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Handbook
(Module 1)
1
Academic English Preparation 3
Module 1 Handbook
Contents
Welcome to the AEP3 Course at ELS Sydney .......................................................................................... 3
AEP3 Assessment .................................................................................................................................... 3
AEP3 Module 1 Course Overview............................................................................................................ 5
AEP3 Module 1 Schedule ........................................................................................................................ 6
Learning Journal ...................................................................................................................................... 7
Bar Chart Report.................................................................................................................................... 10
Line Chart Report .................................................................................................................................. 20
Presentations......................................................................................................................................... 31
Note-Taking ........................................................................................................................................... 34
AEP3 Course Objectives and Performance Criteria ............................................................................... 35
Assessment Criteria ............................................................................................................................... 38
AEP3 Module 1 Grammar & Vocabulary Tests ...................................................................................... 42
ELS Sydney Marking Scheme ................................................................................................................. 43
ELS Sydney
Level 1, 17 O’Connell NSW 2000
Phone: +61 2 9283 1088 Fax: +61 2 9283 1760
Email sydney@els.edu
Website: www.sydney.els.edu
Universal Education Centre Pty Ltd, ABN 19 003 525 764
CRICOS Provider Code: 00053J
2
Welcome to the AEP3 Course at ELS Sydney
We hope that you will find the AEP3 course both challenging and useful for your future study.
The AEP3 course at ELS Sydney is a demanding program of study that requires commitment. You
should be prepared to spend a considerable amount of time outside class working on assignments. In
addition, the course has the following requirements:
Attendance & Punctuality
You are expected to have 100% attendance and to arrive on time for each class. If you are absent or
late, you will lose marks from learning strategies.
Submitting Work & Plagiarism
You must complete all assignments. If you submit assignments late, marks will be deducted from
your assignments and in learning strategies.
You must hand in your OWN work. Do not copy from books, the Internet or other students’ work.
If you plagiarise, you will be given a warning and your assignment will not be marked.
AEP3 Organisation
AEP3 is a 10 to 20 week course divided into four 5 week modules.
AEP3 (10 to 20 weeks)
Module 1 (5 weeks) Module 2 (5 weeks) Module 3 (5 weeks) Module 4 (5 weeks)
AEP3 Assessment
AEP3 assessment has 5 tasks.
Task % of Overall Course Task % of Overall Course
Writing 30% Academic Listening 20%
Speaking 20% Learning Strategies 10%
Academic Reading 20%
Grading
AEP3 tasks get the following grades:
Mark AEP2 Grade
<50% D
50% -64% C
65% -74% B
75% + A
Graduating
To enter a university course requiring IELTS 6.0 you need to:
- Study 10 weeks of AEP3
- Get an overall B grade
- Get a minimum C grade for each assessment task
To enter a university course requiring IELTS 6.5 you need to:
- Study 10 weeks of AEP3
- Get an overall A grade
- Get a minimum B grade for each assessment task
To enter a university course requiring IELTS 7.0 you need to:
- Study 10 weeks of AEP3
- Get an overall A+ grade
- Get a minimum A grade for each assessment task
Course Materials
Textbooks:
Academic Connections 4
Focus on IELTS
All materials used in the program are provided by ELS Sydney. In addition, you require a
portfolio folder
It is also recommended that you have:
a plastic sleeve for Handbook
a memory stick to save assignments and homework tasks.
an A4 notebook
a vocabulary notebook
access to an on-line dictionary eg. http://www.dictionary.com/
http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/
Check it out!
elsaep.weebly.com
It has the:
AEP3 Handbooks
and links for:
- IELTS Practice - Reading
- Academic Vocab - Grammar
4
AEP3 Module 1 Course Overview
Skills Introduced & Practised
1. Writing an chart report
2. Participation in discussions
3. Critical thinking
4. Skim/ scan reading & reading for detail
5. Listening for gist and detail
6. Note taking
7. Using an online classroom
8. Negotiating with teachers
IT Skills
1. Word processing
2. PowerPoint
Tasks Assessed
1. A chart report
2. A chart report in-class test
3. A presentation
4. Participation in discussions
5. Critical thinking
6. Academic reading
7. Academic listening
8. Note taking- reading & listening
9. A PowerPoint presentation
10. Learning strategies
Grammar
1. Tense review
2. Comparatives/ superlatives
3. Contrast linkers
4. Quantifiers
5. Verbs/ nouns of change
6. Adverbs/ adjectives of degree
7. Modals of speculation and deduction
8. Speculation language
9. Language for drawing conclusions
10. Nominalisation
11. Time phrases
12. Sequencers
5
AEP3 Module 1 Schedule
6
Learning Journal
A learning journal is a collection of your notes, observations, and thoughts over a period of study. Its
purpose is to improve your learning through writing and thinking about your learning experiences.
Your learning journal is personal and will reflect your personality and experiences.
Reflection is an important skill to develop, and requires you to think about how you personally are
relating to what is happening on your course.
7
Example
Read the following example of a student’s learning journal entry. Label the different sections
with the labels in the box.
Learning AEP language is hard. Note taking skills are difficult for me in class.
When I studied in Korea, note taking was a copying job meant for students to
write down the notes that had been put up on the board by the teacher. No
matter whether the students could keep up with the teacher’s words or not,
they could still pass the exam as long as their notes matched those on the board
because that was what the exam would be about. In Australia, however, the
situation is totally different. Even though handouts are given at the lecture,
students have to pay attention and take notes in class as well because there will
be more information given by the teacher. Therefore, good note taking skills are
very important in Australia. So I must make my listening better so I can
understand lectures at college when I get there.
So, I think I need to do some more listening practice so I can improve my note
taking skills. I could do some on-line listenings at home or in the computer
room. I think I also must concentrate more doing a listening.
8
Learning Journal Suggested Topics
Each week, choose a topic from the following list and write at least a page about it.
A situation in Australia where you were able to speak English
Habits or customs of Australians you have seen or met
A learning situation in AEP that is different from in your country
A cultural or local event you have experienced in Australia
A way you have improved your listening skills
A way you have improved your reading skills
A way you have improved your writing skills
A way you have improved your speaking skills
A way you have improved your vocabulary skills
A group work experience in AEP
Working with other students in AEP
Your weaknesses and strengths in AEP and your plans for improvement
Areas of AEP you find difficult or frustrating
Areas of AEP you enjoy
The similarities and/or differences between learning style in Australia and in your country
How much study you do outside of class
How you plan your study time
You are expected to write about a learning or cultural experience in your learning journal.
Please don’t write about meeting your friends, going shopping, or problems catching the bus;
your learning journal is not a diary!
9
Bar Chart Report
Hassled by Gadgets
Do you have to get the kids to send SMS messages for you? Is your microwave just a glorified food
heater? And are you always losing people when you try to transfer them on the newfangled phone at
work? You are far from alone.
Australians are keen buyers of high-tech appliances. But these gadgets also leave some people quite
bewildered, according to a study by researchers at the Australian National University in Canberra.
Mobile phones are the most confusing, social scientists Dr Mariah Evans and Dr Catherine Moore
found. Thirty-two per cent of people in the survey admitted they had had trouble using theirs
recently.
Yet five out of ten Australians own a mobile phone, according to a recent report by the McCann-
Erickson advertising company on ‘technofear’ – a jargon word used to describe the consumer’s
unease with new technology.
In the ANU survey, 25 per cent of people also said that they found MP3 players difficult to use.
Automatic teller machines were less daunting, with sixteen percent of people finding them hard to
operate. Microwaves, however, only troubled 5 per cent of the 1626 people surveyed.
The research shows that manufacturers should be aware of the need to make their high-tech
products as simple to use as possible, said Dr Clive Bean, a research fellow in the ANU School of
Social Sciences.
Highlight these words in the article. Then with a partner, try to work out their meaning from looking
at how they are used in context. Finally, look up their meanings in a dictionary.
10
1. How many studies are mentioned? Name them.
5. Are any recommendations/conclusions drawn from the figures? Can you add any?
6. What type of chart do you think would best illustrate the most important information in this
article? Why?
8. Without looking back at the article, decide how you would describe the information it
contains in an academic style. Consider how an academic report would be organised, how many
paragraphs would it have and what would be the content. Then ponder what language forms would
be used.
11
Bar Chart Model
The chart shows the results of two surveys on the percentage of people who have difficulty using
electronic equipment in Australia in 2005. The information looks at mobile phones, MP3 players,
automatic teller machines (ATMs) and microwave ovens.
The chart indicates that the four types of electronic equipment cause varying degrees of difficulty for
users. Mobile phones create the most trouble for users with 32% of Australians reporting problems.
MP3 players are also significantly represented with 25% of people finding them difficult to use. Using
ATMs causes the second smallest percentage of problems for the respondents (16%), while
microwaves at 5% are by far the easiest to use.
From the chart, it may be concluded that the percentage of people having difficulty using gadgets
relates to aspects of the technology itself and standardization. The chart shows that mobile phones
cause the most problems for users. This may be the result of several factors. First, technology
changes regularly as competing companies attempt to provide more services. Moreover, the phones
have too many complex functions that are not standardized between companies. MP3 players are
also modern technology, so the reasons for the problems relating to them may be similar. One cause
of the difficulties in using ATM’s might be that people using the machines are afraid that someone
could be watching them typing in their personal numbers; consequently, they tend not to read
instructions properly. As for microwaves, only a few people had trouble with these. A number of
factors may contribute to this. The first is that microwaves are old technology, so people are familiar
with them. Furthermore, they have simple functions and are therefore easy to use.
12
Read the text about gadgets and answer the following questions.
1. What 3 pieces of information from the chart are included in the introduction?
a. ______________________
b. ______________________
c. ______________________
2. What is the purpose of Paragraph 2 and how is the information organized?
Comparatives
Twice as many X as Y
Three times as much
Twice as many people had problems using mobiles as had problems using ATM’s.
Double the percentage of people had problems using mobiles as had problems using
ATM’s.
Slightly more than treble the percentage of people had trouble using ATM’s as had
trouble using microwaves.
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Superlatives
Adverbs/Quantifiers
X is/was substantially smaller than Y
significantly larger
considerably more significant
a great deal higher
far more popular
much
rather
somewhat
slightly
marginally
The percentage of people having problems with ATM’s was significantly larger than the
percentage (of people) who had problems using MP3’s.
The number of people who prefer Italian food is nearly the same as the number (of people)
who prefer Chinese food.
14
Group Writing Task
$35
$30
$25 Hamburgers
$20
Fish and Chips
$15
$10 Pizza
$5
$-
High Average Low
Income Income Income
Look at this second sentence of the description paragraph in ‘Difficulty Using Gadgets’.
Mobile phones create the most trouble for users with 32% of Australians reporting problems.
a. Microwaves are the easiest to use with only 5% of people having problems.
c. Hamburgers were the next most popular with 33% of those on low incomes eating them at least
once a week.
d. Teenage males and females have almost the same percentage with approximately 63% of
them being unhappy with public transport.
Now, do the reverse and combine these sentences using the model above.
d. Twice as many people have problems using mobile phones as have trouble with
microwaves.
45% of people have problems with mobile phones and 22% of people
are unable to use their microwaves.
e. The 20-25 age group have by far the highest unemployment rate.
39% of 20-25 year olds are not able to find a job.
Present/future
This may (etc) suggest that + clause This may suggest that
indicate pizza costs more.
One probable cause might have been the high cost of pizza.
One likely cause may be that pizza costs more.
One probable reason for this is/was that + clause One probable reason for
likely this is that pizza costs
possible more.
This is/was probably the result of + noun group This was possibly the
possibly result of the high cost of pizza.
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Ways of introducing more than one reason
This may be/have been the result of several factors. First,. Another reason might be/have been that..
There may be/have been several reasons for this. First,.. Moreover,..
This may stem/have stemmed from two possible causes. One is/was that.. Another factor is/was that
There may be/have been more than one factor involved. First, … In addition, …
Look at the following sentences - find the main verb. Then decide why that verb is used (look at what
follows the verb).
2. The amount spent in the Inner West ______ greater than the amount outlaid in the South.
4. The highest rate of consumption of hamburgers ________ in the high income group.
5. Three times as many people _______ trouble using mobile phones as _______ problems with
their digital cameras.
7. More than 26% of respondents _______ happy with their choice of car.
10. The profession with the highest level of female participation ______ nursing at 91%.
11. Teaching ______ more popular with women than with men.
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Fast Food Model
The chart shows the amount of money spent per week on fast foods in Australia in 2001. The
information _________ high, average and low income earners _________ on hamburgers, fish and
chips, and pizza.
Of all the groups surveyed, high income earners expenditure on fast food was the ______ with a total
of $54 _____ spent each week. Interestingly, they spent more than _____ as much on hamburgers at
$29 as they did on fish and chips or pizza, _____ both had weekly outlays of under $15.
The chart also demonstrates that at $48 the weekly spend of average income earners on fast food
was only ________ lower than that of those on high incomes. They ____ spent more money on
hamburgers at $22 than on fish and chips ($16) and pizza ($10).
________, those on low incomes spent significantly less on fast food with a total weekly outlay of
$25. ______ the other two groups, fish and chips was the most _________ fast food for them with
$12 being spent on it each week, _____ was higher than their spending on both hamburgers at $8
and pizza at $5.
The information _________ in the bar chart demonstrates ____ as people’s incomes increased, so
too did their expenditure on fast food. This was obviously _______ those on higher incomes had
more money at their disposal and _________ spent more on fast food than low income earners, who
________ had to take more care with expenditure. Higher income earners ___ have also worked
longer hours and, ____________, have been more inclined to spend money on convenience food
rather than cooking meals at home. The ____ that low income earners favoured fish and chips
_______ indicates that fish and chips represented better value for money than hamburgers and
pizza.
19
Line Chart Report
Match the graphs and the information about the town of Grafton.
1 2 3 4
1970 1980 1990 2000 1970 1980 1990 2000 1970 1980 1990 2000 1970 1980 1990 2000
5 6 7 8
1970 1980 1990 2000 1970 1980 1990 2000 1970 1980 1990 2000 1970 1980 1990 2000
a b c d
The population fell The number of crimes The number of people There was a steady
steadily during the committed increased owning their own rise in tourism before
whole period. sharply in the 1970s homes increased 1990, followed by a
but fell moderately steadily from 1970 to steep climb until the
after that. 2000. end of the period.
e f g h
Unemployment The birth rate fell Infant mortality
There was a modest
increased dramatically steadily in the first remained the same
rise in the rate of
in the 1970s but then two decades but then during the 1970s. This
heart disease before
fell gradually. remained stable. was followed by a
1980. In the 1980s
Between 1990 and slight fall, and then
there was a slow
2000 there was a another period of
decline, but by 2000
slight increase. stability. there had been a
sharp fall.
Fill in the table with language from the descriptions. Add any additional words that you know.
Up
Down
Level
20
Look at the texts again and decide:
21
Smoking
This graph shows the average number of cigarettes smoked per person per year in Britain over a
period of sixty years.
900
800
700
600
Cigarettes
500
400
300
200
100
0
1920 1925 1930 1935 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980
Write two sentences to describe the graph for each of the following periods. Write one sentence
with a verb and an adverb, and one sentence with an adjective and a noun. Also, use a variety of time
phrases.
Eg: 1920-1930
The rate of smoking increased gradually between 1920 and 1930.
From 1920 to 1930 there was a gradual increase in the rate of smoking.
1. 1940-1945
2. 1945-1950
3. 1955-1958
4. 1970-1975
5. 1975-1980
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Questions
1. What are some reasons people smoke?
2. What factors influence people’s smoking habits?
The following information gives some likely reasons for the changes in smoking rates shown in the
graph.
Write a pair of sentences for each by combining the period, the change, an effect/cause verb, and
the reason.
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Group Writing Task
%
Language Education in Ubanda
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980
1969 The Portuguese colonial government began long-term preparations for independence.
1971 Independence was seized by force & diplomatic relations with Portugal were cut.
1972 Kibanda, a lingua franca, was introduced in secondary schools.
1974 Kibanda was made the national language & was taught in all schools.
1975 Diplomatic relations with Portugal were resumed, & Portuguese aid was started.
1976 Ubanda joined the Trans-African-Trade-Community, most members of which were English
speaking.
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Describing Change Over Time
minimal
marginal
slight
small
slow
gradual rise
modest increase
There was a moderate decrease in X (from figure to figure)
steady decline
marked
substantial
significant
large
dramatic
steep
sharp
rapid
sudden
Between 1945 and 1950 there was a marked decline in smoking from 800 to 630 cigarettes smoked
per person.
slightly
went up marginally
increased slowly
rose gradually
climbed modestly
X fell moderately (from figure to figure)
decreased steadily
declined markedly
dropped dramatically
sharply
rapidly
suddenly
Between 1940 and 1945 smoking rose markedly from 590 to 800 cigarettes smoked per person.
Additional Language
X reached a peak in + date at + figure
X peaked in + date at + figure
There was a peak in X in + date
Between 1968 and 1972 there was a levelling out in smoking at 750 cigarettes smoked per person.
stabilized
levelled out
X remained steady at + figure
was stable
plateaued
25
Between 1968 and 1972 smoking plateaued at 750 cigarettes smoked per person.
There was a slight dip in X
sudden
X dipped slightly
suddenly
In 1920 smoking was at its lowest point at 500 cigarettes smoked per person
Trend Sentences
Time phrases
26
More introductory phrases for conclusions
It may be inferred that + chart topic + was influenced by + list of general points of analysis
E.g. It may be inferred that Sydneysiders’ weekly expenditure in restaurants was influenced by
demographics and availability.
The information given in the chart may be connected to aspects of + list of general points of analysis
Look at the sentence below and the nominalised form of the same idea. How has the change
occurred? What are the steps in this change?
8. The number of students who were learning Kibanda has risen significantly.
27
Look at the cause & effect language on page 19 and combine the above noun groups with a possible
reason for the change.
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28
With a partner re-write the analysis paragraph for ‘Education in Ubanda’ by nominalising some of the
sentences to make it more academic.
The graph shows the link between language and politics in Ubanda. Portuguese study rose slightly
between 1969 and 1971. This was likely to have been the result of the preparations being made by
the colonial government for independence. Portuguese declined rapidly after 1971. This can be
attributed to the seizing of power by force by pro-independence groups and the cutting of diplomatic
relations with Portugal. Portuguese rose steadily to its previous level after 1975. A probable reason
for this was that Ubanda and Portugal resumed diplomatic contact and the former colonial power
began to provide aid. This would have meant that there was a need for Ubandans working on the aid
projects to be able to communicate with the coordinators of those projects. In addition, the teaching
of Kibanda increased rapidly. The requirement for a link language to unite the disparate groups in the
country and to provide an administrative language was probably the reason for this. Furthermore,
the number of students of English grew in the mid-1970s. This was almost certain to have been
because Ubanda joined the Trans African Trade Community, which had a predominance of English
speaking members.
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Now with your group, re-write your analysis paragraph for ‘Education in Ubanda’ by nominalising
some of the sentences to make it more academic.
29
Language Education in Ubanda Model
Use the words in the box below to complete the text. Change the tense where necessary.
decline stabilised same language results below percentage
approximately following study Between increase period rose
moderate slightly upward all suddenly second between
independence because have stable members may from
The graph shows the (1)___________ of school students studying languages in Ubanda, a former
Portuguese colony. Three languages are selected, Portuguese, English and Kibanda, and the
(2)___________ relate to the period from 1967 to 1980.
The chart shows that the percentage of students studying Portuguese was the (3)___________ at the
beginning and at the end of the (4)___________. (5)__________ 1967 to 1969 the percentage of
students of Portuguese was (6)___________ at 20% before rising (7)___________ to 25%. By 1972, it
had dropped sharply to (8)____________ 15%. (9)_____________ this, it declined gradually to
(10)____________ 8%. In 1975, it began to rise steadily again.
The chart also indicates that there was a (11)___________ upward trend in English (12)________.
(13)___________ 1967 and 1973 there was a modest (14)________________ in the percentage of
students studying English. The rate then (15)______________, but by 1980 it (16)_____________ to
35%.
Furthermore, it can be seen in the chart that there was a significant (17)__________ trend in the
study of Kibanda during the (18)____________ half of the period. From 1967 to 1972 there were no
students studying Kibanda in Ubandan schools; however, by 1974 the percentage of students
studying the language had increased (19)____________ to 20%. The rapid rise in the percentage
continued to the end of the period by which time (20)__________ school students were studying
Kibanda.
The graph shows the link (21)_____________ language education and politics. Until 1971 the number
of students studying Portuguese was significant (22)_____________ Portugal was the colonial power
and Portuguese would (23)__________ been the language of administration. The large drop
coincided with the coming of (24)_____________ and the severing of diplomatic relations with
Portugal. The revival of Portuguese studies in Ubanda came with the resumption of those diplomatic
relations. English teaching benefited from the (25)___________ in the number of students studying
Portuguese, and the fact that the (26)____________ of the Trans-African Trade Community, which
Ubanda joined, were English speakers (27)____________ also have been a factor. The steep rise in
the teaching of Kibanda can be attributed to the fact that in 1972 after independence was gained
Kibanda, a lingua franca, was introduced into secondary schools. Then in 1974 it became the national
(28)____________ and was taught in all schools.
30
Presentations
Questions
1. Apart from in Academic English, have you ever had to give a presentation? When/why?
5. When you are giving a talk to a group of people, what are the four most important things you
should do?
6. When you are giving a talk, what can you do to help the audience?
Match the parts of a presentation to the signposts and put the parts of a presentation in the correct
order
Conclusion and summary Today I’d like to talk to/speak to you about _______
Focus questions But before I begin, I’d like to ask a few questions.
Responding to question If there are no more questions, I’d just like to thank you all very
much.
Preview / outline This brings me to the end of my presentation, and I’d be happy to
answer any questions you might have.
31
Post Presentation Reflection
during my presentation
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32
General Presentations Signposts
Intros
Good morning everyone. My name’s _______ .
Introduce Topic
Today I’d like to talk to/speak to you about _______
Focus questions
But, before I begin/we start/we get under way, I’d just like to ask you a few questions
Outline
Well, I've divided my talk into ___ sections.
First/first up, I’m going to look at ______
After that, we’ll turn to ______
Following that/this, we’ll consider _____
Then, we’ll focus on _____
And finally, we’ll look at_____
There’ll be time for/ a chance to ask questions at the end.
OK, let’s get started.
Concluding
So, to sum up, today we’ve looked at ________.
We’ve talked about _________,
We’ve considered _________,
And we’ve discussed __________.
In my opinion … (give some general remarks about the topic)
Answering Questions
____ has asked me …
I’m afraid I don’t have that information with me at the moment. If you’d like to see me later, I’ll see
what I can do for you.
Closing
If there are no more questions, I’d just like to finish by saying how much I’ve enjoyed speaking with
you today. Thank you very much everyone.
33
Note-Taking
Questions
1. When you were at university did you take notes?
2. What did you use your notes for?
Note-taking Techniques
Include main ideas.
Include important data such as figures & years.
Include references.
Use abbreviations and symbols.
Try not to use ‘small’ words such as articles, prepositions & auxiliary verbs.
Don’t write sentences.
Use clear headings & sub-headings.
Use indenting, underlining or highlighting for emphasis.
Organise your notes clearly by using ‘white’ space.
Write clearly.
4. Write a symbol next to each of the meanings below, and visa versa.
equal to/same as
≠
from … to/leads to/results in/causes
←
growth/increase
less than/fewer than
and/also/in addition/plus/positive
—
therefore/thus/so
∵
34
AEP3 Course Objectives and Performance Criteria
The primary objective of AEP3 is to prepare you for study at University level.
Objective 1: Can use a range of strategies, learning techniques and research skills to achieve
tertiary study goals
Performance Criteria
Use online learning platform (Moodle)
Do preparatory work for ‘flipped’ classes
Complete assignments in class and set as homework
Submit work on time
Is punctual
Work with other students in pairs and groups
Participate in class discussions
Use a range of self-assessment strategies
Identify own learning needs
Accommodate cultural differences that result in various learning styles
Use a range of learning aids
Use a range of organisational skills
Employ a range of learning strategies to achieve goals
Show evidence of a range of research skills.
36
Objective 9: Can apply a range of listening skills relevant to academic contexts
Performance Criteria
Predict information about an oral text
Use prior knowledge and personal experiences to help understand new information
Participate in discussions relating to prior knowledge and personal experiences
Note detail and specific information accurately from academic oral text types
Listen for sequential detail
Take notes in sequence
Produce written responses demonstrating an understanding of the overall meaning of academic
oral text types
Respond to questions arising from academic oral text types
Interact and participate effectively in pair and group discussions arising from academic oral text
types.
Objective 11: Can search and evaluate Internet sites for academic purposes
Performance Criteria
Use a variety of search engines to locate information relevant to academic tasks
Select a variety of key words to narrow search
Skim search results to choose most appropriate, relevant sites/pages for research purposes
Locate source of web pages to ascertain its validity as academic source
Skim web pages to locate key relevant information
Critically evaluate relevant information
Incorporate relevant information into in a text
Reference Internet information appropriately.
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Assessment Criteria
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Journal Assessment
Assessment considers the following factors:
Ability to make critical observations
Ability to set & record learning goals
Ability to reflect on learning experiences
Ability to reflect on Australian customs & behaviour
Criteria Mark
Extended & thoughtful completion of all tasks. 5.0
Thoughtful completion of all tasks 4.0
Satisfactory completion of all tasks. 3.5
Some tasks incomplete. 3.0
Most tasks incomplete. 2.0
Not submitted 0
Criteria Mark
Extended & thoughtful completion of all tasks. 5.0
Thorough completion of all tasks 4.0
Satisfactory completion of all tasks. 3.5
Some tasks incomplete. 3.0
Most tasks incomplete. 2.0
Not submitted 0
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Speaking Assessment
Students are tested in groups of 3-4 students. Several days before the test, groups are assigned.
Groups are allocated by the teacher. Students are not able to choose their groups. Students are given
an individual mark.
Format
Part Time Task Focus
3- 4 mins Provide personal information about Tests ability to provide basic personal
1
general topics. information on general topics.
4- 5mins Talk with other one or two other Tests ability to interact with other students,
2 students relating to an allocated topic. give and ask for opinions and work towards
completing a task together.
4- 5 Answer questions relating to topic in Tests ability to discuss and give opinions
3
part 2. relating to a theme.
Grading
A+ -The student always demonstrates ability in this area all the time
A -The student demonstrates ability in this area about 80% of the time.
B -The student demonstrates ability in this area about 60% of the time.
A+ A B C D
C -The student shows some ability in this area, but not consistently.
D -The student does not demonstrate control over this objective. Frequent errors obscure
communication.
Task Identifies inconsistencies and ask for clarification
Achievement Responds appropriately and in a detailed manner 20 16 14 12 8
Can perform Core class speaking objectives
Grammar Uses clear sentences; errors rarely interfere with meaning
Incorporates a full range of grammatical forms, as appropriate 20 16 14 12 8
Easily constructs compound and complex sentences, as appropriate
Fluency Can produce lengthy sentences with ideas that flow well
20 16 14 12 8
Can easily sustain discussions on specific topics from authentic material
Pronunciation Pronunciation is clear and understandable
20 16 14 12 8
Stress and intonation patterns aid communication
Vocabulary Wide vocabulary range allows precision and details
20 16 14 12 8
Can use some idioms and collocations
Presentation Assessment
Students are given an individual presentation assessment on a topic they have researched and
prepared. Depending on the task, the presentation is between 10 and 15 minutes and done
individually or in a group.
Grading
A+ -The student always demonstrates ability in this area all the time
A -The student demonstrates ability in this area about 80% of the time.
B -The student demonstrates ability in this area about 60% of the time.
A+ A B C D
C -The student shows some ability in this area, but not consistently.
D -The student does not demonstrate control over this objective.
Frequent errors obscure communication.
Content and Content is detailed and well explained
Visuals Focus is maintained
25 20 18 15 10
Extensive research is evident
Visuals are thoughtful, engaging and relevant
Grammar and Uses clear sentences; errors rarely interfere with meaning
Vocabulary Incorporates a full range of grammatical forms, as appropriate
Easily constructs compound and complex sentences, as appropriate
25 20 18 15 10
Wide vocabulary range allows precision and details
Can use some idioms and collocations
Signpost language used accurately
Fluency and Can produce lengthy sentences with ideas that flow well
Pronunciation Can easily sustain discussions on specific topics from authentic material
25 20 18 15 10
Pronunciation is clear and understandable
Stress and intonation patterns aid communication
Presentation Uses eye contact
Skills Uses natural gestures
25 20 18 15 10
Engages with audience
Does not read presentation
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Learning Strategies Assessment
Students are assessed on their overall learning strategies. These include:
Attendance and Punctuality (2 marks)
Class Participation (3 marks)
- Participation in group work, discussions, adherence to EOP
Independent learning (2 marks)
- Preparation for ‘flipped’ classes, study for tests,
completion of homework tasks and journal
Consultation with teachers (2 marks)
- Willingness to do independent work on areas of weakness
Meeting deadlines (1 mark)
Attendance measurement:
Achieved 95-100% attendance throughout the AE course +2
Achieved 90-94% attendance throughout the course +1
Achieved 85-89% attendance throughout the course 0
Achieved 80-84% attendance throughout the course -1
AE Course attendance under 80% Automatically fail course
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AEP3 Module 1 Grammar & Vocabulary Tests
Over the five weeks of the course you will need to complete the grammar and vocabulary exercises
listed below IN YOUR OWN TIME.
You should do the exercises in the suggested weeks as they have been scheduled to fit in with your
written assignments. Every 2 weeks, your teachers will ask to see your progress and you will be
tested on the units.
Module 1
Weeks 1 & 2
Grammar
Handbook: Bar Chart
FOI: Units 1 & 4
Vocabulary
Making Connections: Unit 1 Readings 1-2
FOI: p. 17.
Weeks 3 & 4
Grammar
Handbook: Line Chart
FOI: Units 2, 3, & 5
Vocabulary
Making Connections: Unit 1 Readings 3-5
FOI: p. 37. p. 57
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ELS Sydney Marking Scheme
no topic sentence /
TS
think about your topic sentence
join up ideas
CS
CS Comma Splice
I went home, I did some work.
RO
RO Run On
I went home I did some work.
F
F Sentence fragment
When I went to school.
The text does not match the topic of the paragraph.
U Paragraph Unity
infml
infml Informal word
There was a big increase.
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