Course code ValoP287
Credit points 3
Professional English III
Total Hours in Course81
Number of hours for seminars and practical classes32
Independent study hours49
Date of course confirmation09.06.2014
Responsible UnitLanguage Centre
Course developer
Inese Ozola
Dr. philol.
Course abstract
The aim of the course is acquisition of knowledge and skills for academic purposes and professional activities to serve such purposes as the development of professional qualification, obtaining and exchange of information, and improving students' communication skills in the situations related to professional activities and/or academic purposes.
Learning outcomes and their assessment
Students know terms from the field of:
- real property market, land, property, construction, recording of real property, home ownership, types of houses (Test No 1);
- valuation of real property, taxation, banking, payments, loans, housing conditions, housing market, industrial property (Test No 2).
Students are able to apply professional terminology and skills: in writing essays, business letters; orally in discussions, dialogues, role plays, giving a presentation.
The assessment according to the 10 point scale.
Course Content(Calendar)
1. The course requirements. Real property. Real property market.
2. Land, property, construction: an example of Sweden. Creating a glossary for each topic..
3. Real property market in Latvia. Legal aspects.
4. Recording of real property in the Land Book. Form of agreements.
5. Real property market in Europe: home ownership.
6. Test No 1. / Purchasing property. Valuation of real property.
8. Taxation. Real property tax.
9. Banking. Money, payments loans.
10. Statistics on housing conditions in Europe: age, size, households.
11. Development of housing conditions in regions of Latvia. Discussion.
12. Industrial property.
13. Test No 2. / Cross-cultural communication aspects.
14. Land management. Drainage.
15. Revision. Students’ presentations.
16. Students’ presentations.
Requirements for awarding credit points
Assessment: Examination. The examination consists of: a terminology test, a presentation. A student is admitted to the examination if there are: successfully written 2 tests, the glossary of terms for each topic, timely completed home works, completed individual work (reading of professional texts, presentation on a selected topic, the glossary of terms). Tests and home works are with a positive evaluation. The number of the missed classes shall not exceed 20%.
Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work
Individual work:
1. Reading of the independently chosen professional texts (the amount: 10 000 characters);
2. Prepared PPoint presentation and oral presentation (5-10 minutes) in front of the class;
3. Submitted glossary of terms (20 terms, 20 translations, 20 definitions).
Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes
The examination grade is calculated as an arithmetic mean of grades obtained in two examination tasks. The grade in the terminology test is successful if at least 70% of the answers are correct.
Compulsory reading
1. Evans V., Dooley J., Blum E. Career Paths: Environmental Science. Books 1 - 3. Express Publishing. 2013. 123 p. ISBN 9781780986692
2. Czerw A., Durlik B., Hryniewicz M. Geo-English. Wydawniciwa AGH, Krakow, 2010. 219p. ISBN 9788374643566
3. Kalbro T., Mattson H., Urban Land and Property Markets in Sweden. UCL Press, 1995. 193p. ISBN 1857280520
4. Akadēmiskā terminu datu bāze. [tiešsaiste] (skatīts 14.11.2018.). Pieejams: http://termini.lza.lv/
Further reading
1. McCormac J., Surveying. Wiley, 5.izdevums. 2003. 480 p. ISBN 9780471452393
2. Cambridge Dictionary. Cambridge University Press. [tiešsaiste] (skatīts 14.11.2018.). Pieejams: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/
3.McCarthy M., O'Dell F. English Vocabulary in Use. Upper-Intermediate. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2011. 309 p. ISBN978052167743
Periodicals and other sources
1.Eiropas Savienības statistikas apraksti “Eurostat Statistics Explained” [tiešsaiste] [Skatīts 07.01.2019] Pieejams: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Main_Page
2. Environmental Science. [tiešsaiste] [Skatīts 07.01.2019] Pieejams: http://www.environmentalscience.org/
3. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. [tiešsaiste] [Skatīts 07.01.2019.] Pieejams: http://www.fao.org
Notes
The study course is included in the compulsory part of the professional Bachelor’s degree programme “Land Management and Surveying”