Academic English in Social Sciences

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved

Course Description Version:4.00

Study Course Accepted:19.04.2024 13:16:04

Study Course Information
Course Code:		SZF_135		LQF level:		Level 6
Credit Points:		4.00		ECTS:		6.00
Branch of Science:		Linguistics		Target Audience:		Marketing and Advertising; Business Management; Political Science; Communication Science
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:		Sniedze Vilde
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:		Faculty of Social Sciences
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:		Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szfrsu[pnkts]lv
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		2	Lecture Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		4
Classes (count)		13	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		26
Total Contact Hours								30
Full-Time - Semester No.2
Lectures (count)		0	Lecture Length (academic hours)		0	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		0
Classes (count)		15	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		30
Total Contact Hours								30
Part-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		2	Lecture Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		4
Classes (count)		6	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		12
Total Contact Hours								16
Part-Time - Semester No.2
Lectures (count)		2	Lecture Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		4
Classes (count)		6	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		12
Total Contact Hours								16
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
Knowledge of the English language at secondary school level.
Objective:
To develop the skills and abilities of using the English language for study purposes and work in a future specialty and to promote the acquisition and practical use of special terminology and communication skills related to the future profession.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.	Topic			Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	Formulation of research questions, goals and tasks.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
2	In diplomatic language. Pragmatics. Presentations.			Classes		0.50	auditorium
3	International Relations (IR). Interdisciplinary perspective: Geography, History.			Classes		0.50	auditorium
4	Social Issues: Poverty			Classes		0.50	auditorium
5	Vēlēšanas.			Classes		0.50	auditorium
6	Academic Writing			Classes		1.00	auditorium
7	Rasisms			Classes		0.50	auditorium
8	Gender (in-) equality. Feminism.			Classes		0.50	auditorium
9	Political Speeches.			Classes		0.50	auditorium
10	Media and Politics.			Classes		0.50	auditorium
11	Globalisation. Test.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
12	Academic Essays.			Classes		0.50	auditorium
13	The EU. The European Commission. The European Commission. The European Parliament.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
14	ES likumdošana			Classes		0.50	auditorium
15	NATO			Classes		0.50	auditorium
16	20. gadsimta konflikti			Classes		0.50	auditorium
17	Migration. Refugees.			Classes		0.50	auditorium
18	Terrorism.			Classes		0.50	auditorium
19	Politically Correct Language			Classes		1.00	auditorium
20	Seminārs: Ziņas. Presentations.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
21	MK, SA, ZR Multimedia Communication and Design: Introducing principles of visual communication and design theory, including layout, typography, colour theory, and graphic elements relevant to media production. Data visualization. Video. Audio.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
22	Media Law and Ethics: Understanding legal and ethical considerations specific to media production, including copyright law, privacy rights, defamation, and professional codes of conduct.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
23	Media Presentation Skills: Teaching effective techniques for presenting media content, including public speaking, visual presentation design, and audience engagement strategies.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
24	Media Research Skills: Teaching effective techniques for conducting research in media studies, including locating academic sources, evaluating credibility, and synthesizing information.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
26	Academic and Media Writing: Developing skills in writing for various media formats, such as news articles, feature stories, and scripts, with an emphasis on clarity, accuracy, and engaging storytelling.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
27	Media Interviewing Skills: Providing guidance on conducting interviews for media content, including research, preparation, questioning techniques, and ethical considerations.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
28	Digital Media Production: Hands-on training in digital media content production starting from web page design, social media posts, podcasts, and ads.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
29	Media Project Management: Introducing project management principles and tools relevant to media production, including scheduling, budgeting, resource allocation, and teamwork.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
30	MR, SBIE. Resumes and job interviews			Classes		1.00	auditorium
31	LinkedIn. Digital footprint.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
32	Personal branding.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
33	Digital text format.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
34	Visual communication.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
35	Communication with the media.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
36	Elevator speech and presentations.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
Topic Layout (Part-Time)
No.	Topic			Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	Formulation of research questions, goals and tasks.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
22	Media Law and Ethics: Understanding legal and ethical considerations specific to media production, including copyright law, privacy rights, defamation, and professional codes of conduct.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
23	Media Presentation Skills: Teaching effective techniques for presenting media content, including public speaking, visual presentation design, and audience engagement strategies.			Classes		3.00	auditorium
24	Media Research Skills: Teaching effective techniques for conducting research in media studies, including locating academic sources, evaluating credibility, and synthesizing information.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
25	Creating surveys.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
26	Academic and Media Writing: Developing skills in writing for various media formats, such as news articles, feature stories, and scripts, with an emphasis on clarity, accuracy, and engaging storytelling.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
27	Media Interviewing Skills: Providing guidance on conducting interviews for media content, including research, preparation, questioning techniques, and ethical considerations.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
28	Digital Media Production: Hands-on training in digital media content production starting from web page design, social media posts, podcasts, and ads.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
29	Media Project Management: Introducing project management principles and tools relevant to media production, including scheduling, budgeting, resource allocation, and teamwork.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:
Students prepare both individual and group presentations on the topics to be learned during the course; students perform written tasks, read authentic texts on the topics to be learned during the course and complete text comprehension tasks; students work independently with Latvian-English dictionaries and prepare terminology definitions and translations into English. Students write articles, summaries, reports, social media posts. At the end of the course, students are obliged to fill out the study course evaluation questionnaire.
Assessment Criteria:
1) Active participation in classes, completed written tasks on time and with appropriate quality; prepared presentations according to course topics; successfully written semester tests (terminology knowledge and usage test); semester test at the end of the 1st semester; 2) The written part of the final exam of the course, which tests knowledge of terminology and its practical use, understanding of the general text and specific information, and the use of written language; oral part of the exam - presentations.
Final Examination (Full-Time):		Exam
Final Examination (Part-Time):		Exam
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:		During the study course, students will: • be able to understand and apply professional terminology in various types of texts in social sciences; • will be aware of different degrees of formality and pragmatic meanings; will learn: • the principles of creating a presentation and self-presentation; • how to recognize and use academic sources and conduct small research; • basic principles of academic English in articles; • principles of creating and translating journalistic texts; • approaches to creating multimedia content; • how to create interview questions; • how to communicate in a team, to achieve a common goal.
Skills:		Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: • summarize texts from various fields in social sciences; • express and give their opinion on political issues; • write academic essays; • participate in debates • confidently present yourself and make a public speech; • orientate in academic literature, conduct small researches; • apply academic English in articles, create summaries, formulate theses, questions, results and conclusions; • create and translate journalistic texts, including social media content; • create multimedia content in English; • manage interviews and media projects, communicating successfully in a group.
Competencies:		By successfully completing the course, students will be able to apply their knowledge and skills in their future studies and professional career. Students will be able to work successfully in a team, justifying their opinion in professional matters; will be able to logically express his opinion both in writing and orally, using the learned professional terminology.
Bibliography
No.	Reference
Required Reading
1	Hewings, M. (2023) Advanced Grammar in Use. Cambridge University Press
2	McCarthy, M. and O'Dell, F. (2017) English Vocabulary in Use: Advanced Book. 3rd Edition.
3	Turabian, K. (2018) A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 9th Edition.
4	Michael McCarthy, Felicity O'Dell. (2014) Academic Vocabulary in Use. Cambridge University Press
5	Santiago Remacha Esteras, Elena Marco Fabre. (2018) Professional English in Use. For Computers and the Internet. Cambridge University Press, 5th printing.
6	Carlsnaes, W., Risse,T., Simmons B. (2013) Handbook of International Relations. Los Angeles: SAGE.
7	Devetak, R., Burke, A., George, J. (2012) An Introduction to International Relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
8	Swales, J. (2012) Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press.
Additional Reading
1	Balfour, R. et al. (2016) Europe’s Trouble Makers: The Populist Challenge to Foreign Policy. European Policy Centre.
2	Pease, K. (2012) International Organizations : Perspective on Governance in the Twenty-first Century. Boston: Longman.
Other Information Sources
1	http://www.guardian.co.uk/
2	http://edition.cnn.com/POLITICS/
3	http://www.ft.com/
4	http://www.reuters.com/politics
5	http://worldnews.about.com/