Guide in PDF format
Logo

Writing and Reading for Academic Purposes II

Code: 106289
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
English Studies OB 2
English and Catalan Studies OB 2
English and Spanish Studies OB 2
English and French Studies OB 2
English and Classics Studies OB 2

Contact lecturer

Name :
Sònia Mas Alcolea
Email :
sonia.mas.alcolea@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Gayle Marie Dalton

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

Students enrolling in this subject are expected to have passed the subject Writing and Reading for Academic Purposes I.

The entry level for the subject is the C1.2 level (Advanced) in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment.

At the C1.2 level, the student can (i) understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning; (ii) express themselves fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions; (iii) use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes; (iv) produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.

It is also expected that students have consolidated knowledge of academic register and conventions. 

 

Objectives

"Writing and Reading for Academic Purposes II" is part of the subject "Academic Skills in English", along with "Speaking and Listening for Academic Purposes I", "Speaking and Listening for Academic Purposes II", "Writing and Reading for Academic Purposes I" and "Seminar on Advanced oral and written expression in English"

This course is primarily aimed at introducing students to the practices of academic reading and writing in English, with a focus on texts and topics relevant to the field of English Studies—particularly sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, and literature—approached from an academic, critical, and gender perspective.

Objectives:

  • To improve the instrumental and academic use of the English language up to a C2.1 level of linguistic competence.
  • To read and write academic texts in English in a structured, cohesive, and grammatically accurate manner, using sophisticated vocabulary and following the conventions of different academic genres.
  • To analyse authentic texts (scientific articles and/or book chapters) in order to become familiar with academic writing genres and conventions, focusing on topics in sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, and literature, from a critical and gender perspective.
  • To develop strategies for critical reading and textual comprehension by identifying the structure and argumentative content (main and supporting ideas, evidence, counterarguments).
  • To understand and apply academic referencing mechanisms and the responsible use of sources, integrating them into one’s own discourse with rigour and respect for authorship, following established bibliographic standards.
  • To write a clearly structured and well-supported academic argumentative essay that takes a position on a topic discussed in class, incorporating evidence from course readings.
  • To improve the ability to communicate information, ideas, problems, and solutions effectively, appropriately, and respectfully in academic contexts, both in writing and orally when required.
  • To make use of digital tools and academic documentary sources to search for, select, and organise relevant information, fostering a critical, autonomous, and ethical approach to learning.

Learning outcomes

  1. Locate specialised and academic information and select this according to its relevance.
  2. Express oneself fluently, correctly, appropriately and effectively, both orally and in writing, in an academic environment.
  3. Express oneself in English orally and in writing in a formal register and using the appropriate terminology in relation to the characterisation of academic discourse.
  4. Understand written and oral academic discourse in the field of human and social sciences at higher-proficient-user level (C2).
  5. Modulate written and oral discourse in order to express oneself respectfully and ethically in a context of academic interaction.
  6. Produce academic written and oral speeches at advanced higher-proficient-user level (C2) and adapting them to the conventions of the different genders.
  7. Understand written and oral academic discourse in the field of human and social sciences at higher-proficient-user level (C2).
  8. Understand written and oral academic discourse in the field of humanities and social sciences at higher-proficient-user level (C2).
  9. Produce academic written and oral speeches at higher-proficient-user level (C2) and adapting them to the conventions of the different genders.
  10. Produce written and oral academic discourse with a fluency and accuracy appropriate to a higher-proficient-user level (C2) and adapting them to the conventions of the different genders.

Contents

The course is organised around three thematic units specific to English Studies:

  • Speaking with(out) an Accent
  • Contexts for Intercultural and Language Learning
  • Gender Representation in Literary Texts

From these thematic units, students develop skills in academic written communication in English, working in an integrated way on both disciplinary content and language competence.


Language competence

  • Consolidation of advanced grammatical structures typical of C2 level.
  • Development of a broad and specialised academic vocabulary related to the course content and English Studies.
  • Error correction based on difficulties detected throughout the course, especially in Use of English activities and written production.
  • Development of the formal and academic register typical of university discourse.
  • Improvement of accuracy, cohesion, and coherence in written expression.

Academic comprehension and production

  • Understanding and critical analysis of academic texts (scientific articles, academic reviews, book chapters, and other specialised texts) related to topics in English Studies.
  • Identification of structure, main ideas, evidence, and argumentative resources typical of academic texts.
  • Knowledge and application of academic citation conventions and the integration of bibliographic sources into one’s own discourse.
  • Writing of précis (academic summaries) as a strategy to develop synthesis and comprehension skills in academic texts.
  • Writing of academic argumentative essays on topics covered during the course, incorporating evidence from academic readings to justify and defend a position.
  • Development of skills in written argumentation, synthesis, cohesion, and coherence typical of university academic discourse.


Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Reading and Studying - Exercises and essays - Using ICT tools 76.5 3.06 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Theory and practical classes 30 1.2 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Tutorial sessions 22 0.88 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
In-class practice 15 0.6 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

The teaching methodology is based on:

  • Teacher-led activities (30%, 1.8 cr)
  • Supervised activities (15%, 0.9 cr)
  • Self-study and student-led activities (50%, 3 cr)
  • Assessment tasks (5%, 0.3 cr)

Teacher-led activities (Theoretical and practical classes)

  • Lectures using ICTs.
  • Guided reading and analysis of academic texts.
  • Analysis of academic genres and conventions of academic writing.
  • Class debates and discussions.
  • Practical activities in groups or pairs.
  • In-class receptive and productive skills practice.
  • Academic writing workshops with feedback on the texts produced.

Self-study and student-led activities

  • Language practice with the course books and other reference books.
  • Writing argumentative essays and summaries.
  • Practice with ICTs and Moodle.
  • Reading of academic texts.
  • Use of ICTs and the Virtual Campus.
  • Practical exercises.
  • Personal study and consultation of manuals.

Assessment tasks

  • In-class précis (i.e. written summaries based on a written academic text).
  • In-class argumentative essays related to the academic readings covered during the course.
  • A (written) midterm.
  • A final (written) exam.
  • Completing a course portfolio.


Note: Students will be given 15 minutes of class time within the course calendar to fill in the teaching and subject evaluation form.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Final written exam 50% 4 0.16 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Midterm 20% 1 0.04 2, 3, 4, 6, 10
Continuous Assessment 30% 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

General structure of assessment:

  • Continuous assessment: 30%
  • Midterm test: 20%
  • Final written exam: 50%

General assessment rules:

  • Due to the practical nature of this subject, students are required to attend and actively participate in at least 80% of classes and in-class assessment activities (e.g. text commentaries, tests, presentations, oral debates and other classroom activities) in order to be eligible for the 30% of the final grade corresponding to continuous assessment.
  • The exact dates of all assessment activities will be announced at the beginning of the course on Moodle.
  • Any assigned work that is not submitted will receive a mark of 0.
  • Students may receive a final grade of “No Avaluable” provided that they have not submitted more than 30% of the assessment activities.

Continuous assessment:

Continuous assessment has a mainly formative purpose and is designed for students to progressively develop academic writing skills in English through continuous practice, revision, and feedback. Continuous assessment consists of the following activities:

  • Argumentative Essay 1
  • Portfolio
  • Argumentative Essay 2

The different argumentative essays have progressively higher weight throughout the course to reflect the gradual development of academic writing skills. Feedback provided after each activity aims to help students progressively improve the quality of their texts and prepare them for subsequent tasks.

Midterm:

The midterm test consists of two parts:

  • Use of English
  • Argumentative Essay 3

The midterm aims to assess students’ progress during the semester and provide an additional opportunity to consolidate linguistic and academic writing competences before the final exam.

Final written exam:

The final written exam consists of three parts:

  • Reading (10%)
  • Use of English (15%)
  • Argumentative Essay (25%)

To pass the final exam, the following conditions must be met:

  • A minimum grade of 4.5 must be obtained in each of the three parts.
  • Only if all parts have a grade equal to or higher than 4.5 will the final average be calculated.
  • The exam is passed if this average is equal to or higher than 5.0.

To pass the course, it is mandatory to pass the final written exam.

The grade from continuous assessment and the midterm will only be taken into account once the final written exam has been passed.

Reassessment:

It is not possible to reassess an exam which has been passed.

To be eligible for reassessment, students must have previously been assessed in a set of activities whose combined weighting is equivalent to at least two-thirds of the total continuous assessment grade, provided that they have not failed to submit more than 30% of the assessment activities.

Students may reassess one part only of the written final exam, provided that the average mark for the written exam is 3.5 or higher.

After reassessment, the new mark obtained in the reassessed part will replace the previous mark. The final exam average will then be recalculated using all components of the exam.

To pass the exam after reassessment, students must:

  • obtain a minimum mark of 4.5 in each component of the exam; and
  • obtain an overall average mark of 5.0 or higher.

Continuous assessment activities cannot be reassessed.

In the case of reassessment, if the student passes the final exam after the resit, the grade from continuous assessment and the midterm will not be taken into account in the calculation of the final course grade.


Single Assessment

This subject/module does not incorporate the single-assessment option.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMPORTANT:

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the finalgrade for this subject.

Irregularities refer, for instance, to copying in an exam, copying from sources without indiacting authorship, or a misuse of AI such as presenting work as original that has been generated byan AI tool or programme. These evaluation activities will not be re-assessed.

In this subject, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is not permitted at any stage of any task. Any assignment that includes content generated or modified by AI will be considered an act of academic dishonesty. The assignment will be graded with a zero (0) and will not be eligible for reassessment. More serious cases may result in additional disciplinary sanctions.

Bibliography

Required Bilbiography

  • Malcolm Mann & Steve Taylore-Knowles. Destination C1 & C2. Grammar and Vocabulary. Macmillan. 2007. 

 Recommended reference books:

  • Canales, G. S., & Cortés, J. A. N. (2025). English academic writing for Spanish speakers: A practical guide. Taylor & Francis.

  • Collins COBUILD English language dictionary
  • Collins. (2013). Work on your vocabulary: Hundreds of words to learn and remember. Advanced. HarperCollins Publishers.
  • McCarthy, M., & O'Dell, F. (2012). English vocabulary in use: Advanced (3rd ed., with answers and CD). Cambridge University Press.
  • Swan, M. (2005). Practical English usage (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.

Recommended links:

  • General practice

https://www.eltconcourse.com/learners/exercises/indexpages/grammarc1c2.html

https://agendaweb.org/

  • Reading practice

https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/cpe/students/tests/

  • Writing practice

https://writeandimprove.com/

https://www.grammarly.com/

  • Reference materials

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/ (includes pronunciation files, British English)

http://www.ozdic.com/ (collocations)

https://www.english-corpora.org/bnc/ (corpus)

https://www.sketchengine.eu/skell/ (learner corpus)

Software

No specific software will be used.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 English first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 2 English first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 3 English first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 4 English first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 5 English first semester morning-mixed