The University of the West Indies, Mona

All students at the University of the West Indies must complete the first-year academic literacies requirement. All academic literacies (formerly foundation courses) are designed to teach students how to adapt to new writing situations and connect their learning to future communication tasks. 

Foundation Courses

FOUN1002    LANGUAGE ARGUMENT

This one-semester course is designed to help students acquire some of the language skills they will need in order to successfully complete their academic programme. Classes provide instruction in reading and writing argument. Students will work on individual as well as collaborative writing assignments in class, designed to develop communicative competence in a variety of discourse situations.

FOUN1013: CRITICAL READING AND WRITING IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

Critical Reading and Writing in the Social Sciences is designed to help students to review, question and analyse critical and disciplinary texts; engage in and reflect on research common to their field of study; write clearly and effectively in modes appropriate to the social sciences; and participate intelligently in oral and written discussions on topics relevant to their fields, while developing an understanding of the wider academic community and the linguistic context in which they operate in the Caribbean.

FOUN1014: CRITICAL READING AND WRITING IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICAL SCIENCES

This course will allow students to engage with the reading and writing practices of, and produce documents relevant to, their disciplines by using a process approach to writing.  Students will focus on issues of ‘knowing and doing’ in science: questions asked, methods of collecting, evaluating and interpreting evidence, and communicating knowledge with accuracy and clarity in writing and oral presentations.

FOUN1016: CRITICAL READING AND EXPOSITORY WRITING IN THE HUMANITIES AND EDUCATION

This one-semester course will allow students to explore a variety of materials and develop their skills in writing expository discourse appropriate to their disciplines – by using a process approach to reading and writing. Students will focus on issues of question design, interpretation, evidence, methodology, analysis, objectivity, and clarity in writing in the Humanities and Education. Education students, in particular, will critically evaluate their teaching philosophy and their professional practice, and utilize different genres of writing to document their reflections and conclusions in keeping with the notion that educators should be reflective practitioners.

FOUN1019    CRITICAL READING AND WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINES (YEAR-LONG)

This two-semester course will provide an extended time period in which students can engage in the unlearning, learning and relearning necessary to attain a satisfactory level of English language proficiency. It allows for the gradual development of general academic language proficiency and helps students to comprehend and critically engage with academic texts, and to write effective documented essays and/or reports while developing an understanding of the linguistic context in which they operate in the Caribbean. Students in the course will be exposed to the practice of writing in a range of academic contexts.