The course aims to develop and consolidate the competences corresponding to B1+ level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in the following areas:
Written and oral reception
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Understand documents related to their areas of interest and field of study when the language is clearly articulated;
Identify the structure of a document and distinguish main ideas from details;
Understand simple technical information;
Infer the meaning of a word or expression from context.
Oral production (monologue and interaction)
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Produce, with or without preparation, a simple and coherent spoken discourse on familiar topics and within their areas of interest;
Recount an event, providing the details necessary for it to be understood;
Describe their feelings and reactions;
Explain a problem and present possible solutions;
Develop an argument or explanation clearly enough to be understood without difficulty most of the time;
Check that they have been understood, in particular by asking questions.
Written production
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Write simply structured texts on a range of topics within their field;
Report on experiences, describing their feelings and reactions;
Use a simple formal style;
Present the main ideas of a document clearly and coherently;
Take notes during a simple presentation when the topic is familiar, the language is straightforward, and the speech is clearly articulated.
Secondary-school foreign-language competence frameworks place the expected level of English proficiency between B1- and B1+, depending on whether English is studied as a first or second foreign language.
In line with this, the priority of Block 1 is to enable each student to reach and consolidate B1+ proficiency across all language competences of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), while also introducing them to the fundamentals of formal and scientific English.
The course aims in particular to develop the competences required to:
Describe their university environment and use the basic conventions of formal written communication, particularly in communication with a lecturer;
Use scientific resources, in simplified or unsimplified form, in order to identify key information and communicate it to a general audience in the form of a short video;
Synthesise information from a scientific-oriented article on a familiar topic and organise it into a coherent and well-structured text;
Give a brief oral presentation of the content of a simplified scientific article, highlighting its main information and ideas.
Through the various activities carried out in class, as well as through self-directed learning, students will develop and consolidate their B1+ grammar and vocabulary.
Note: Although the course refers to B1+ level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), successful completion of the course does not constitute an official certification of this level, such as that obtained through a recognised international language certification test.
Main Course
The course is divided into four modules:
Module 1 – University Life: talking about their new environment and becoming familiar with academic language and register;
Module 2 – It’s not Rocket Science: introduction to science communication and popularisation (a project developed as part of Printemps des Sciences);
Module 3 – Let’s Talk about Science: introduction to the techniques required to read scientific texts and write summaries;
Module 4 – Budding Researchers: introduction to the genre of scientific English through work on simplified research articles in English.
Remedial Module
At the beginning of the course, students will be asked to complete a diagnostic test via the WebCampus online platform. The test will assess several skills, including reading comprehension, listening comprehension, vocabulary and grammar, in order to determine the student’s CEFR level. The results will help the teaching team better advise students for whom the level of the course may not be appropriate.
Students who are beginners or are assessed at A1 level are strongly advised to take steps to catch up, for example by attending intensive English courses outside the university. Unfortunately, taking the SCDLB105 course alone will not be sufficient to successfully complete the course and acquire the competences required for the next stages of the programme, given the substantial gap between A1 and B1+ level.
Students assessed at A2 level will be invited to attend a remedial module taught by Ms. V. Bar in addition to the SCDLB105 course. Once the deadline for completing the diagnostic test has passed, the course coordinator will contact the students concerned and invite them to the introductory session of this module.
Additional grammar exercises are provided in the course notes, as well as on WebCampus.
Classes are held in small groups of no more than 25 students, in the form of interactive seminars. Attendance is compulsory. Each session provides opportunities to develop and practise oral and written production skills.
The course is primarily based on practical activities that require active and regular participation, as well as regular preparation and self-directed learning throughout the academic year.
English communication is addressed in its different dimensions in order to prepare students to carry out the target tasks of the course:
Linguistic: vocabulary, syntax, grammar and phonology;
Sociolinguistic: markers of social relationships, language registers, conventions and rules of politeness;
Pragmatic: organisation and structuring of discourse, coherence, and adaptation to the context and the interlocutor.
In addition to the content and activities covered in class, students are expected to work independently on certain aspects of the course content (see Self-study). This material is an integral part of the course and contributes to consolidating students’ lexical and grammatical knowledge.
The programme is structured into four distinct modules, each of which concludes with a summative assessment.
If a student is unable to attend a session, they are required to notify the lecturer of their absence and provide supporting documentation.
Note: A timetable conflict with a course taught in another block does not constitute a valid reason for an absence. When such a conflict cannot be avoided, students are advised to give priority to the course belonging to the lower block.
In the event of an absence on the day of an assessment, including a formative assessment, students must notify the lecturer of their absence as soon as possible and, in any event, before the assessment begins. Failing this, the absence will be considered unjustified. Supporting documentation may be submitted at a later date. In the event of a duly justified absence, an alternative assessment or appropriate arrangements may be considered.
Use of AI
AI can be a useful learning tool, but it can never replace students’ own work. In this course, AI may be used only to:
Brainstorm ideas;
Obtain feedback on students’ own work;
Obtain additional explanations about aspects of the course content;
Generate practice exercises.
However, it is strictly forbidden to use an AI tool to generate content intended to be used as such in class activities, presentations, assignments or assessments.
The course materials may not be shared on any online platform or submitted to an AI tool.
Continuous Assessment (60%)
The main course is divided into four modules. At the end of each module, students will be required to submit a final task and take a grammar/vocabulary test covering the content of the module in question.
Module 1 – University Life: talking about their new environment and becoming familiar with academic language and register
Professional email writing (10%)
Grammar/vocabulary test #1 (5%)
Module 2 – It’s not Rocket Science: introduction to science communication and popularisation (a project developed as part of Printemps des Sciences)
Production of a video explaining a scientific concept (10%)
Grammar/vocabulary test #2 (5%)
Module 3 – Let’s Talk about Science: introduction to the techniques required to read scientific texts and write summaries
Writing a summary of a science magazine article (10%)
Grammar/vocabulary test #3 (5%)
Module 4 – Budding Researchers: introduction to the genre of scientific English through work on simplified research articles in English
Delivery of a pitch based on a simplified scientific article (10%)
Grammar/vocabulary test #4 (5%)
The grammar and vocabulary tests will cover:
The vocabulary units listed on the cover page of each module;
The grammar and vocabulary covered in class (vocabulary exercises, lexical boxes, underlined words and vocabulary written on the board);
Vocabulary studied independently.
Final Examination – June Examination Session (40%)
The oral examination will consist of:
Pronouncing a list of words encountered during the course;
An informal conversation with another student about (1) their first year at university (see Module 1), (2) their experience of the It’s not Rocket Science project (see Module 2), and (3) their opinion on the topics covered in the texts and videos studied in class (see Modules 3 and 4).
Note: Registration for the oral examination will take place via WebCampus during the second semester. The selected time slot may be modified to ensure the smooth organisation of the examination day. In the event of late registration, a penalty of two points may be applied to the oral examination grade. Please note that registration for the oral examination will no longer be possible once the examination session has begun.
August/September Examination Session
If the student’s overall average does not reach 10/20 in June, they will be required to take the August/September resit examination and must retake the assessment components for which they have failed.
Important: The principle of the échec absorbant (automatic 9/20) may be applied in two specific cases:
If the student obtains an overall average of 10/20 or above, but has a significant failure (a grade below 9/20) in either the continuous assessment average OR the oral examination;
If the student obtains a rounded overall average of 10/20 and has failed (a grade below 10/20) both the continuous assessment average AND the oral examination.
Students must therefore take all assessment components seriously in order to pass the course. If one of the assessment components is not taken, the final grade will not be validated.
For students required to take the resit examination, if an assessment component for which they obtained a grade below 10/20 in June is not retaken in August/September, the grade for that assessment component will not be carried forward and a 0A will be recorded for that component.
In the August session, students who have failed the average of the grammar and vocabulary tests will take a grammar and vocabulary test covering the content of the entire academic year.
The exact dates and locations of the examinations will be communicated via WebCampus and can be consulted via https://ade.unamur.be/direct.
The WebCampus course page: SCDLB105 – Introduction to Scientific English. This page is essential for completing the preparatory work, accessing course materials and receiving emails.
The course notes, available exclusively in digital format on WebCampus.
Murphy, R. (2019, January 24th). English Grammar in Use Book with Answers: A Self-Study Reference and Practice Book for Intermediate Learners of English (5th ed.). Cambridge University Press. This grammar book is not used directly in class, but is recommended for students who need to review certain grammar points independently. The book is available at the "reprographie" office.
Redman, S. (2017, August 4th). English Vocabulary in Use Pre-intermediate and Intermediate Book with Answers: Vocabulary Reference and Practice (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press. This vocabulary book is required for independent vocabulary work and is available at the "reprographie" office.
| Training | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in Physics | 1 | 3 | Yes |