Unit 3: Problem Solution

Question:

Why do some students have difficulty in coping with the written component of their courses? What can be done to help them?

Answer 2

In the twentieth century there was an explosion of knowledge in every field. Nowhere was this more important than in the study of language. The old systems of analysis were enlarged and refined and this meant that a scientific description of all styles of language could be made.

This has been applied to the kind of language necessary for academic success. It is exciting to discover that this kind of language is the same across the curriculum.

This has important consequences for students who enter University without the language skills needed for academic success. It means that they can be taught the language they need in order to complete their theoretical assignments and to pass their examinations.

This is important for society as well. The twenty-first century demands that more people will be needed in the professions, and in every field there is a skills gap. People who have the other attributes needed for their chosen profession need not fail because of their inadequacies in a particular style of language. For example, nurses need to be strong both physically and emotionally, sensitive in dealing with people under stress and be accurate and reliable in patient care. It is a shame if people gifted in these respects drop out of University because they feel unable to cope with the theoretical demands of their course.

Professions which used to be essentially practical now have a theoretical component which demands academic language. The Language of Ideas is a course that can provide students with training in the kind of language which will enable them to succeed.