IL1APDN: "Academic Skills and Language for Agriculture, Policy, and Development"

Module code: IL1APDN

Module provider: Global Academy

Credits: 0

ECTS credits: 0

Level: 4

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Mrs Gemma Peacock, email: g.peacock@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Mr Daniel Devane, email: d.devane@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2026/7

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 26 March 2026

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This non-credit bearing module focuses on the academic language and literacy skills needed to perform more effectively at undergraduate level in Agriculture, Policy and Development. It is primarily designed for international students, including students new to studying in the UK and students whose first language is not English. It aims to support their transition to the UK HE context and academic culture by enhancing their academic skills and English self-confidence. The module recognises the need to focus on criticality and utilises discipline-specific texts to develop a range of writing skills needed for successful completion of assessed assignments. This developmental enhancement has been designed to be transferrable to other modules, both concurrent and future, and thus help facilitate the students' assessment task and overall performance in their undergraduate studies at the University of Reading. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Apply an understanding of key written and spoken genres used in Agriculture, Policy and Development (e.g., essays, literature reviews, reports, reflective writing, presentations) to interpret assignment requirements and select appropriate organisational and rhetorical patterns. 
2. Demonstrate an understanding of academic integrity by using sources appropriately, including accurate referencing, paraphrasing and summarising, and the integration of evidence into written work. 
3. Use task-appropriate academic language (grammar, lexis and style) to produce clear and coherent written and spoken texts suitable for undergraduate study. 
4. Critically review their own and others’ academic work by identifying strengths and areas for improvement in structure, argumentation, clarity, and use of sources through guided classroom activities. 

Module content

Classes focus on:

• Recognising and responding to key written assignment genres in Agriculture, Policy and Development, such as essays, literature reviews, reflective writing, reports, and presentations, including: 
  • expected structural and argumentation patterns 
  • reading-to-write processes, source use and synthesis 
  • features of effective clarity, cohesion and academic style
• Grammar for academic communication, including: 
  • verb tense and aspect 
  • sentence structure, clause patterns and cohesion 
  • key language for expressing stance, comparison and evaluation • Building discipline-relevant vocabulary for Agriculture, Policy and Development through guided reading, practice tasks and noticing activities using authentic and model texts. 
• Reading skills and strategies for engaging with a range of Agriculture, Policy and Development texts and reading purposes, including: 
  • identifying specific concepts and evidence (search reading) 
  • locating key terms and phrases (scanning) 
  • recognising argument structure and evaluating sources 
  • applying strategic reading to prepare for written tasks 
• Speaking and oracy skills for dealing with Agriculture, Policy and Development presentation tasks, including: 
  • organising and signposting spoken academic communication 
  • pronunciation, with a focus on sentence stress and intonation 
  • effective use of non-verbal communication (e.g., pace, stance, eye contact) 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module adopts an overall genre-based approach, taking the social purpose of academic texts as the starting point for exploring their organisation, structure, and key discourse and language features. 

It takes a discipline-specific approach to language and literacy development, using text exemplars and published Agriculture, Policy and Development sources in classroom tasks to support recognition of genre expectations and effective academic communication.

Teaching and learning are facilitated through a generally task-based model, combining reflective and productive activities, guided analysis of texts, and opportunities for peer and tutor feedback. Guided analysis tasks include ‘noticing’ activities that highlight organisational, linguistic, and rhetorical features in context, alongside exercises designed to practise relevant language and skills.

Interactive tasks are regularly included and are appropriately scaffolded to build students’ confidence in participating in academic discussion. The module also offers supported time for students to work on programme-specific assignments and actively transfer and adapt their learning to disciplinary contexts. In-person delivery is supplemented by the use of digital tools where appropriate (e.g. short interactive learning tasks or quizzes) to consolidate learning.  

Study hours

At least 18 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

There is no assessment on this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

There is no assessment on this module.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Sessions will take a task-based approach, enabling students to receive feedback from the instructor and from other students during class discussions.

Reassessment

Additional costs