English for Post-secondary Study

Welcome to ENGL 1070EED English for Post-secondary Study.

ENGL 1070EED is a one-term, three-credit-unit, 1000-level course open to undergraduates and sub-degree students of all academic disciplines. There are no prerequisites for this course.

This course aims to provide you with a number of basic strategies to improve your reading and writing skills related to academic study at degree/sub-degree level. The course is a preparation for degree- level studies and deals with those skills which are essential to the comprehension and production of academic texts.

This Course Guide has been prepared to help you progress through the course. It contains important information on course materials, procedures and assessment. Please take some time to read the Course Guide and familiarise yourself with what you will have to do to complete the course successfully.

This course is designed to help you develop your own reading and writing skills, with a particular focus on academic English. This course is designed for you to work through largely on your own, reading through the materials and completing the self-study tasks. The materials include real-world examples from academic texts and news media to demonstrate the material being taught in a format that you will actually encounter in the wider world as you progress through your studies and later career.

Course aims

ENGL 1070EED English for Post-secondary Study aims to:

• improve your ability to read challenging academic texts and build your academic vocabulary;
• develop your ability to structure your writing effectively to communicate your ideas more clearly; and
• develop your ability to write academic essays in English which comply with international tertiary-level education standards in terms of structure, expression and linguistic and orthographic accuracy.

Course learning outcomes

Upon the completion of ENGL 1070EED, you should be able to:

• read foundational-level English texts effectively;
• write an academic essay using formal academic conventions effectively;
• explain and apply the important structural and functional properties of English texts; and
• carry out successfully simple academic tasks requiring an integrated application of reading and writing.

This section provides you with the essential details of the course, such as what materials will be included and how you will be assessed. Please read through this material carefully to ensure that you are aware of the expectations and requirements for completing this course.

Course materials

ENGL 1070EED consists of:

• this Course Guide; and
• the study units (Units 1–6).

You will also be required to purchase a set textbook for use during the course.

Course Guide

This Course Guide tells you briefly what the course is about and how you should work through the material. It also gives you some information about tutorials and the assignments. You should refer to this document throughout the course to help clarify important points about studying with HKMU.

Study units

There are six study units in ENGL 1070EED English for Post-secondary Study; each requires two or three weeks of work. Each unit includes directions for study and references to sections of recommended reading from your set textbook.

The units also direct you to work on self-tests and activities. The self- tests are designed to help you check your understanding of the content of the study units, while the activities require you to reflect on and put into practice important issues and grammar points raised in the units and in the set textbook. Along with the assignments, the self-tests and activities will help you understand the key concepts of the individual units and, indeed, of the whole course.

The study units have a common format. Each includes:

• An introduction to the unit.
• Self-tests and activities spread throughout the unit. You should check the answers to each of these as you complete them.
• A summary of the unit.

Set textbook

You are required to purchase the following set textbook for use in ENGL 1070EED:

Swan, M., & Walter, C. (2019). Oxford English grammar course: Advanced with answers (Revised edition). Oxford University Press.

Reference books

In addition to the set textbook, the following are some recommended references:

Geyte, E. V. (2014). Writing: Learning to write better essays. HarperCollins Publishers.

Hart, S. (2017). Expand your English: A guide to improving your academic vocabulary. Hong Kong University Press.

Langan, J. (2023). College writing skills with readings (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill.

Legg, M., Pat, K., Roberts, S., Welland, R., Chan, L., Chan, L., & Tsang, W. L. (2017). Academic English: Skills for success (revised 2nd ed.). Hong Kong University Press.

Ng, P. T. P. (2003). Effective writing: A guide for social science students. The Chinese University Press.

Murphy, R. (2019). English grammar in use: A self-study reference and practice book for intermediate learners of English (5th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Read, S. H. (2019). Academic writing skills for international students (1st ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing.

You may choose to buy your own individual copies of the above books. In addition, you are advised to equip yourself with a good, up-to-date dictionary (although this is not a compulsory purchase). The dictionary exercises in the course may be completed by reference to any dictionary, but the following two are particularly recommended for our students:

Oxford advanced learner's dictionary (10th ed.). (2020). Oxford University Press; or

Collins Cobuild advanced learner's English dictionary (9th ed.). (2018). Harper Collins.

Course overview

The following table provides an overview of the course and suggests the amount of time needed for completing each unit. However, each of us has our own learning styles and speeds, so this schedule is only a guide. You may find, for example, that a particular unit requires more time than another. For these reasons, you should feel free to adjust the schedule to suit your needs more closely, while still adhering to the deadlines for the assignments.

Course assessment

There are two methods of assessing progress: continuous assessment through the completion of the assignments and an examination at the end of the course. The course is designed to help you progress smoothly through the study units to the assignments and examination.

Assignments

The assignment details will be provided to you as a separate Assignment File, uploaded to the course OLE. There are two assignments for continuous assessment. These give you the opportunity to put into practice the skills and knowledge you have acquired in the course.

Each assignment is worth 20% of the total marks of the course.

The Assignment File contains detailed instructions and advice for each assignment. The Presentation Schedule, also found on the course OLE, will remind you of when to submit your assignments. It is very important to read the Assignment File and keep to the deadlines given in the Presentation Schedule.

Examination

The examination for ENGL 1070EED will last for three hours and carries 60% of the total course marks. It consists of questions which reflect very closely the types of assignments you will have been working on throughout the course. This means that you will only be examined on what you have learnt throughout the term.

HKMU has a clear and open approach to help students succeed in all aspects of their study. You will be provided with a specimen examination paper similar in format to the actual examination, although the questions will, of course, be different. To be awarded a final pass grade for this course, you must attain passes in both the continuously assessed course assignments and the examination.

The assessment items are outlined in the following table.

You are strongly advised to follow the following strategy when working through the course. Doing so will help ensure that you get the maximum benefit from the course in the time available.

1. Organise your study schedule. Refer to the “Course overview” table in this guide and to the Presentation Schedule which will be sent to you separately or uploaded to the course OLE. Note the minimum amount of time that you are expected to spend on each unit, and how the assignments relate to the units. You can write your own dates for working on each unit to create a personal study schedule. Once you have created a complete personal study schedule, you should do everything you can to stick to it. The major reason for failure in distance learning programmes is that students get behind in their course work. If you get into difficulties for whatever reason, you should let your tutor know before it becomes too late to help you.
2. At this stage you should read carefully the HKMU document you have been sent entitled Academic writing: Acknowledging your sources. This document provides valuable information and advice on how to avoid plagiarism (copying the words of other writers or failing to acknowledge them appropriately as references). As the HKMU Student Handbook makes clear, students must avoid plagiarism in their academic writing.
3. Turn to Unit 1 and read the introduction. Begin to work through the unit. As you work, you will be asked to complete various self- tests and activities. Please do not ignore these — they are essential in helping you develop your knowledge and skills. As soon as you have completed a test or activity, check your responses against those given in the answer and feedback sections at the end of the unit.
4. Some of the concepts and terminology in the course will be new to you, and you may have to make special efforts to understand them. If at any time you find something hard to understand, contact your tutor as soon as possible.
5. Begin to work on the next unit and proceed through the course in the manner described above. Try to pace your study so that you keep yourself on schedule without the need for exhausting periods of “burning the midnight oil”!

Tutors and tutorials

There will be seven non-compulsory two-hour tutorials to support ENGL 1070EED English for Post-secondary Study. During the tutorials, you will receive input and feedback from your tutor. You will also have the opportunity to engage with your classmates on the various issues covered in the course material through structured discussion. During these tutorials, you are encouraged to participate as actively as possible, in both the small group and whole-class exercises, so come prepared to speak up and share.

HKMU will inform you of the dates, times and venues of these tutorials, as well as the name and contact details of your tutor, as soon as the tutorial groupings are confirmed.

Your tutor marks your assignments, provides you with feedback to help you improve, and monitors your progress closely throughout the course.
When your assignments are returned, please pay careful attention to the comments your tutor has written on the assignment form and on the assignment itself. These are meant to help you to not only improve your grade on later assignments, but also to develop your skills and understanding in the future.

Your tutor will also assist you if you have any difficulties during the course. Do not hesitate to contact them if you need help. For example, if you:

• have serious problems in understanding any part of the units or the recommended readings;
• have difficulty understanding what the self-tests and activities require of you;
• are interested in the topic and want further advice on how to get more information on the topic;
• have questions about an assignment, your tutor's comments on it, or on the grade you received; or
• are likely to miss an assignment submission deadline; your tutor can, if you present a convincing reason, allow you a one-week extension of the deadline.

Assignment submission extension policy

The assignment policy of the University as stated in the Student Handbook should be observed. Students are required to submit assignments for a course in accordance with the dates communicated by the Course Coordinator. Students may apply for a submission extension on the grounds of illness, accident, disability, bereavement or other compassionate circumstances.

Applications for extensions of up to seven days should be submitted to the tutor. The tutor shall consider valid and unexpected emergencies on an individual basis. Normally, documented proof of the extenuating circumstances is not required for extensions of up to seven days. The tutor shall decide and advise the student of the revised date for submission.

For extensions of over seven days, students should note the following:

1. If students require an extension of more than seven days on the grounds of illness, accident, disability, bereavement or other compassionate circumstances, they are required to complete an “Application Form for Assignment Extension over seven days” and submit it to the Course Coordinator.
2. Supporting documents must be submitted along with the application for extension of over seven days to justify the claim.
3. Applications for extension should normally be lodged before or on the due date.
4. Applications are considered by:
   • the Course Coordinator for extensions of 8 to 21 days; and
   • the Dean for extensions of over 21 days.

According to the University's policy, there is no extension of the due date for the final assignment.

Online Learning Environment

This course is supported by the Online Learning Environment (OLE). You can find course materials and the latest course information from the OLE. Through the OLE, you can communicate with your tutors, the Course Coordinator as well as fellow students. You can also apply for extensions and submit your assignments via the OLE. For details about the OLE and how to access it, please refer to the Online Learning Environment User Guide.

No matter which subject area you are studying at HKMU, ENGL 1070EED is designed to help you develop your reading and writing skills to help you succeed at university and beyond.

The course includes six study units and a set textbook. It is supported by regular tutorials and the OLE. Assessment is in the form of two assignments and a final examination.

Remember that although you are responsible for your own study, HKMU staff are here to help you. If you experience difficulties with any aspect of your course, contact your tutor or your Course Coordinator.

We hope that you will find this course not only useful, but also engaging.

Tiffany Ip (Units 1, 3 and 4)

Tiffany Ip gained a PhD in neurolinguistics from the University of Hong Kong after completing her bachelor's degree in psychology and linguistics. She has taught various academic English, linguistics and psychology courses at the post-secondary and tertiary level for over a decade. She also possesses extensive experience with course development for online and face-to-face learners, copyediting and writing.

Keenan Daniel Manning (Units 2, 5 and 6)

Keenan Daniel Manning (MEd, MBus, BBus, CertTESOL) has several years' experience in teaching and teaching support, as well as developing educational materials across several higher education institutions in Hong Kong.