UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA

Facultad de Ciencias Humanas

Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras
Programa Curricular de Filología e Idiomas
Written Communication V
Course Syllabus

Professor: Carlos Alberto Sierra Arenas

csierraa@unal.edu.co

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Time allotted for this course: 64 hours

Hours per week: 4 (Mon, Wed, 2:00 – 4:00 pm)
Type of Subject: Theoretical-practical

2. DESCRIPTION

Students at an advanced level of English should be able to understand a wide range of demanding,
longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning. They can express themselves fluently and
spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. They can use language flexibly and
effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. They can produce clear, well-structured,
detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors and
cohesive devices.

3. OBJECTIVES

o Communicate with other users fluently and spontaneously, with little effort, demonstrating a
good command of a wide variety of language.
o Select language formulas to express themselves clearly and appropriately on a variety of complex
topics of a general, academic, professional nature as well as those related to leisure.
o Understand extensive oral and written texts on abstract and complex subjects outside their own
field of specialization.
o Recognize the socio-cultural content of linguistic situations and understand a wide range of
idiomatic expressions, appreciating changes in register.
o Use contextual, grammatical and lexical cues to work out attitudes, moods and intentions and
anticipate situations.
o Be autonomous learners, developing and using communication and learning strategies.

3. OBJECTIVES BY SKILL

Reading: at an advanced level of English, students will be able to understand long and complex factual
and literary texts, appreciating nuances and distinctions. They will be able to understand specialized
articles and longer technical instructions, even when they do not relate to their field. They should also
fully understand the intention and general sense, important information, main ideas, opinions and
attitudes expressed, both implicit and explicit, in a wide range of extensive, conceptually and
structurally complex written texts, from social, professional and academic life, identifying differences
in style and register.

Writing: Students will be able to write clear, well-structured text and express points of view at some
length. They can write detailed expositions of complex subjects in a letter, an essay or a report,
underlining the salient issues. They can write different kinds of texts in a style appropriate to the
reader in mind. They should also produce and co-produce extensive, detailed written texts on complex
subjects in different fields, highlighting the main ideas, elaborating on them to a certain extent,
defending their points of view and ending with an appropriate conclusion. To this end, grammatical
structures and spelling, punctuation and complex text presentation conventions will be used, showing
a command of a broad vocabulary to make it possible to express irony, humour and emotional charge.

4. CONTENTS
As a clear guideline, there will be systematical reference to the contents provided by advanced level
textbooks and various sources, academic and non-academic. Students should expect to be assigned
plenty of reading material and do complementary activities as suggested and programmed by the
teacher. They are also expected to write clear, well-structured reports, statements, articles, essays or
other types of text on complex subjects in public, academic or professional settings.

5. METHODOLOGY
This program will be carried out under the communicative approach and autonomy development, and
reflection on students self-learning process will be encouraged as learning strategies. Students will be
required to do all the tasks, supplementary activities, readings, etc. assigned in class and out of it in
order to help make this class more workshop-like in which knowledge is discussed and shared.

6. ASSESSMENT
On a daily basis, students will get class work. They will often be given supplementary work as well.
Not all the tasks are to be graded, but special attention will be paid to class work and active
engagement. Students should have all the extra work assigned ready for the due date.
Students will be expected to develop their writing process based on peer reviewing and collaboration,
by giving and receiving constructive and respectful feedback from their classmates. Teacher-to-
student feedback solely won’t be part of this course so as to encourage students to gather insight
about their writing, take feedback into account and make improvements to their texts. A special
segment at the beginning of the course will be dedicated to clarify on this specific assessment
methodology.
Class work, and writing activities will be graded on a scale from 0.0 to 5.0, with 5.0 being the highest
score and 3.0 the passing grade.

Type of work
Classwork (assignments, presentations, activities and various
tasks) 50%
Reading and writing tasks 50%
7. COURSE CONTENT

Week Topics Skills and vocabulary

Course objectives, syllabus presentation Critical reading and peer reviewing
1
and expectations guidelines.
Summarizing ideas, revision and
2 Reading strategies
composition
3 Genres of writing Discussion, reading of samples by genre
Connection of relevant information and
4 Autobiographical reflection
insights.
5 Academic blogs Collaborative work in public websites
Evaluation of fictional and non-fictional
6 Book review
work.
7 Close reading Critical reading, interpreting and writing.
Comparison and contrast of various
8 Relating multiple texts
sources with a common objective.
9 Concert review Evaluate a musical performance
10 Creative non-fiction Experiential writing.
11 Film review Assessment of a film’s overall quality.
12 Grant proposal Written application for academic funding.
13 Op-ed Personal commentary on feature articles.
14 Poetry explication Close reading of poetry.
15 Supplementary activities Supplementary activities.
Overall feedback and grades Overall feedback and grades
16

8. BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Wallace, C. (2003). Critical reading in language education. Springer.

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Council of Europe. Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching,
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