Verbal communication for university

Unit Outline (Higher Education)

Level of Unit in Course

AQF Level(s) of Course

Level of Unit in Course

Introductory

Intermediate

Effective Term:

2026/05

Institute / School :

Institute of Education, Arts & Community

Unit Title:

Verbal communication for university

Unit ID:

FASTL1007

Credit Points:

15.00

Prerequisite(s):

Nil

Co-requisite(s):

Nil

Exclusion(s):

Nil

ASCED:

091501

Other Change:

Brief description of the Unit

In this unit, students will be equipped with the academic listening and speaking skills to effectively participate in the FAST course. The unit develops students’ abilities to comprehend and engage with academic discourse through exposure to a variety of learning contexts, spoken academic genres across disciplines, and digital academic tasks. Emphasis is placed on understanding the linguistic features of spoken academic English, participating in formal discussions, and presenting ideas clearly and persuasively, with an academic tone. Students will gain experience in analysing spoken texts, synthesising information from oral sources, and contributing to academic conversations, thereby strengthening their readiness for undergraduate study. The unit scaffolds skills for enabling units and subsequent undergraduate studies through content, skill and knowledge integration.

Grade Scheme:

Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF)

Work Experience Indicator:

No work experience

Placement Component:

Supplementary Assessment:Yes

Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment

Course Level:

Learning Outcomes:

Knowledge:

K1.	Understand the linguistic structures, academic and disciplinary vocabulary and conversational norms for discussions on complex topics

K2.	Recognise and understand emphasis, paraphrasing, intonation and repetition in a linguistically complex presentation or lecture.

Skills:

S1.	Express ideas in a discussion or presentation using appropriate pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, intonation, academic tone and register

S2.	Paraphrase, summarise and elaborate on relevant information in an academic discussion or presentation

S3.	Identify, comprehend and interpret main points and details in a discussion or lecture

S4.	Recognise generalisations, paraphrases and repetitions in a discussion or lecture

S5.	Critically evaluate the main points and details of a presentation or lecture and interpret content of visuals

Application of knowledge and skills:

A1.	Actively participate in contributing to discussions and presentations through clear communication of appropriate findings in response to complex questions

A2.	Engage in spoken academic discourse, including navigating meaning, seeking clarification, expanding on and developing ideas, and revising assumptions.

A3.	Comprehend, critically evaluate and extract key details from spoken academic content in various disciplines

A4.	Interpret and synthesise information from spoken academic content, identifying underlying arguments, assumptions, and connections between ideas.

Unit Content:

The content covers:

1. Understanding Academic Listening Conventions

· Introduction to academic listening in various university activities

· Identifying key features of spoken academic discourse

· Recognising signposting language and discourse markers

2. Listening Comprehension and Note-Taking Strategies

· Active listening techniques for academic contexts

· Structured note-taking methods (e.g., Cornell, mapping, outlining)

· Synthesising information from multiple spoken sources

3. Participating in Academic Discussions

· Turn-taking and interaction strategies in tutorials

· Expressing agreement, disagreement, and clarification

· Using academic language to support opinions and arguments

4. Academic Presentation Skills

· Planning and structuring oral presentations

· Using visual aids effectively (e.g., slides, handouts)

· Practising pronunciation, intonation, and pacing for clarity

5. Critical Listening and Response

· Evaluating spoken arguments and identifying bias

· Responding to academic content with critical questions

· Summarising and paraphrasing spoken information

6. Discipline-Specific Listening and Speaking Practice

· Exposure to academic discourse across various disciplines (e.g., STEM, humanities)

· Role-playing tutorials and seminar-style discussions

· Preparing and delivering mini-presentations based on research

Graduate Attributes:

	Learning Outcomes Assessed	Assessment Tasks	Assessment Type	Weighting
1.	K2, S3, S4, S5, A3, A4	Complete listening tasks in response to a variety of academic spoken English discourses.	Listening comprehension test	15-30%
2.	K1, S1, S2, A1, A2	Participate in an academic presentation or discussion based on an academic topic	Individual or group oral presentation or tutorial discussion	15-30%
3.	K2, S3, S4, S5, A3, A4	Predict, extract, infer, evaluate, summarise, paraphrase, and synthesise information from a variety of linguistically complex academic listening sources under test conditions.	Listening comprehension test	20-30%
4.	K1, S1, S2, S5, A1, A2, A4	Participate in an academic discussion or interview based on an academic topic	Individual or group discussion or interview	20-30%

Adopted Reference Style:

APA ()

Professional Standards / Competencies:

Standard / Competency