaborate with peers in a team project/assignment which will give them an opportunity to experience learning from peers as well. Audio-visual materials will be used to improve students’ listening and speaking skills, and an online learning platform will be used as a tool to promote extended learning after class. Through extensive interactive practices, this subject helps students gain mastery of the language skills needed for effective academic communication.

Assessment Methods in Alignment with Intended Learning Outcomes

A variety of assessment tools will be used to develop and assess students’ achievement of the subject intended learning outcomes.

Specific assessment methods/tasks

% weighting

Intended subject learning outcomes to be assessed

a b c d

Continuous Assessment* 100

Writing Task (Individual) 20

Test (Individual) 30

Research Essay (Group) 25

Academic Discussion (Individual) 20

Participation (Individual) 5

Total 100 *Continuous assessment items and/or weighting may be adjusted by the subject team subject to the approval of the College Programme Committee.

To pass this subject, students are required to obtain Grade D or above in the Continuous Assessment.

December 2017

3

Student Study Effort Expected

Class contact Hours

Seminars 39

Other student study effort

Self-study 52

Continuous Assessment 42

Total student study effort 133

Reading List and References

Recommended Textbook Langan, J., Roen, D., Glau, G. R., & Maid, B. M. (2017). English for academic studies (Customised ed.). Singapore: McGraw-Hill. References Bailey, S. (2015). Academic writing: A handbook for international students (4th ed.). New York: Routledge. Capel, W., Flockhart, J., & Robbins, S. (2012). Business vocabulary in practice (3rd ed.). London: HarperCollins. Legg, M. (2017). Academic English: Skills for success (Rev. 2nd ed.). Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. McCormack, J., & Watkins, S. (2012). English for academic study: Speaking (New ed.). Reading: Garnet. Scarry, S., & Scarry, J. (2018). The writer’s workplace: Building college writing skills (11th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Swan, M., & Walter, C. (2011). Oxford English grammar course: Advanced. Oxford: Oxford University Press.