Study Guide

Objective

Students develop their skills in communication and co-operation needed to be able to work in a multicultural media environment. They learn to communicate in both verbal and written English in demanding media related job situations. Students develop competence to express their professional matters in English. They learn the central vocabulary and idioms of their profession. Students understand text of their own field and scientific articles, and are able to make verbal and written presentations.

Content

Reading texts of their own field, professional vocabulary, verbal and written reports and presentations, meetings and negotiations, writing a job application and cv.

Location and time

Tikkarinne campus

Materials

Materials in the Moodle learning environment. Articles.
Voluntary study material:
Cambridge English for the Media (Cambridge University Press, 2008)

Teaching methods

The student is able to communicate in written and spoken situations in the media industries in English.
The students also deepen their knowledge and skills in the language and terminology of the media industries and the written and spoken communication related to meetings.

The student is able to communicate effectively and persuasively by speaking and writing, using the right formality and register.
The student can paraphrase a piece of text or speech and is able to understand some of the more challenging grammar structures typical in formal written English and media texts.
The student knows how to write effective emails and business communication.
The student is able to read, evaluate, summarise, and report about different media and texts in their own words. They can also compare and contrast different aspects of the topic at hand. The student also knows how to write for web publications and how to write formal texts in business.

International connections

Available for international students too

Completion alternatives

Accreditation of Prior Learning
(B2

Student workload

Lectures and exams 30-34 hours; independent work 26 hours; readings 10 hours.

Evaluation scale

H-5

Assessment methods and criteria

Graded 0-5,
based on written and spoken performance in media assignments, activity in class and online, and a possible exam or word tests.

Assessment in the skills level B2 of English, in writing and speaking, adapted to the professional English courses of a university of applied sciences
(Skills levels according to Common European Frame of Reference, CEFR), level B2, independent language user.
Grades overview:
5: The student can use skilful, fluent and precise expressions on variable subjects and he/she can communicate effectively in different kinds of professional situations, even complex ones. The student has understood the task extremely well. The student also succeeds in persuading others in English. The text/speech is very clear, logical and versatile. The message is very coherent and the ideas are linked together fluently. The student can deliver the message in a natural and idiomatic way and the message is stylistically appropriate. The use of English is fluent and the structures are very versatile. In addition, the vocabulary is extensive. The use of non-verbal communication is natural and appropriate. Moreover, it supports the verbal language very well. The spoken communication is very interactive and natural. The student's speech, intonation and pronunciation are fluent, clear and precise. The tempo is natural and appropriate.
3-4: Discussing the subject is for the most part versatile, and the text/speech meets the requirements of the task in versatile professional situations in speaking and writing. The text/speech is clear, logical, or fairly logical. The message is coherent for the most part, but there can be some minor lapses in it. The student has understood the appropriate style and is able to use it for the most part. There may still be some stylistic errors, but they are minor or not consistent. The language is fluent, clear, and mostly correct. The majority of the structures the student uses are correct and he/she can use professional terminology to deliver the message. The basic grammar is correct. The more demanding and advanced structures and idiomatic expressions still cause some problems. The student has understood the instructions of the task. Speaking is clear, fluent and skilful for the most part, and the speaker succeeds well in the communication. The speech is also cohesive, logical, and easy to follow. The speaker engages the audience, in both verbal and non-verbal language. There may still be some hesitation, pauses and errors in pronunciation, but they are not consistent and they do not obstruct the message.
1-2:
Discussing a subject in different professional situations is rather limited and simple. The text or speech meets only some of the requirements of the task, and there is a lot to improve in the logical structure and fluency of the text/speech. The student has partially understood the task, but there are some aspects still missing. The student uses satisfactory language: it includes simple or basic structures, There are still mistakes in the basic grammar structures too. Some or several parts of the message can be misunderstood. The text is not very coherent or logical. The language includes a lot of simple expressions, which may also contain some errors. Speaking about professional topics is satisfactory, simple, slow, insecure, even poor. Interaction in speaking is minimal, or partly lacking. The main message is still delivered. There is a lot of hesitation, the pauses may be long, and the pronunciation may interfere with the delivery. The student may still understand the importance of small talk, and how to be polite in English.

0: The student fails to do the given task(s) / The student fails to understand the task instructions entirely or misunderstands a major part of the task. / The message does not get through to the audience, it is very difficult to follow, and/or there are severe problems in delivering the message. / There are severe problems in delivery and producing language to communicate in the situation or there are major problems in understanding the messages of others. / The student has not understood the situation and his role and requirements in it. In a speech, the student fails to speak, or fails to proce speech or tex with his own words, and consistently uses written language by reading a text out loud. / The student has copied a large part of his message from someone else’s text or speech. The student has not done his part of a teamwork assignment.

NB: Course activity in class and in Moodlerooms as well as the course exams are also a part of the assessment criteria.