ENG1503/101/3/2024

Tutorial Letter 101/3/2024

Academic Language and Literacy in

English
ENG1503

Semesters 1 and 2

Department of English studies

This tutorial letter contains important information about the 2024 academic year
module.
Please register on myUnisa, activate your myLife email address and make sure
that you have regular access to the myUnisa module website, ENG1503-2024-
S1/S2, as well as your group website.

BARCODE
 CONTENTS Pages
1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 3
2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES ........................................................................................................ 4
2.1 Purpose .......................................................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Outcomes ....................................................................................................................................... 4
2 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION ............................................................................................ 4
3 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS .................................................................................... 4
3.1 Lecturer(s) ...................................................................................................................................... 4
3.2 Department ..................................................................................................................................... 5
3.3 University ........................................................................................................................................ 6
4 RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................. 6
4.1 Prescribed book(s) .......................................................................................................................... 6
4.2 Recommended book(s)................................................................................................................... 6
4.3 Electronic reserves (There are no e-reserves for this module) ....................................................... 7
5 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES ................................................................................................. 8
5.1 The Unisa First-Year Experience Programme ................................................................................ 8
6 STUDY PLAN ................................................................................................................................. 9
7 PRACTICAL WORK ....................................................................................................................... 9
8 ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................... 9
8.1 Assessment criteria ........................................................................................................................ 9
8.2 Assessment plan .......................................................................................................................... 10
8.3 Assessment due dates ................................................................................................................. 10
8.4 Submission of assessments ......................................................................................................... 10
8.5 The assessments .......................................................................................................................... 11
8.6 Other assessment methods .......................................................................................................... 12
8.7 The examination ........................................................................................................................... 12
8.7.1 Invigilation/proctoring (NOT applicable for this module) ............................................................... 12
9 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY .......................................................................................................... 14
9.1 Plagiarism ..................................................................................................................................... 13
9.2 Cheating ....................................................................................................................................... 13
9.3 For more information about plagiarism, follow the link below ....................................................... 13
10 STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES ................................................................................... 13
11 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS .......................................................................................... 14
12 SOURCES CONSULTED ............................................................................................................. 15
13 IN CLOSING ................................................................................................................................. 15
14 ADDENDUM ................................................................................................................................. 15

2
 ENG1503/101/3/2024

Dear Student

As part of this tutorial letter, we wish to inform you that Unisa has implemented a transformation
charter based on five pillars and eight dimensions. In response to this charter, we have also
placed curriculum transformation high on the agenda. For your information, curriculum
transformation includes the following pillars: student-centred scholarship, the pedagogical
renewal of teaching and assessment practices, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and the
infusion of African epistemologies and philosophies. These pillars and their principles will be
integrated at both the programme and module levels, as a phased-in approach. You will notice
the implementation thereof in your modules, and we encourage you to fully embrace these
changes during your studies at Unisa.

1 INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the module, Academic Language and Literacy in English (ENG1503). This module is
offered in the Department of English Studies, College of Human Sciences.

The information provided in this Tutorial Letter is very important. Please keep it handy and
refer to it regularly so that you do not miss important module activities.

The purpose of this tutorial letter is to provide you with information that you need to navigate the
module in 2024. We hope that it will answer most of the questions you may have, and ease anxieties
associatedwith unfamiliarity with learning in a long-distance higher education institution as well as
the forcedchanges to modes of learning that have been imposed by COVID-19.

As a distance education student, we understand that you have to fit your studies into an already
established routine of work, family and various other commitments. However, you ought to make time
to read the study material and do assignments. Do not procrastinate; make it a habit to do your
assignments as early in the year as possible. Do not hesitate to contact the lecturing team should
you experience any problems that might make it difficult for you to do your assignmentson time.

To facilitate communication during your studies, you must be registered on myModules

(myUnisa). Access to myModules will enable you to submit assignments, gain access to the
Library functions and various learning resources. You will also be able to download study material,
"chat" to your lecturersand fellow students about your studies and the challenges you encounter,
and participate in online discussion forums. In other words, myModules provides you with
additional opportunities to take part in activities and discussions of relevance to your module
topics, assignments, marks and examinations.

Note that all your study material, assessments and engagements with your lecturers and fellow
students willtake place online. Therefore, this tutorial letter is intended to offer you some guidance
in this regard.

3
2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES
2.1 Purpose

The purpose of this module is to develop students' critical reading and writing skills which are
essential to improve their academic competence. The module will also help the students apply
the said skills when reading and/or writing academic texts in various academic disciplines,
contexts, and genres such as essays, research articles, lectures. Moreover, the module will also
empower the students with research skills and appropriate academic conventions used to avoid
plagiarism.

2.2 Outcomes

On completion of the module, students should be able to:

• Select and apply critical reading strategies to enhance reading efficiency and
comprehension within specific academic contexts.

• Apply principles related to writing effectively for different contexts and purposes by
implementing writing processes and genre approaches to writing.

• Communicate information reliably, accurately, and coherently in the form of written material
that represent academic genres for specific contexts using conventions appropriate to the
context.

• Produce academic language and discourse that is grammatically correct and socially
appropriate in different contexts.

3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION
Unisa has implemented a transformation charter, in terms of which the University has placed curriculum
transformation high on the teaching and learning agenda. Curriculum transformation includes student-
centred scholarship, the pedagogical renewal of teaching and assessment practices, the scholarship of
teaching and learning, and the infusion of African epistemologies and philosophies. All of these will be
phased in at both programme and module levels, and as a result of this you will notice a marked change
in the teaching and learning strategy implemented by Unisa, together with the way in which the content is
conceptualised in your modules. We encourage you to embrace these changes during your studies at
Unisa in a responsive way within the framework of transformation.

4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS

NB: Always use your university email account and provide your student number whenever you
contact the Department of English Studies, and/or in your correspondence with the University.
You should also have your student number handy when you phone the University. You should
always specify the code of the module about which you need assistance (e.g., ENG1503). Should
you phone and the person you are looking for is not available, please follow up with an email
message. You may also use the Discussion Forum to communicate with your lecturers as well as
fellow students.

4.1 Lecturer(s)
For all academic matters, you may contact the following lecturers:
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 ENG1503/101/3/2024

Prof Pfeiffer, VF 012 429 3111 pfeifvf@unisa.ac.za

Ms. Ntsopi, N 012 429 6354 ntsoptj@unisa.ac.za

Dr Mohale, NE 012 429 2167 mohalne@unisa.ac.za

Mr. Baloyi, MR 012 429 6167 baloymr@unisa.ac.za

Ms. Thoka, B 012 429 6341 thokabm@unisa.ac.za

For all administrative matters contact:

Mr. Molefe, T

e-mail: moleftj@unisa.ac.za

Mr. Maepa, S

e-mail: maepase@unisa.ac.za

For all other queries about the module: eng1503@unisa.ac.za

For all general queries: engstudieshelp@unisa.ac.za

NB: You may contact your lecturers using the contact details above. Never use your private email
accounts to reach your lecturers; always use your allocated myLife email account. Lecturers
will not be responding to emails from students using their private email address.

4.2 Department

Department of English Studies

Room 6-04, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Building

Muckleneuk

Unisa main campus

Mail us

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Dept. of English Studies

PO Box 392

UNISA

0003

4.3 University

For general enquiries, please use the contact details below:

The Registrar: Academic

PO Box 392

Unisa

0003

For assignment-related queries: assign@unisa.ac.za

For examination-related queries: exams@unisa.ac.za

Contact addresses of the various administrative departments appear on the Unisa website:
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Contact-us/Student-enquiries.

Please include the student number in all correspondence

5 RESOURCES
5.1 Prescribed book(s)

The prescribed book for this module is: Academic English: Reading and Writing Across the
Disciplines, (2018) Compiled for UNISA from the works by Gaetz, Phadke, Gillet, Hammond and
Martala, published by Pearson Education

5.2 Recommended book(s)

We recommend that you purchase a copy of one of the following books listed below. The library
also has copies for borrowing:

a. Bailey, S. (2011) Academic writing; A handbook for international students 3rd ed. London:
Routledge

b. Beekman, L., Dube, C., and Underhill, J. (2011) Academic Literacy, Cape Town: Juta

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 ENG1503/101/3/2024

c. Balfour, R., Mitchell, B., Nchindila, B., Seligmann, D. and Shober, D. (2014) English for
Academic Purposes, Cape Town: OUP Southern Africa

d. Gaetz, L. (2015) The Writer’s World, Boston: Pearson

e. Shober, D. (2010) Writing English with style, Pretoria: Van Schaik

Recommended books can be requested online, via the library catalogue.

5.3 Electronic reserves (There are no e-reserves for this module)

E-reserves can be downloaded from the library catalogue. More information is available at:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/request

5.4 Library services and resources information

The Unisa library offers a range of information services and resources:

• For brief information, go to https://www.unisa.ac.za/library/libatglance

• For more detailed library information, go to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library
• For research support and services (e.g. the services offered by personal librarians and
the request a literature search service offered by the information search librarians), go to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Research-support
• For library training for undergraduate students, go to
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Training

The library has created numerous library guides, available at http://libguides.unisa.ac.za

Recommended guides:

• Request and find library material/download recommended material:

http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/request
• Postgraduate information services: http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/postgrad
• Finding and using library resources and tools:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/Research_skills
• Frequently asked questions about the library:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask
• Services to students living with disabilities:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/disability
• A–Z of library databases:
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/az.php

Important contact information:

• Ask a librarian: https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask
• Technical problems encountered in accessing library online services: Lib-
help@unisa.ac.za
• General library-related queries: Library-enquiries@unisa.ac.za
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 • Queries related to library fines and payments: Library-fines@unisa.ac.za
• Social media channels: Facebook: UnisaLibrary and Twitter: @UnisaLibrary

6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

The Study @ Unisa brochure is available on myUnisa: www.unisa.ac.za/brochures/studies

This brochure contains important information and guidelines for successful studies through Unisa.

If you need assistance with regard to the myModules system, you are welcome to use the
following contact details:

• Toll-free landline: 0800 00 1870 (Select option 07 for myModules)

• E-mail:
• mymodule22@unisa.ac.za or myUnisaHelp@unisa.ac.za

You can access and view short videos on topics such as how to view your calendar, how to
access module content, how to view announcements for modules, how to submit assessment
and how to participate in forum activities via the following link: https://dtls-
qa.unisa.ac.za/course/view.php?id=32130

Registered Unisa students get a free myLife e-mail account. Important information, notices and
updates are sent exclusively to this account. Please note that it can take up to 24 hours for
your account to be activated after you have claimed it. Please do this immediately after
registering at Unisa, by following this link: myLifeHelp@unisa.ac.za

Your myLife account is the only e-mail account recognised by Unisa for official correspondence
with the University, and will remain the official primary e-mail address on record at Unisa. You
remain responsible for the management of this e-mail account.

6.1 The Unisa First-Year Experience Programme

Many students find the transition from secondary school to tertiary education stressful. This is also true in
the case of students enrolling at Unisa for the first time. Unisa is a dedicated open distance and e-learning
institution, and it is very different from face-to-face/contact institutions. It is a mega University, and all our
programmes are offered through either blended learning or fully online learning. It is for this reason that
we thought it necessary to offer first-time students additional/extended support to help them seamlessly
navigate the Unisa teaching and learning journey with little difficulty and few barriers. We therefore offer a
specialised student support programme to students enrolling at Unisa for the first time – this is Unisa’s
First-Year Experience (FYE) Programme, designed to provide you with prompt and helpful information
about services that the institution offers and how you can access information. The following FYE services
are currently offered:

8
 FYE Website Email Support
www.unisa.ac.za/FYE fye@unisa.ac.za

FYE1500
Post Registration myUnisa; Study
Orientation Skills; Academic &
Referrals to Digital Literacies;
other support etc
services i.e.
Counselling;
Reading & Writing
workshops

To ensure that you do not miss out on important academic and support communication from the
SRU, please check your myLife inbox regularly.

7 STUDY PLAN
This module requires you to read and write extensively in order to improve your general English
language and literacy proficiency. This will enable you to master the academic literacy skills, which
are taught in the module and apply them in academic studiesacross the University. Refer to the
addendum in this Tutorial Letter for the outcomes, assessmentcriteria and marking procedure for
the module.

Tutorial Letter 501 (Study guide) will guide you through blended teaching and learning so that you
can study independently. It is based on the principle of integrating reading and writing, teaching
genres, and engaging in constant activities that build the skills that you need to succeed in any
discipline.

8 PRACTICAL WORK
There are no practical sessions for this module.

9 ASSESSMENT

9
9.1 Assessment criteria

It is important that you do well in the assignments, since the combined marks for the assignments
give you a semester mark that in turn counts towards your final mark for this module.

Assignment 01 counts 50%, and Assignment 02 counts 50%. All the assignments are compulsory.

Your final mark will be calculated as follows:

o Semester mark (40%)

o Examination mark (60%)

A student needs to achieve a minimum mark of 40% in the summative assessment, for his or her
year mark to be taken into account for the purpose of calculating the final examination mark.
Please note that from 2020 UNISA moved to online, non-venue-based examination method. This
means that most of the services will be conducted online. The University will only accept
assignments and portfolios submitted online. Additionally, your study materials will be available
online through the module site for ENG1503.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Unisa resolved that all Unisa examinations will be done
online. Thus, no venue-based examinations will be written in 2024.

9.2 Assessment plan

• To complete this module, you will be required to submit two compulsory assessments.
• All information about when and where to submit your assessments will be made available
to you via the myModules site for your module.
• Due dates for assessments, as well as the actual assessments are available on the
myModules site for this module.
• To gain admission to the examination, you will be required to submit two compulsory
assignments.
• To gain admission to the examination, you need to obtain a year mark average of 40% for
the assignments.
• The assignment weighting for the module is 40%.
• You will receive examination information via the myModules sites. Please watch out for
announcements on how examinations for the modules for which you are registered will be
conducted.
• The examination will count 60% towards the final module mark.

9.3 Assessment due dates

• There are no assignment due dates included in this tutorial letter.

• Assignment due dates will be made available to you on the myUnisa landing page for this
module. We envisage that the due dates will be available to you upon registration.

10
 • Please start working on your assessments as soon as you register for the module.

• Log on to the myUnisa site for this module to obtain more information on the due dates for
the submission of the assessments.

9.4 Submission of assessments

• All your study material, assessments and engagements with your lecturers and fellow
students will take place online. We use myUnisa as our virtual campus.

• The myUnisa virtual campus will offer students access to the myModules site, where
learning material will be available online and where assessments should be completed.
This is an online system that is used to administer, documents, and deliver educational
material to students and support engagement between academics and students.

• The myUnisa platform can be accessed via https://my.unisa.ac.za. Click on the myModules
2024 button to access the online sites for the modules that you are registered for.

• The University undertakes to communicate clearly and as frequently as is necessary to

ensure that you obtain the greatest benefit from the use of the myModules learning
management system. Please access the announcements on your myModules site

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regularly, as this is where your lecturers will post important information to be shared
with you.

• When you access your myModules site for the module/s you are registered for, you will
see a welcome message posted by your lecturers. Below the welcome message you will
see the assessment shells for the assessments that you need to complete. Some
assessments may be multiple choice, some tests, others written assessments, some forum
discussions, and so on. All assessments must be completed on the assessment shells
available on the respective module platforms.

• To complete quiz assessments, please log on to the module site where you need to
complete the assessment. Click on the relevant assessment shell (Assessment 1,
Assessment 2, etc.). There will be a date on which the assessment will open for you. When
the assessment is open, access the quiz online and complete it within the time available
to you. Quiz assessment questions are not included in this tutorial letter (Tutorial Letter
101) and are only made available online. You must therefore access the quiz online and
complete it online where the quiz has been created.

• It is not advisable to use a cell phone to complete the quiz. Please use a desktop computer,
tablet or laptop when completing the quiz. Students who use a cell phone find it difficult to
navigate the Online Assessment tools on the small screen and often struggle to navigate
between questions and successfully complete the quizzes. In addition, cell phones are
more vulnerable to dropped internet connections than other devices. If at all possible,
please do not use a cell phone for this assessment type.

• For written assessments, please note the due date by which the assessment must be
submitted. Ensure that you follow the guidelines given by your lecturers to complete the
assessment. Click on the submission button on the relevant assessment shell on
myModules. You will then be able to upload your written assessment on the myModules
site of the modules that you are registered for. Before you finalise the upload, double check
that you have selected the correct file for upload. Remember, no marks can be allocated
for incorrectly submitted assessments.

9.5 The assessments

As indicated in section 9.2, you need to complete two compulsory assessments for this module.

There are no assignments included in this tutorial letter. Assignments and due dates will be
made available to you on myModules for this module. We envisage that the due dates will be
available to you upon registration.]

Assignment Due date Unique number

Assignment 01 TBA TBA

Assignment 02 TBA TBA

NB: TBA means to be announced

12
9.6 Other assessment methods

There are no other assessment methods.

9.7 The examination

Examination information and details on the format of the examination will be made available to
you online via the myUnisa site. Look out for information that will be shared with you by your
lecturers and e-tutors (where relevant) and for communication from the University.

9.7.1 Invigilation/proctoring (NOT applicable for this module)

Since 2020 Unisa conducts all its assessments online. Given stringent requirements from
professional bodies and increased solicitations of Unisa’s students by third parties to unlawfully
assist them with the completion of assignments and examinations, the University is obliged to
assure its assessment integrity through the utilisation of various proctoring tools: Turnitin, Moodle
Proctoring, the Invigilator App and IRIS. These tools will authenticate the student’s identity and
flag suspicious behaviour to assure credibility of students’ responses during assessments. The
description below is for your benefit as you may encounter any or all of these in your registered
modules:

Turnitin is a plagiarism software that facilitates checks for originality in students’ submissions
against internal and external sources. Turnitin assists in identifying academic fraud and ghost
writing. Students are expected to submit typed responses for utilisation of the Turnitin software.

The Moodle Proctoring tool is a facial recognition software that authenticates students’ identity
during their Quiz assessments. This tool requires access to a student’s mobile or laptop camera.
Students must ensure their camera is activated in their browser settings prior to their
assessments.

The Invigilator “mobile application-based service does verification” of the identity of an

assessment participant. The Invigilator Mobile Application detects student dishonesty-by-proxy
and ensures that the assessment participant is the registered student. This invigilation tool
requires students to download the app from their Play Store (Google, Huawei and Apple) on their
mobile devices (camera enabled) prior to their assessment.

IRIS Invigilation software verifies the identity of a student during assessment and provides for
both manual and automated facial verification. It has the ability to record and review a student’s
assessment session. It flags suspicious behaviour by the students for review by an academic
administrator. IRIS software requires installation on students’ laptop devices that are enabled
with a webcam.

Students who are identified and flagged for suspicious dishonest behaviour arising from the
invigilation and proctoring reports are referred to the disciplinary office for formal proceeding.

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 ENG1503/101/3/2024

Please note:

Students must refer to their module assessment information on their myModule sites to determine
which proctoring or invigilation tool will be utilised for their formative and summative assessments.

10 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
10.1 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas and thoughts of others and presenting them as
your own. It is a form of theft. Plagiarism includes the following forms of academic dishonesty:

• Copying and pasting from any source without acknowledging the source.
• Not including references or deliberately inserting incorrect bibliographic information.
• Paraphrasing without acknowledging the original source of the information.
10.2 Cheating
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Completing assessments on behalf of another student, copying the work of another

student during an assessment, or allowing another student to copy your work.
• Using social media (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram) or other platforms to disseminate
assessment information.
• Submitting corrupt or irrelevant files, this forms part of examination guidelines
• Buying completed answers from so-called “tutors” or internet sites (contract cheating).
10.3 For more information about plagiarism, follow the link below:
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default/Study-@-Unisa/Student-values-and-rules

11 STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES

The Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD) provides an
opportunity for staff to interact with first-time and returning students with disabilities.
If you are a student with a disability and would like additional support or need additional time for
assessments, you are invited to contact (Dr NE Mohale on mohalne@unisa.ac.za) to discuss the
assistance that you need.

12 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Question: Can I submit my assignment late?

Answer: No, you must submit your assignments on time. Lecturers do not have the authorityto
change submission dates on the Unisa system.

Question: I submitted only part of my assignment. Can I submit the rest of it?

Answer: If you submit an incomplete assignment, it will be processed as a complete document,

that is, the system will not recognise that it is incomplete. If you submit the same assignment
again, it will be treated as a duplicate and returned to you unmarked. Please ensure

14
that your assignment is complete before you submit it. If you work on computer, please make
sure that your complete answer is in the one file/document that you submit.

Question: I submitted the wrong file / module code / assignment. I have received 0% for it. Can
I resubmit the correct assignment?

Answer: It is your responsibility to ensure that you have submitted the correct assignment.
If you submit an incorrect document, it will be processed as though it were the correct assignment,
that is, the system will not recognise that it does not contain the correct content. If you submit the
same assignment again, it will be treated as a duplicate and returned to you unmarked. If you
work on computer, please make sure that you use a meaningful name (e.g. “ENG1503 –
Assignment 1”) so that you submit the correct document.

13 SOURCES CONSULTED
No sources were consulted to prepare this tutorial letter.

14 IN CLOSING
Other useful material will be uploaded on myUnisa under Additional Resources, Announcements,
and Podcasts. In addition, join the online tutorial groups and other online learning activities to gain
more knowledge. Do not hesitate to contact us via email if you are experiencing problems with
this tutorial letter's content or with any academic aspect of the module.

We wish you all the best in your studies!

ENG1503 TEAM

15 ADDENDUM
ADDENDUM A: MODULE INFORMATION

1 Module title Academic Language and Literacy in English

2 Module code ENG 1503
3 Implementati New module 2020
ondate
Revised module 2020
4 Levels Study level 1 2 3 4 5 6
NQF level 5 X 6 7 8 9 10
5 Credits 12 24 156 336
Credits (Other)
Total Credits

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 ENG1503/101/3/2024

6 Semester / year module Semester X

Year
7 Module type Taught X
Research
Practical
Experiential
Learning e.g.
(WIL)
8 CESM Category Number Name of category
First order 11 Languages, Linguistics and Literature
Second order 1102 English Language and Literature
Third order 110202 English Composition
9 Requisites Modules (list module codes or “noneˮ if no requisites)
Pre-requisites None
Co-requisites None
It is recommended that students who wish to enrol for ENG1503 but who
Recommendatio obtained less than a 50% pass mark for English (English as a home
ns language/English as an Additional Language or any other equivalent)should
register for ENG1511 first.
10 Purpose statement (maximum 1000 characters including spaces)
The purpose of this module is to
develop students' critical reading and writing skills which are essential academic skills to
improve their academic English competence (academic discourse and literacy) and
develop their ability to read and write academic genres (for disciplinesand various contexts),
such as argumentative and essay writing, research based essays, research articles, lectures, using
appropriate conventions, such as citation, and research skills.

11 Syllabus (maximum 1000 characters including spaces)

16
 Academic Reading
Critical reading and reading strategies
Effective academic reading of various text types
Employment of various skills of reading such as, summary, synthesis, comprehension and critical
thinking
Note taking

Writing academic genres Essay

writing Argumentative writing
Thesis driven academic texts
Writing for a purpose and audience
The writing processes
Comparison and contrast
Cause and effect

Research writing
Writing in the disciplines, such as, reports, journals, abstracts, referencing and citation practices

Language and Discourse

Sentence structure
Ideas in sentences
Punctuation
Paragraphs
Style
Variety and standard
Academic vocabulary

12 Language of tuition English only X

Afrikaans and
English
Other language(s)
Specify other
language(s)
Programme(s) where module is The module is offered to many qualifications inthe
13
included ('N') entire university.
Subject linking ('N') (Under which
14 English Studies
subject in myModules?)
Mode of delivery (Tuition) Blended X
Online
15 Mode of delivery (Study Material) Print
Blended X
Online

17
 16 Assessment Criteria
Formative Blended X
Online
Summative Venue based Yes No X

Supplementary Yes No
Supplementary
40% 50%
subminimum
Continuous
X
assessment
Specify “Other”
Formative
Final mark composition 40%
assessment (%)
Summative
(Total should be 100%) 60%
assessment (%)

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Specific outcomes and assessment criteria
Specific outcome (SO) Assessment criteria (AC)
1. Reading strategies suited to the specific type of
academic text and suited to the specific reading
purpose are successfully chosen.
1. Select and apply critical reading
strategies to increase reading 2. A variety of texts are critically read, main ideas identified,
efficiency and comprehension predictions and inferences made, and conclusions drawn.
within specific academic 3. Academic texts are read with comprehension and critical
contexts. thinking.
4. Academic texts are successfully summarized,
paraphrased, synthesized, and analysed.
1. A rough draft plan is submitted and a final
2. Apply principles related to
writing effectively for different revised edited product produced.
contexts and purposes by 2. Texts are produced in the appropriate structure/genre and
implementing writing rhetorical awareness to achieve the intended purpose.
processes and genre 3. Final texts show the suitable organisation through the
approaches to writing. introduction, body and conclusion.
1. Academic texts like essays, expositions and
3. Communicate information arguments are written, using appropriate academic
reliably, accurately and conventions.
coherently in the form of
written material that represent 2. The ability to conduct introductory research, based on a
academic/research genres for given/identified problem is displayed in the form of a
specific contexts using written report.
conventions appropriate to the 3. Appropriate citation practices and writing conventions
context.
are used.
1. Students understand how the language of the text is
structured and have a grasp of both every day and
4. Produce academic discoursethat academic vocabulary.
is grammatically correct and 2. Students communicate clearly in their writing because
socially appropriate indifferent they are using appropriate grammar, suitable vocabulary
contexts. and academic discourse.
3. Final texts are produced in the appropriate variety, style,
standard, and point of view.

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ENG1503/101/3/2024
1 0-9 • Very little or no evidence of understanding and • Poor command of vocabulary, • Cluttered presentation Illegible Very Poor
knowledge of the topic. sentence structure and punctuation handwriting/ many grammatical
• Very little understanding of the genre conventions • Very limited use of the appropriate and typographical errors
• Fragmented/disjointed/ muddled ideas grammar and syntactic structures • No to inadequate referencing
• No evidence of research on the topic • Inappropriate use of expressions
• Writer stance and voice muddled
(Marks 0 – 4)

2 10–19 • Unsatisfactory handling of the topic Limited vocabulary and sentence In Inconsistently defined Poor
•
ADDENDUM B: ASSESSMENT CRITERIA FOR ESSAYS (MARKING RUBRIC)

Some irrelevant and repeated information variety paragraphs

• Mundane handling of the topic Inadequate use of appropriate syntactic Progression of ideas hard to follow
• Flawed by generalizations and inadequate supporting detail language features/structures References used but
• Very little to no evidence of research on the topic Poor punctuation and sentence inappropriately presented
• Writer stance and voice vague and indeterminate construction
Obscured/confused meaning (Marks 5 – 9)

3 20-25 • Some understanding and knowledge of the topic • Occasional flawed sentences, • Reasonably good presentation Satisfactory -
• Some evidence of research based arguments with clear punctuation and spelling errors • A few poorly structured paragraph Good
supporting details. • Word choice, vocabulary and diction breaks
• Reasonable development of idea inadequate appraisal of is appropriate for the genre • Legible, but with some typing
positions on the topic. • Sentence structures are correct but errors.
• A few lapses in content, claims not fully supported not as varied • Incomplete bibliography, but
• Sometimes disjointed and loosely presented ideas • Sentences are not so well linked and incorrectly listed and no in-text
• Inadequate/incomplete sequencing of ideas coherent citing.
• • Meaning sometimes obscured by

4 26-30 • Sound understanding and knowledge of the topic Very good command of grammatical • Well-structured essay , neat and Good-very
• Convincing but not captivating presentation of the topic structures legible good
• A concerted effort at originality A wide range of vocabulary, linking • Clearly defined paragraphs
• Relevant supporting details devices and sentence structures • Structure is easy to follow and
• Evidence of a research based argument but not well Demonstrates a mastery of the register of adheres to the structure of the
substantiated the genre genre.
• Writer stance and voice but with some hesitation Sentence are linked, and coherent • Complete and correctly formatted
Meaning clear, occasionally hindered by references with few slips in
grammatical errors citation conventions
(Marks 13 – 15)

5 31-40 • An excelent understanding and knowledge of the topic. • Punctuation and grammar are correct • Logical flow of ideas in the essay Excellent-
• Clear evidence of research based arguments and very • Word choice, vocabulary and diction and within paragraphs. outstanding
good to exceptional understanding of supporting research is highly appropriate for the genre • Clear introduction and conclusion
evidence • Demonstrates a mastery of the register as well as clearly defined
• Well-conducted appraisal of positions on the topic of the genre paragraphs.
• Insightful and original demonstrating a clear stance and • Sentence structure is correct and • Structure is easy to follow and
voice varied adheres to the structure of the
• Highly selective supporting details • Sentence are linked, coherent genre
• Captivating introduction and highly convincing • Meaning clear with very few or no • Sources cited accurately using an
grammar errors appropriate format both in and end
of text referencing

(Marks 16 – 20)

Level Range Content Language Presentation and writing Overall

conventions. comment
40 % 40 %
20 %
ADDENDUM C: MARKING CODES

When assessing your essays, markers use the following codes in addition to written feedback.

Symbol Error Explanation

abb Abbreviation - Do not use abbreviations or contractions (such as can't, don't,

etc.) in formal writing (e.g. a written assignment).

agr (s/v) Agreement error - Your verb does not agree with your subject in number.
Check whether your subject is singular or plural.

A plural subject takes a plural verb: The students read the book.
A singular subject takes a singular verb: The student reads the book.

amb Ambiguity - Your statement could have two meanings. Rephrase.

ap Apostrophe error - An apostrophe is a comma that hangs above the line.

An apostrophe is used to indicate possession.

• The boy’s hands are dirty (the hands of the boy).
• Mandela's leadership (the leadership of Mandela).
• The boys' privileges (the privileges of the boys).
An apostrophe is used to indicate when letters are left out (contraction or omission).
• We'll (we will)
• Can't (cannot)
• I've (I have)
• It's (it is)
Contractions such as these are unacceptable in formal writing.

NB: 'its' (without an apostrophe) is the possessive form. The dog chewed its bone.

arg Argument - Your argument/explanation is not methodical/coherent/relevant. A clear and

logical line of thought needs to emerge.
art Article error - You have used a instead of the, or the instead of a, or you have omitted
to use a or the where you should have. Alternatively, you have used a or the with a word
that should not have an article.

awk Awkward phrasing - Your sentence sounds awkward and clumsy. You need to revise
your word choice and word order.

cap Capital letter - The word should begin with a capital letter, either because it begins a
sentence, or because it is a proper noun.

c/s Comma splice - You have joined two ideas (i.e. two separate sentences) without using
a connecting word or proper punctuation. Either add a connecting word, or change the
comma to a semi-colon, or break the comma-spliced sentence into two separate
sentences.

exp Expression faulty - Your sentence is difficult to understand because of errors

too numerous to list.
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 ENG1503/101/3/2024

frag Fragmentary sentence - Your sentence does not have a verb and, therefore, is only
a fragment of a sentence.
inc Incomplete sentence - You have left out part of the sentence.

irr Irrelevant - What you have said has nothing to do with the topic.

L?/ill Logic faulty/illogical - Illogical, or your writing does not make sense here.

N.P. New paragraph - You have started discussing a new idea, so you need a new paragraph.

Para Paragraph structure - A paragraph consists of a main idea (usually expressed in a topic
sentence) and several supporting sentences t h a t explain the main idea or give
examples and/or details concerning the main idea. Single-sentence paragraphs are not
acceptable because a single sentence cannot develop or expand the main idea.

Your paragraph is too long and needs to be divided where appropriate.

p Punctuation - You have misused a punctuation mark or omitted one where it was
necessary.

sp Spelling - You have misspelt a word. Try to get into the habit of using a dictionary
consistently.

T Tense error - Your verb is in the wrong tense.

Note: Use the present and related tenses when discussing a literary work, such as
"Bosman's humour has a strong South African flavour."

"In her short stories, Nadine Gordimer touches on issues ..."

voc/ Vocabulary error/ - You have used the wrong word, or you could have used a better
one. (Look up the word you have used in the dictionary. You will find that its meaning is
either not correct or not appropriate in your sentence.)

wdy Wordiness - You have used too many words to say something that could be said
for more simply and concisely.
WO Word order incorrect - The words in your sentence are in the wrong place. Your
marker will have used arrows

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HONESTY DECLARATION

HONESTY DECLARATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH STUDIES

Module Code: ……………………. Assessment Date: ...........................2024

1. I know that plagiarism means taking and using the ideas, writings, works
or inventions of another as if they were one’s own. I know that plagiarism not
only includes verbatim copying, but also the extensive use of another person’s
ideas without proper acknowledgement (which includes the proper use of
quotation marks) or any attempt to cheat the plagiarism checking system. I
know that plagiarism covers the use of material found in textual sources and
from the Internet.

2. I acknowledge and understand that plagiarism is wrong.

3. I understand that my assignment/exam answers must be accurately

referenced.

4. This assignment/exam file/portfolio is my own work. I acknowledge that

copying someone else’s work, or part of it, is wrong, and that submitting
identical work to others constitutes a form of plagiarism.

5. I have not allowed, nor will I in the future allow anyone to copy my work with
the intention of passing it off as their own work.

6. I understand that I can be awarded 0% if I have plagiarized.

7. I understand that my assignment/exam file/portfolio may be submitted

automatically to Turnitin.

8. I confirm that I have read and understood the following UNISA policies:
8.1 Policy for Copyright and Plagiarism
8.2 Policy on Academic Integrity
8.3 Student Disciplinary Code

Name ………………………………… Student No: ............................

Signed …………………………………. Date …………………………….

©
Unisa 2024

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