Welcome to English 1-30, 30 Credits (Full-time)

Your full commitment to studying this course is crucial. If you have registered but changed your mind about taking this course, you should immediately inform our administrator, Monika Karlsson (monika.karlsson@hig.se), that you wish to be removed from the course list; there are applicants on the reserve list who could be admitted to the course within the first two weeks of the fall semester (weeks 36 and 37). We have scheduled a mandatory "rollcall" session on Tuesday, August 25, at 10:00. The session will be online on Zoom. You only need to copy this link to your browser https://hig-se.zoom.us/j/65639912410 and have your microphones and webcams ready. Attendance to the rollcall is mandatory. If you cannot attend but are committed to studying this course, contact me via e-mail (kavita.thomas@hig.se) before the meeting takes place and briefly explain in writing why you want to study English.

You will study five modules in total within this course:

Language Structure (7.5 cr.)
Culture (4.5 cr.)
World English (3 cr.)
Written Communication (7.5 cr.)
Contemporary Literature in English (7.5 cr.)

The five modules will be taught as follows: Language Structure and Written Communication will be taught throughout the first part of the term in parallel (weeks 36-45 or period 1). In the second half of the term (weeks 46-02), you will study Contemporary Literature in parallel with Culture and World English.

Language Structure ends with a written exam on the HiG campus or at any authorized exam location, but, consistent with the principles of continuous assessment, all of the five modules feature compulsory written assignments (examinerande uppgifter) throughout their respective periods. More information about the content and assessment procedures for individual modules will be published by the instructors on the course site in Canvas. All of the five modules include student participation in their assessment procedures. The teaching usually consists of lectures and seminars, but each module has its own structure and policy with respect to the forms of teaching. For example, Written Communication has virtually no lectures, given its focus on writing practice, while Language Structure features a mixture of lectures and seminars.

You should order all your course books in good time. A good idea is to get hold of the books indicated in the syllabus (kursplan) during the summer vacation.

Since this is a full-time course, you must be prepared to allocate 40 hours of study per week, including class attendance, reading and writing assignments. Studying for 30 credits in one term is like a full-time job.

Students attending courses in English at the University of Gävle are required to attend class to receive a passing grade. Studying English at our college does not only involve obtaining subject knowledge, but also improving one’s ability to speak and write English, and this can only take place if students meet their teachers and actively participate in the instruction. Furthermore, most modules feature group work in order to accommodate the general course objective that “students should be able to compare and critically evaluate one’s own and others' work”. Failure to participate in such activities will therefore make it impossible to attain a course objective. For these reasons, we require attendance, with only minor exceptions. To take exams and pass the course, students must attend at least eight seminars in each of the 7.5 cr. modules (Language Structure, Written Communication, and Contemporary Literature in English), four seminars in Culture and three in World English.

It is important that you register in Canvas which will be our main channel for communication. This is where you will find material about our course such as the timetable, instructions, assignments, etc. This is also where the different instructors will post general announcements concerning the course and the individual sessions. Your instructors will use the email client to send individual messages when necessary. Therefore, check the Canvas page and your email regularly.

Secondly, we will meet in a virtual classroom using Zoom. Information on how to access this classroom will be posted in Canvas. For us all to be able to benefit from a good quality of reception it is recommended that you use broadband and not a wireless connection. It is also important that you use a good headset with a microphone instead of the microphone on the computer only. A good camera is also essential for communicative purposes. Unfortunately, iPads and iPhones do not work sufficiently for this activity.

If you need support with any technical issues concerning Canvas or Zoom, contact the support service through the university website.