Hello welcome to this ELC video.
By watching this video, you’ll better understand the subject you’re taking this semester,
English for University Studies.
This is the first in a series of ELC videos for this subject.
Watch them every week and improve your English!
First, welcome to the course.
It's a 13-week course, worth three credits and it has a three-hour class every week.
You're expected to do three hours of in-class work every week as well as your out-of-class
work.
OK, first can you go to Blackboard - learn@polyu.
Find your English for University Studies subject – its code is ELC1012, or ELC1013, and locate
the Student Information Sheet on the first page.
I’m going to be talking about this information sheet so it's important that you have it in
front of you so you can follow what I’m saying.
Pause the video now to find the information sheet.
Right let's talk about the learning outcomes.
So first we're going to be learning about planning, writing and revising an expository
essay.
An expository essay is a kind of academic essay where you investigate an idea, evaluate
evidence, and then write about that idea in a clear and concise manner.
It’s an academic essay mainly because you're going to be adding references; you're going
to be referring to sources and you're going to be using summarising, paraphrasing and
synthesizing skills.
Paraphrasing is using your own words.
Synthesizing is when you put ideas together.
You're also going to be learning how to do an effective oral presentation at university.
Next, the assessments.
There are three assessments in this subject.
Assessment one is the first draft of an academic essay.
You'll submit the essay out of class via Turnitin.
Check the submission dates on the Subject Information Sheet.
Your class teacher will then give you feedback on that essay.
And assessment 2 is the second and final draft of that essay; submit that essay again through
Turnitin.
Having two drafts of the essay means that you can write a better final version and hopefully
get a better grade!
The third assessment, the final assessment, is an oral presentation.
OK, a little bit more about assessments.
The assessments are important so in the next couple of weeks I want you to go to learn@polyu,
find the Assessment one guide and the Assessment two guide, read them, understand them, and
if you've got any questions ask your class teacher.
We'll also look at these guides in more detail in the next few weeks.
The assessments have a broad topic.
You should narrow the topic down into one you want to write about.
Don't just narrow it into one that you think is easy, it might be very boring.
Instead, choose a narrowed down topic that you actually want to do.
What's next?
It’s IndiWork!
IndiWork is independent work that you need to do throughout the semester in this subject.
You have a choice of online quizzes on Blackboard with your score based on the number of correct
answers, OR you can do face-to-face initiatives such as SAP, WAP, EES, and Workshops.
Or you can do a combination of online quizzes and face-to-face initiatives.
OK, SAP, the Speaking Assistance Programme, is small group help with your speaking in
a one-hour session.
WAP, the Writing Assistance Programme, is small group or one-to-one help with your writing,
again in a one-hour session.
EES, the excel at English scheme, is again small group help with your English, with a
series of sessions throughout the semester with one teacher guiding you.
Workshops are very specific topics to help you in different areas.
They are highly recommended.
Right, for each of the sessions you attend you get 10% of your IndiWork score.
And you need an IndiWork work score of over 50% by the end of the semester to complete
the subject successfully.
OK, a little bit about the extra help from the ELC.
Check the link on Blackboard for the CILL Workshops.
As I said, they are highly recommended, especially the Academic Skills Workshops.
Visit CILL in Room A305.
Check out the VR Space there.
Experience Virtual Reality!
Also, join our other ELC Open Online Courses.
OK, so that’s it from me.
If you have a question, please ask your class teacher.
Thanks very much and I hope you do well in your university studies!