Students enter the Institute of English
and American Studies with a good foundation in the English language. The
Institute provides a programme of practical language teaching that
allows them to progress to a high standard of linguistic attainment by
the time of graduation. By the end of the programme, they will at a
minimum be able to:
- communicate effectively in English, exploit a broad range of written
or spoken materials in English, and apply their language skills in a
professional context.
- understand the structures, registers and varieties of English, and the linguistic principles required to analyse it.
Three stages of development are identified with clearly defined and progressive learning outcomes in terms of
i. linguistic competence
ii. knowledge and understanding of language form, use and cultural context
iii. language learning strategies.
- Learning tasks enable students to achieve communicative competence
in its widest sense, including the traditional skills of speaking,
listening, reading and writing and also intercultural and
sociolinguistic competence.
- Class teaching emphasises participation in discussion and in tasks
like small group and pair work, role play, and individual or group
presentations.
- All teaching is in English.
- Although it is a discipline in its own right, and can be studied as
such, drama and dramatic activities in English can also make a major
contribution to the development of linguistic skills.
You will receive support from the Lecturer team in building
confidence, as well as training in language learning strategies and
independent learning.
Practical English teaching in the Institute is carried out by the
Lecturer team, all of whom are native speakers, or have native-speaker
linguistic competence, as well as specialising in other relevant
academic areas, such as British and American Cultural Studies,
Linguistics and Drama.
