Checking date: 26/03/2025


Course: 2025/2026

Effective Language Strategies
(19790)
Bachelor in Urban Sustainability Studies (Plan: 552 - Estudio: 505)


Coordinating teacher: SUAREZ HERNANDEZ, ARIANA

Department assigned to the subject: Humanities: Philosophy, Language, Literature Theory Department

Type: Compulsory
ECTS Credits: 3.0 ECTS

Course:
Semester:




Requirements (Subjects that are assumed to be known)
The student must be proficient in spoken and written English. Without a good command of the language, it will not be possible to pass the course.
Objectives
In this course students should learn to: - draft an academic, scientific or technical text correctly and to compose and present a speech following a logical order, with precise language that is appropriate to the context. - present a topic, project or report before a specific audience and through digital media - use intonation correctly and take advantage of the expressive possibilities of non-verbal language. - communicate effectively in the digital environment - know the characteristics of inclusive language and include it in oral and written texts, in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality).
Learning Outcomes
Students are able to¿ 8 ¿consider academic norms and ways of thinking across different disciplines and subject areas, bringing them into play as appropriate. 9 ¿demonstrate intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and exercise independence of mind and thought. 10 ¿communicate ideas clearly, coherently and respectfully, in a range of disciplines and to various stakeholders, in both written and oral form, using appropriate language and referencing.
Description of contents: programme
The program addresses the strategies necessary for the drafting and presentation of any type of written text or oral speech in the academic environment. The content is structured as follows: A. ELEMENTS OF ORAL AND WRITTEN TEXTS 1. WHAT IS SAID: How to choose a topic? The timeliness of the topic and its appropriateness to the context of the communication What is included and what is discarded Adaptation to the oral or written production and reception medium. The digital medium 2. HOW IS IT STRUCTURED: How is a text constructed? The structure of the text: the outline and table of contents How to begin and end oral and written texts according to the communicative situation Narrative strategies. Storytelling 3. HOW TO PREPARE: What techniques can be used to prepare a good presentation? Mnemonic strategies Rehearsal techniques 4. HOW TO PRESENT: What is the correct and effective way to deliver a speech or presentation? The correct expressive register or adaptation to the recipient in oral, written, and digital environments Common mistakes and how to avoid them. Attention to digital media Use of inclusive language 5. HOW IS IT CARRIED OUT: What is the process involved in writing or presenting a good text? Elements of an oral presentation (paralanguage, diction, stage fright) Elements of written language for drafting an academic text Elements of digital communication. Netiquette or how to behave on the Internet B. CASE STUDIES ORAL - Presentations and videoconferences in an academic context - Proposal and defense of a project - Debates. WRITTEN - Drafting an academic paper - Drafting a technical report, a research paper or essay - Written communication in the digital media
Learning activities and methodology
The methodology prioritizes the practical application of the content and the development of skills will be promoted by means of activities such as the following: 1. Writing an academic paper with the objective of drafting well constructed texts, with precise and appropriate vocabulary. 2. Writing and sending messages and academic work through digital media. 3. Group and individual oral presentations to improve communicative competence and delivery in front of an audience. 4. Videoconferencing as a communicative and educational method. 5. Constructive criticism of the presentations by peers and professor.
Assessment System
  • % end-of-term-examination 0
  • % of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 100




Extraordinary call: regulations
Basic Bibliography
  • Bailey, S.. Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students. Routledge. 2017
  • Hering, L. and Hering, H. How to Write Technical Reports: Understandable Structure, Good Design, Convincing Presentation. Springer. 2010
  • Kipfer, B.A. Roget,s 21st Century Thesaurus. Delta Publishing. 2005
  • Merriam-Webster,s Collegiate Dictionary. Merriam-Webster,s Collegiate Dictionary. Merriam-Webster,s . 2020
  • Oxford Dictionary of English. Oxford Dictionary of English. Oxford University Press. 2010
Additional Bibliography
  • Benson, M., Benson, E. and Ilson, R.. The BBI Dictionary of English Word Combinations. John Benjamins Publishing Company. 2009
  • Bottomley, J. Academic Writing for International Students of Science. Routledge. 2019
  • Crystal, D.. Making a point: the Persnickety Story of English Punctuation. St. Martin's Press. 2015
  • Hancock, M. . English Pronunciation In Use. Cambridge University Press. 2017
  • Horn, D.. Principles of Public Speaking. Routledge. 2024
  • Hostetler, M.J. and Kahl, M.L. Advanced Public Speaking: A Leader's Guide. Routledge. 2017
  • Ibbotson, M.. Cambridge English for Engineering. Cambridge University Press. 2008
  • Koch, A. and Schmitt, J. . Speaking with a Purpose. Routledge. 2003
  • McConnel, J.. Styling Your Writing: Mixing and Matching Academic Writing Techniques to Create Something Uniquely You. Routledge. 2022
  • Muñoz-Basols, Javier y Pérez Sinusía, Yolanda. Técnicas de escritura en español y géneros textuales / Developing Writing Skills in Spanish. Routledge. 2021
  • Nunan, D. and Choi, J. . Clarity and Coherence in Academic Writing: Using Language as a Resource. Routledge. 2023
  • Rothwell, E.J. and Cloud, M.J. . Engineering Speaking by Design: Delivering Technical Presentations with Real Impact. CRC Press. 2015
  • Strunk, W. and White, E.B. . The Elements of Style. Pearson. 1999
  • Thomson, P.. Refining Your Academic Writing Strategies for Reading, Revising and Rewriting. Routledge. 2022
  • Truss, L.. Eats Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. HarperCollins. 2010
  • Tusting, K., McCulloch, S., Bhatt, I., Hamilton, M. and Barton, D. . Academics Writing: The Dynamics of Knowledge Creation. Routledge. 2019
  • Wallwork, A.. User Guides, Manuals, and Technical Writing. A Guide to Professional English. Springer. 2014

The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.