Academic English: Reading and Writing, 15 credits

Validation

This course syllabus was validated by the Management Board of the School of Culture and Education at Södertörn University on 2024-02-22 according to the stipulations in the Higher Education Ordinance. This course syllabus was revised by the Management Board of the School of Culture and Education at Södertörn University on 2024-12-17.

Entry requirements

General requirements for university studies
You also need: English 6
Or: English level 2 or equivalent

Learning outcomes

On completing the course, the student can:

Knowledge and understanding

• recognise various types of text and describe their aims
• correctly use academic vocabulary in a variety of texts

Skills and abilities

• identify and summarise key information in academic texts
• plan, write and edit a range of texts for different audiences and purposes with appropriate organisation and language use
• paraphrase academic sources and use proper referencing
• recognise and apply linguistic rhetorical features in academic texts
• demonstrate basic critical reading skills

Judgement and approach

• critique peers' academic writing and reflect on feedback received from peers

Course content, modules and examinations

The course introduces the student to key concepts that relate to academic reading and writing in university contexts. The student trains reading academic texts to increase their awareness of academic register and writing conventions in academic contexts. Moreover, the student gains valuable experience in reading and writing a variety of academic texts. Giving and receiving critical feedback during the course will also help the student to further develop their academic literacy and autonomous writing skills.  

Course design

Teaching is in the form of lectures and seminars. All teaching and course materials/literature are in English.

Examination format

Active participation in seminars, lecture attendance, written and oral tasks and hand-in assignments. 

If a student has missed more than 20% of the seminars and lectures on a course module the student can only compensate for this by attending the seminars and/or lectures required to reach a minimum level of 80% overall attendance on another occasion. The grading criteria are distributed prior to the start of a course or module.

The grading criteria are distributed prior to the start of a course or module.

If a student has a certificate from Södertörn University for compensatory support, the examiner has the right to decide on an adapted examination or alternative form of examination in accordance with Södertörn University's regulations.

Restrictions on accreditation

The course may not be accredited as part of a degree if the contents are partly or wholly the same as a course previously taken in Sweden or elsewhere.

Other stipulations

This course corresponds in full to previous course syllabi for the course "Introduction to Academic Writing in English" with the course codes: 1107EN, and 1070EN.

Revision of the syllabus on December 17, 2024, concerns the change of the responsible department to Teacher Education, effective from the spring semester of 2025. The revision has been carried out by university administration, in accordance with the vice-chancellor’s decision to move course syllabi from IKL to LU (registration number 4204-1.1.2-2024).

The entry requirements in the course syllabus have been adapted on 17 June 2025 due to the introduction of subject grades in upper secondary education. Adaptation conducted by the university administration, in accordance with the vice-chancellor’s decision to adapt entry requirements to the introduction of subject grades in upper secondary education (registration number 1047-1.1.2-2025).