Studying at University

On this page: Introduction | Homework Tasks | CILL Copying Rules | Links

Introduction

  • This unit of the English for Academic Purposes book will take about two weeks, or six hours of classroom time, to cover. In addition to this, students will need to spend time studying outside class.
  • The Homework Tasks below contain more than 6 hours of self-study. Your classroom English teacher may suggest you do some of these for homework, or you could choose those that interest you.
  • Some of the tasks listed below should be done in the Centre for Independent Language Learning (CILL), which is in Room AG305. You will need to join CILL by doing an orientation which takes about 20 to 30 minutes when the CILL teachers will explain to you how to use the centre effectively.
  • It is a good idea to keep your work in a folder so that you can show it to your teacher if you have any questions, and for reference if you want a CILL attendance certificate. For this certificate you need to write a short essay detailing what you have learned.

 

Homework Tasks

On-line Homework

  1. Diagnostic Grammar Test: find out your grammar problems and how to solve them - if you have a PolyU student ID, or else click here
    • Do Test One, Section One, and work on the problems that the test shows you have.
    • The test has references to explanations and exercises in the grammar book English Grammar in Use, which you can find in CILL on the grammar shelf at intermediate level or in the library at PE1112 .M86 1994 (7 copies).
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  2. Read the page 'How to Improve your Vocabulary' (½ an hour)..
  3. CILL Site Tour - find out what the CILL site offers you (15 minutes).
  4. Formal and Informal Sentences - a matching exercise  (15 minutes).
  5. Common Errors in Formality in Academic Writing - an exercise in choosing a more formal phrase  (15 minutes).
  6. Academic Vocabulary - lists of academic words. You can click the links for definitions, example sentences and pronunciations.
  7. Collocations - contains links to the vocabulary; e.g. 'meet', and a matching exercise
  8. Collocations - contains links to the vocabulary; e.g. 'express' and a matching exercise
  9. Collocations - contains links to the vocabulary; e.g. 'empirical' and a matching exercise.
  10. Prepositions - at, in, on. Shoot the aliens to win. Games: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. (Internet Explorer only)
  11. Prepositions - of, for and from. Shoot the aliens to win. Games: 1, 2 and 3. (Internet Explorer only)

 

CILL Homework

  1. English Vocabulary in Use - Units One, Two and Three. (3 hours)
    • Find the book on the Vocabulary shelf at Intermediate level, take it to reception and get a photocopy of units one, two and three.
    • These units are a good introduction to how to learn vocabulary efficiently.
    • Choose one other unit in the book (any unit you think is useful or interesting for you) and study it, using the the advice from units 1 - 3.
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  2. Headway Advanced - Student's Book, pages 6 - 7. (2 hours)
    • Find the book on the Integrated Skills shelf at Upper-intermediate level, take it to reception and get a photocopy of pages 6 - 7.
    • These pages contain a quiz on your aptitude for learning a foreign language, and the results give you some useful advice.
    • Do the discussion section at the bottom of page 7 with your classmates or friends. This will help you to understand the quiz and give you discussion practice useful for Assignment One, which is about academic discussions.
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  3. Headway Intermediate Pronunciation, Unit One (3 hours)
    • Find the book on the Pronunciation shelf at Intermediate level, take it to reception and get a photocopy of unit one.
    • This unit deals with 3 common problems that Hong Kong students have:
      1. pronouncing /s/, /z/ and /Iz/ at the end of words, especially plural words and third-person verbs.
      2. connected speech and weak forms, which is important as your speech will sound more fluent if you can do them
      3. intonation and sentence stress, which will also make you sound more fluent.
    • This will help you to improve your speaking and pronunciation, which is useful for Assignment One, which is about academic discussions.
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  4. Listening practice and relaxation - Come to CILL and watch a video (e.g. a film). (1½ hours)
    • Note down any vocabulary you don't understand.
    • To understand this vocabulary:
      a. If you are using a video with captions, turn on the captions and read the words, OR
      b. If you are using a video with a book, look up the words you don't understand, OR
      c. Ask a CILL teacher to come and listen and tell you what the words are.
    • Then:
      Discuss the film with your friends or classmates. This is practice for Assignment One, which is about academic discussions.

 

Notes:

  • If your teacher asks you to e-mail a piece of homework to him or her, you can use the form on this page.

 

CILL photocopying rules:

  • No more than four pieces of A4 paper per student per day
  • Fill in your details in the photocopy record book
  • Do not break copyright
  • Copies must be from CILL books and materials, or student work done in CILL.

 

Links to other Units:

 

Last updated on: Friday, March 23, 2012