Foreign Language

General

Course Contents

  • Teaching and practicing the basics of reading skills through specialized texts / articles etc.
  • Words and phrases in English related to the student’s science: vocabulary related to environmental problems, sustainability, soils/pedology, plants/vine physiology, diseases, winemaking, marketing, statistical language etc.
  • Vocabulary enhancement: use of words that fit with each other (collocations), compound words, linkers-sentence connectors, , synonyms, antonyms, derivatives, academic words and phrases etc.
  • Academic writing: types of paragraph, paragraph construction, appropriate use of connectors for writing academic texts like a scientific paper or essay, summary and conclusions, notes (taking notes), summaries, resumes, business letters, requests, memos, notes, arguments etc.
  • Communicative language functions : exchange /request information , expressing agreement and disagreement, review statements, debating etc.

Educational Goals

This course is designed to help students enhance their competence in the English language in relation to their field of study and strengthen their language skills which are considered essential not only for undergraduate or graduate studies, but, also, for their future work environment.

The course focuses on the four areas of learning a language: comprehension and production of oral and written speech. The element of understanding written language (Reading) consists of activities and exercises that help students understand both long and short scientific texts so that their vocabulary is enriched, and, in parallel, to achieve familiarity with scientific text analysis strategies. In this context, students are asked to understand and delve deeper into extensive scientific articles/texts covering the field of Oenology. The element of academic writing involves tasks concerning production of limited textual items. What is more, students practice in speaking to enhance their speaking skills so that they will be able to learn to get their ideas across to their audience each time.

  • Understand English texts related to student’s field of study.
  • Develop academic skills (e.g. improve the capacity of students to write effectively for academic purposes using a variety of tasks).
  • Improve the students’ ability to use sources and to effectively synthesize from them.
  • Prepare the students for participating in foreign language lectures, seminars and discussions.
  • Prepare the students to become effective speakers of English and develop strategies for listening.
  • Enhance their language skills (reading, writing and speaking).
  • Teach and consolidate vocabulary related to areas of the undergraduate Curriculum of the School.
  • Provide information on issues related to their field of study which will form the basis for creative, academic debate.
  • Encourage student learning autonomy.
  • Develop student self-confidence for participation in European conferences, programs etc.
  • Focus on research.

General Skills

Upon successful completion of the Course, students are expected to be able to:

  • Develop techniques in reading English for Academic purposes through specialized texts to extract general and specific information.
  • Acquire special and academic vocabulary, build and expand their vocabulary relevant to the field of Oenology.
  • Draw and transfer information through speaking and listening, and read /understand texts and articles from the world of their field of science.
  • Develop communicative competence. Exploit their grammatical knowledge, and their knowledge of lexical and syntactic structures (level B2 -C1).
  • Improve their ability to write in an academic style and express basic ideas orally and written in the best possible and most accurate manner.
  • Develop cooperation through pair or group work and improve critical thinking.

Teaching Methods

  • In the classroom, face to face. The students produce their Course books and they are required to actively participate.

Use of ICT means

  • Basic software (windows, word, power point, the web, etc.).
  • Support of learning process through the electronic platform / e-class.

Teaching Organization

ActivitySemester workload
Lectures26
Practice works26
Independent Study23
Total75

Students Evaluation

I. Final written examination (100%) in English including:

  • Multiple choice questions.
  • Reading (special texts).
  • Vocabulary exercises.
  • Syntax/Grammar exercises.
  • Writing.

II. Each examination is assessed as successful on condition that the candidate has achieved a score of 50 points out of 100. The points corresponding to each task appear under each activity. An exam simulation procedure is conducted prior to each examination period in order that the students are familiarized with the exam paper.

ΙΙΙ. Formative examination is continuously carried out throughout the academic semester both for individual and pair activities as well as the group work.