English Language in Political Science

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved

Course Description Version:10.00

Study Course Accepted:05.02.2024 10:41:31

Study Course Information
Course Code:		VC_057		LQF level:		Level 6
Credit Points:		6.00		ECTS:		9.00
Branch of Science:		Linguistics		Target Audience:		Political Science
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:		Anna Jurčenko
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:		Faculty of Social Sciences
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:		Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szfrsu[pnkts]lv
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		0	Lecture Length (academic hours)		0	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		0
Classes (count)		30	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		60
Total Contact Hours								60
Full-Time - Semester No.2
Lectures (count)		0	Lecture Length (academic hours)		0	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		0
Classes (count)		30	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		60
Total Contact Hours								60
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
Knowledge of the English language at secondary school level.
Objective:
To develop English language skills for further use in academic and future professional settings, to promote relevant terminology acquisition and its professional application in the field of political science.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.	Topic			Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	Introduction to the course.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
2	Government systems.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
3	Interdisiplinary perspective: Geography.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
4	Interdisiplinary perspective: History.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
5	Political parties and ideologies.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
6	Social issues. Poverty. Environmental problems.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
7	Elections.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
8	Academic writing: Introduction.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
9	Academic writing: Structuring the essay.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
10	Academic writing: Critical analysis.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
11	Academic writing: Describing data.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
12	Grammar: Usage of articles and nominalisation.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
13	Debates: Presenting arguments.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
14	Governmental systems.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
15	Electoral systems.			Classes		3.00	auditorium
16	Sovereignity and globalisation.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
17	Media and Politics.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
18	Presentation skills: Political leaders.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
19	Diplomatic relations and foreign affairs.			Classes		3.00	auditorium
20	Diplomatic language: Politeness.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
21	Gender (In)Equality. Feminism.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
22	Diplomatic language: Pragmatics. Politeness.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
23	Discourse analysis: Political speech.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
24	EU Legislation.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
25	International organisations: the UN.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
26	International organisations: NATO.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
27	International organisations: the EU.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
28	Latvia in the EU.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
29	European Parliament.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
30	European Council.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
31	European Comission.			Classes		3.00	auditorium
32	Political tensions and conflicts.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
33	Conflicts of the 20th–21st centuries.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
34	Political correctness.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
35	Political culture.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
36	Terrorism			Classes		4.00	auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:
2 presentations, 1-2 essays (2 pages) on term themes and 2 tests on new lexis per term; work with monolingual English dictionaries: explanation of terminology; writing summaries. Students are obliged to fill in the course evaluation questionnaire at the end of the course.
Assessment Criteria:
Active participation in discussions, seminars and debates; timely submission of qualitative written assignments; quality of oral presentations. The final grade is comprised by the mean score of all assignments – 50%, final presentation – 25% and final test – 25%. The final grade can be lowered in case of assignment submission after the deadline and unjustified absence during more than 30% of the classes. Cumulative assessment can be offered in case the coursework result thoughout the semester (tests, essays and presentation together) is 9 and higher.
Final Examination (Full-Time):		Exam
Final Examination (Part-Time):
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:		On successful completion of the course, students will: • be able to understand and apply professional terminology in different types of texts on politics, economics, legislation and diplomacy; • have acquired general understanding of politics, diplomacy and international relations; • be aware of different degrees of formality and pragmatic meaning.
Skills:		On successful completion of the course, students will be able to: • summarise texts from a variety of fields: politics, economics, diplomacy; • express and present their opinion on political issues; • write academic essays; • participate in debates.
Competencies:		On successful completion of the course, students will be able to apply their knowledge and skills in further studies and professional career.
Bibliography
No.	Reference
Required Reading
1	Bailey, S. (2011) Academic Writing : a Handbook for International Students. New York : Routledge.
2	Carlsnaes, W., Risse,T., Simmons B. (2012) Handbook of International Relations. Los Angeles: SAGE.
3	Devetak, R., Burke, A., George, J. (2012) An Introduction to International Relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
4	Kerr, P., Wiseman, G. (2013) Diplomacy in a Globalizing World: Theories and Practices. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
5	Kissinger, H. (1994) Diplomacy. New York: Touchstone.
6	Sharp, P. (2009) Diplomatic Theory of International Relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
7	Swales, J. (2012) Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills. Ann Arbor : The University of Michigan Press.
Additional Reading
1	Balfour, R. et al (2016) Europe’s Trouble Makers: The Populist Challenge to Foreign Policy. European Policy Centre.
2	Hemery, J. (2005) Training for Public Diplomacy: an Evolutionary Perspective. In Melissen, J. (2005) The New Public Diplomacy: Soft Power in International Relations. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
3	Murray, D. (2017) The Strange Death of Europe. London: Bloomsbury.
4	Newman, D. (2006) The lines that continue to separate us: borders in our ‘borderless’ world. Progress in Human Geography, 30 (2): 143-161.
5	Pease, K. (2012) International Organizations : Perspective on Governance in the Twenty-first Century. Boston: Longman.
6	Rosati, J., Scott, J. (2011) The Politics of United States Foreign Policy. Boston, MA : Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
7	United Nations (2009) Rethinking Poverty: Report on the World Social Situation 2010. New York: United Nations.
Other Information Sources
1	http://www.guardian.co.uk
2	http://edition.cnn.com/POLITICS/
3	http://www.ft.com
4	http://www.ifamericaknew.org
5	http://www.reuters.com/politics
6	http://worldnews.about.com