Module: English Skills for Professional Life

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	English Skills for Professional Life
Module Code	LC345 (ITS) / LIG1002 (Banner)
Faculty	Humanities & Social Sciences	School	SALIS
Module Co-ordinator	Martin Toal
Module Teachers	-
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

Coursework Only

Description

This module aims to equip students who are already fluent in English with specialised skills in writing, editing, and textual mediation in English that will be of use in a growing number of professional pathways after graduation. An ability to work with English in varied and sophisticated ways is important to careers in governmental and non-governmental institutions, digital and traditional media, translation and interpreting, public relations and marketing, journalism, research, and many more. The focus of this module is to improve students’ abilities to work with English in a number of specialised ways.

Learning Outcomes

1. Paraphrase and summarise texts in English in different registers and tones for a variety of purposes
2. Describe and give examples of selected guidelines on writing in Plain English or Clear English
3. Edit and proof highly specialised texts in English for a variety of purposes
4. Rewrite a piece of highly specialised text in Plain English according to a selected set of guidelines
5. Write pieces of text in appropriate registers and tones of English for such purposes as academic writing, social media posts, technical writing, a press release, a voice-over, an audio description, etc.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	20	Attending synchronous teaching sessions
Independent Study	35	Completing assigned readings
Independent Study	35	Reviewing content asynchronously (slides, videos, radio programmes etc.)
Directed learning	10	(small quizzes, directed discussions, etc. assigned during the semester)
Assignment Completion	25	No Description
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Workplace writing skills
Content includes: Students will develop key writing skills that are needed in the workplace. They will examine different genres of writing focusing on areas such as: report writing; translating text into plain English, writing for the social media audience, voice overs, audio and press releases, etc. The writing skill sets applicable to these genres will be examined through reading texts, discussion, and analysis of themes such as, migration, homelessness, climate change, sustainability, food poverty/insecurity.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Assignment	n/a	50%	As required
Assignment	n/a	50%	Sem 1 End

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Gere, A.R.: 2019, Developing Writers in Higher Education A Longitudinal Study, University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor Available at: https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.10079890,
King, G. and King, G.: 2009, Collins improve your writing skills, new, Collins, Glasgow,
Levinson, N.: 2000, How To Sharpen Your Business Writing Skills, 2nd ed, Amacom, Saranac Lake, NY, USA,
Tosques, E.: 2006, Writing in English for the Workplace, Firenze University Press. Available at: https://doi.org/10.36253/978-88-5518-030-6., Firenze,

Other Resources

60022, course materials, 0, Materials to be provided by the course coordinator,