Academic Skills Across Domains 3301-L1PAASAD

This course introduces foundational academic skills – presenting, debating, and writing – through a series of content modules, with each module representing a different academic domain, accessible to non-specialists, and controlled for morphological and lexico-grammatical complexity. While the main academic skill focus varies across modules, they all integrate major discourse skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) and promote awareness of language systems (grammar, lexis, lexico-grammar) while maintaining a triple focus on content/cognition, culture/communication and learning skills. Three distinct academic modules will be offered (e.g., architecture, law, music), providing students with an opportunity to learn a variety of discourse modes and thus to become pluriliterate language users, in keeping with the Council of Europe’s recommendations for a comprehensive approach to the teaching and learning of languages. The selection of academic domains may change on a yearly basis. The varied modular content offers authentic context for initial, focused practice of academic skills, while also addressing individual learning needs and reflecting the cross-disciplinary nature of academic discourse. The resulting focus on learner autonomy encourages thinking “outside the box,” helps to increase student motivation and willingness to engage in course projects, tasks and activities. Meanwhile, the core academic skills – presenting, debating, and writing – practiced through the modules provide a firm framework for the course and collectively form a strong foundation for future courses.