English
| Keywords |
| Classification |
Keyword |
| OFICIAL |
Modern languages |
Instance: 2013/2014 - 1S
Cycles of Study/Courses
Teaching language
English
Objectives
Our first aim is to provide first-year students with the basic skills necessary to deal with the literature they will be obliged to read in English as part of their course. As the skills in language learning cannot be entirely separated, the course will also require some speaking, listening and writing on the part of the students. Our second aim is to provide students with an introduction to Academic Writing (See below).
Learning outcomes and competences
- Apply the knowledge of technical vocabulary and terminology in English language within the field of medicine and medical healthcare with specific reference to dental health care, including dental anatomy, pathology, instruments, procedures and devices.
- Read and process texts of a technical nature.
- Comprehend global meaning of a text.
- Scan texts for specific information.
- Infer meaning from context.
- Identify the cohesive features so as to be able to navigate more fluently through scientific-based texts, such as scientic papers, essays and oral presentations.
- Interpret information presented in graphic or tabular form and, using the appropriate academic language, write a brief description, identifying global trends and salient features of charts.
- Identify relevant data about a certain topic contained within a given text and write a brief paragraph summarising this information using applicable language and quoting appropriately where necessary.
Working method
Presencial
Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)
None
Program
The technical syllabus is largely defined by the use of a support text produced by the teachers of the course. The main thematic areas covered in the material are dentistry, including dental anatomy, aspects of oral pathology and dental procedures; aspects of general medicine, including anatomy and healthcare terminology; aspects of general science, focussing on scientific jargon and with specific regard to conducting and reporting scientific research. The technical/practical syllabus involves reading and interpreting a series of different scientific texts related to the topic areas listed above. Some texts are analysed for their global content while others are to be scanned for specific information. The material also includes graphs and charts for interpretation and to facilitate practice of written descriptions. Appropriate model texts are included for reference.
Mandatory literature
Cox, Kathy; Hill, David;; English for Academic Purposes, , Pearson/Longman, 2004
Teaching methods and learning activities
The course employs an essentially ‘communicative approach’ to English language teaching. The principle focus is on improving students’ receptive fluency, their ability to read and comprehend technical texts, as well as developing their academic writing skills. The stimulus for this work is provided by reading texts from a variety of authentic sources, which also help develop the students’ receptive skills. The work undertaken in theoretical/practical lessons involves frequent changes of interaction patterns to ensure a dynamic and participative learning environment. Students are evaluated by means of two written tests, each worth 50%, the first administered midway through the course in November and the second during the exam period in January. Each test contains a section assessing reading comprehension, a section on vocabulary and technical terms, and a section assessing writing.
Evaluation Type
Distributed evaluation with final exam
Assessment Components
| Description |
Type |
Time (hours) |
Weight (%) |
End date |
| 2 exams |
Teste |
4,00 |
100,00 |
2014-01-22 |
|
Total: |
- |
100,00 |
|
Eligibility for exams
Attendance in a minimum of 2/3 classes given
Calculation formula of final grade
Final grade = (1º Test +2º test)/2
Classification improvement
Second call exam