ENGLISH Objective B2+ (PPE)

langp1204  2026-2027  Louvain-la-Neuve

ENGLISH Objective B2+ (PPE)
3.00 credits
45.0 h
Q1 and Q2
> Schedule
Teacher(s)
Dumont Amandine (coordinator); Starrs Colleen (coordinator);
Language
English
Prerequisites
Students must have level B2 in English or taken the course LANGP1203 (English Objective B2 PPE) or another equivalent course corresponding to Level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Main themes
The topics covered are selected in line with the learning outcomes of the programme and the communicative needs as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) for the target level (B2+).
They cover specialised communication situations relating to the fields and professions of philosophy, politics and economics.
Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

Learning outcome (Bachelor's degree programme in Philosophy, Politics and Economics)
  1. Develop and adopt an interdisciplinary, critical, reflective and civic-minded perspective.
 
Learning outcomes (CEFR)
Listening comprehension (B2+)
  • understand standard spoken language, live or broadcast, on both familiar and unfamiliar topics normally encountered in personal, social, academic, or vocational life.
    Only extreme background noise, inadequate discourse structure, or idiomatic usage influences the ability to understand.
 
Reading comprehension (B2+)
  • quickly scan a long and complex text and identify the relevant points;
  • understand texts (general or specialized) in which the authors take a particular stance or viewpoint;
  • quickly identify the content and relevance of new information in a text.
 
Oral Production/Interaction (B2+)
  • methodically develop a presentation or description, highlighting key points and relevant details.
  • present ideas and opinions and argue effectively on complex topics, and respond to others’ arguments in a convincing manner (e.g., in formal conversations).
  • understand and exchange complex information and opinions on a wide range of topics related to [one’s professional role/academic specialty].
  • conduct an interview effectively and with ease, spontaneously deviating from prepared questions and exploring and following up on interesting answers.
 
Writing (B2+)
  • produce a text that develops an argument in a methodical manner, appropriately highlighting key points and relevant details that support it.
  • provide clear and detailed descriptions on a variety of topics related to their field of interest.
  • effectively use a wide variety of connecting words to clearly indicate the links between ideas.
 
General linguistic skills (B2+)
  • express themselves clearly without giving the impression of having to limit what they want to say.
  • understand and use general technical terms in their field when discussing them with other specialists. Has a fairly good command of grammar. Occasional errors and syntactic mistakes may still occur and can be corrected in retrospect.
  • use almost the entire range of phonological features of the target language with fairly good control, so as to be almost always intelligible.
  • articulate most of the sounds of the target language. The presence of an accent from other language(s) may be identified but does not affect comprehension.
 
Content
The course covers the four academic language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking as well as presentation techniques, vocabulary and grammar extension.
By the end of the course, students should have reached the following level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR):
  • Listening comprehension and reading comprehension: B2+
  • Oral expression and writing skills: B2+
  • General linguistic skills: B2+
Teaching methods
Class time is used for activities to work on students' language skills. Students are expected to prepare for class, complete all assignments and participate actively in all activities. In addition, they also have to complete continuous assessment activities on Moodle (see deadlines in the course notes) and study self-tuition material.
Evaluation methods
The overall assessment is divided as follows:
1. JANUARY SESSION
Partial exemption test:  25%
  • Self-tuition material (term one)
  • Vocabulary and grammar (term one)
  • Listening comprehension (seen and unseen)
  • Reading comprehension (unseen material)
Important:
  • Students who are absent will be considered as absent for the January session.
  • Students who get below 10 in January are tested on the material from the January partial exemption test in June.
2. JUNE SESSION
Written exam: 20%
  • Listening comprehension (unseen material)
  • Reading comprehension (unseen material)
  • Vocabulary and grammar (term two)
  • Self-tuition material (term two)

    Students who get below 10 in January, will be tested on the material mentioned above as well as the material from the January partial exemption test. In this case, the written exam is worth 45%.
     
3. Group presentation (term one): 20%

4. Group disussion (term two): 20%

5. Continuous assessment (term 1 and term 2): 15%
Important:
  • The continuous assessment mark (15%) reflects the work carried out during the academic year (see course notes for details). Therefore, students cannot redo the continuous assessment activities later in the academic year and will receive zero for any activities that they do not complete by the given deadline. In addition, poor attendance/preparation/participation will be penalised.
  • The written exam and the oral components (presentation and group discussion) are compulsory. Students who are absent for one of these parts will be considered as absent for the June session.
SEPTEMBER SESSION
The exam consists of the following parts:
  1. Written exam (50%)
    • Term one material (cf. January session for details)
    • Term two material (cf. June session for details)
  2. Individual presentation (25%)
  3. Group discussion (25%)
Important:
  • Students who sit the exam in the September session can choose either to only repeat the parts where they got below 10 in June OR they can repeat all of the parts if they want to improve their grade for each section (see September session for the three parts).
  • Students who failed the course in June and who are absent (in the September session) for any part of the assessment for which they got less than 10/20 in June are considered absent for the September session and will receive an overall absence mark.
Online resources
Moodle: https://moodle.uclouvain.be/course/view.php?id=4233
Teaching materials
  • English for Academic communication II (syllabus) + matériel en auto-apprentissage (disponible sur Moodle); Thomson, J.-M. (2025). Vocabulaire anglais : Politique - Économie - Société. (6e éd.). Armand Colin.
Faculty or entity
> ILV


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Bachelor in Philosophy, Politics and Economics
PPE1BA
3