SCIENTIFIC ENGLISH M - Z

Expected results.

Passing the examination at the end of the course should prove that the students have the language skills to live and work independently in an English-speaking country, study on courses taught in English, understand and produce biomedical and biotechnological language. Getting these skills mean that the students have gone through the logical steps in their language-learning journey between B1+ and B2.

Aims:

At the B2 level, students should be able to understand the main ideas of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in their field of specialization. They can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. (Not all the students will get these skills completely at the end of the course and that means, with the teacher's help, further extra work on their own to get the right results.

Course methodology and structure.

A communicative methodological approach will be employed in order to develop all the communicative skills especially the ability of “speaking”. Particular attention is paid to new vocabulary especially the one required in biotechnology–related studies and professions.

There will be an entry test at the beginning of the course as a diagnostic test to help the teacher check the overall level of the students. For weak students the teacher will give them extra work as homework. Different and varied practice exercises will be given such as reading, writing and listening activities.

 As for listening, this skill will be practiced widely during the class. Videos on grammar and on the specialized language will be watched followed by questions, oral and written reports and vocabulary exercises.

The course will go through 45 hour lessons. Each lesson consists 2.5 hours each.

Prerequisites

In order to get the B2 level of the CEFR, (Common European Framework of Reference) students should at least be an independent user of the B1+ in all language abilities:

As stated by the course includes two parts:

1)  grammar-language lessons;

2) lessons related to pharmacy studies and professions.

The minimum attendance required is at least 75% of the course as a whole.

Attendance to the course: Compulsory.

Course contents

The course aims to develop students' grammar skills of the B2 level and the vocabulary and language functions of scientific and academic English.

By the end of the course, students will be able to understand a wide range of English texts and be able to use the language flexibly and effectively in academic and professional contexts, particularly in the field of biotechnology, medical science and health. 
The course will be divided into two parts: the first part will cover aspects of English linguistics, grammar and syntax; the second part will deal with scientific texts and topics in English. 

Grammar:

1) Present and past. Present simple, present continuous, present simple vs present continuous, past simple, past continuous, present perfect, present perfect continuous, How long, for, since, when, just, already, yet,…, past perfect and past perfect continuous, used to vs would, be used to, get used to.

2) Future Tenses Present tense for the future,Future tenses: will/ shall, be going to, future continuous and perfect, quantifiers;

3) Comparatives and superlatives expressions using comparison. Have/get something done;
4) Defining relative clauses, non defining relative clauses, -ing form vs infinitive, verb+ing form and infinitive , question tags;

5) Modals: suggestions, speculation and deductions, possibility, certainty, ability, obligation, necessity and advice;

6) The passive voice, first, second, third  and mixed conditionals, the gerund and the infinitive, like, would rather, had better, reported statements, questions, reporting verbs;

7) Conditionals: zero, first second, third and mixed conditionals.

8) Phrasal verbs

2^nd Part  Contents

 Specialized language for  biomedical and biotechnological English

Contents 20 hours

Modules:

 1) In the Lab;

2) Biotechnology: genetic engineering, technics of modern gene   technology,  GMOs,

3) An overview on Chemistry;

4) Nutrition;

5) Immunology;  

6) Antibiotics and antibiotic resistance;

7) The cell, DNA / mRNA, stem cells;

8) Biotechnology and medicine;  

9) Diseases in the modern world;  

10) Most important  drugs;  

11) Biotechnology and Biopharmaceuticals;

12) Viruses and Covid 19 and vaccines.

Books in use:

Any grammar book referring to B2 of the Common European Framework of reference for languages. 

Or,

  English Grammar in use Third Edition Rymond Murphy. Cambridge University Press.  

   A self-study reference and practice book for intermediate of English, with answers. 

 Grammar reference books ;

 Grammar files Gold, Edward Jordan -Patricia Fiocchi  Publishing House  Trinity Whitebridge.

Identity Upper intermediate B2 O.U.P. 

English for academic language:

 “Into Science” Creative English for scientific course, Elisabetta Grasso e Paola Melchiori.

 “English for the pharmacy students, di Luisa Benigni, società  editrice  “Esculapio”;

Tests and assessment

The course is made up of 45-hour lessons as a whole. The first part consists of 20-hour grammar lessons while the second part is made up of 25 hours about pharmacy-related studies.

 The course includes an entry test, and a final written test on both grammar and on topics related to pharmacy studies based.

The test consists of five open questions about the language related to the legal field.

 In reference to grammar the students have to do the following type of exercises: gap fill exercises, transformation sentences, reordering sentences, translation, vocabulary exercises, etc...

Test score: To each open question it is given 3 points of which 1.5 points for grammar and vocabulary correctness and 1.5  points for the adherence of the answer to the question.

In reference to grammar it is given 1.5 points for each correct sentence. No points for wrong sentences. The test takes 50 minutes. 

 The results of the final written test will determine whether students have passed or not their final examination.

The students that for any reason will not attend the language course and the students of the previous courses will take a written test both on grammar and on topics related to the studies and professions of “ biomedical and biotechnological language”, 

Attendance to the course:

COMPULSORY