The purpose of the Academic Literacies Unit is to help improve literacy skills (critical thinking, reading, writing, listening, and speaking competencies) of first-year students whose National Senior Certificate (NSC) results indicate that they are underprepared for the demands of tertiary education. The three academic literacies modules are Language and Skills for Science (LSS) – Faculty of Science, Language for the Economic Sciences (LES) – College of Business and Economics, and English for Law (EFL) – Faculty of Law. The literacy skills that students develop and learn in these three modules help facilitate learning in other courses.
The three modules facilitate the transition from high school to university by improving students’ reading, writing, and thinking skills that are necessary for students to succeed at a university environment. The three modules develop and provide students with academic literacies skills such academic reading, academic writing, paraphrasing, summarising, critical thinking, synthesis, and metacognition
Contact Details:
| Language and Skills for Science (LSS) | Mathilda Le Roux | +27115593916 | [email protected] |
| Language for Economic Sciences (LES) | Innocentia Kgaphola | +27115593777 | [email protected] |
| English for Law (EFL) | Miriam Lear | +27115593664 | [email protected] |
| Senior Coordinator | Nkosini Ngwenya | +27115594255 | [email protected] |
UJ Writing Centre
The UJ Writing Centre aims to assist UJ registered undergraduate, B-Tech and Honours’ students with academic literacies, including academic writing, reading, and basic research. It is for students from all faculties, who would like to become better writers, not only those battling with writing.
The Writing Centre offers one-on-one or individual consultations, small group consultations, emailed feedback on academic writing, as well as workshops face-to-face or virtually using social media such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
The Centre will help students:
- Unpack assignment instructions and questions
- Understand the focus of an assignment
- Read and understand complex academic texts
- Plan, organise, and complete research writing
- Structure written work effectively
- Express ideas clearly and coherently in writing
- Avoid plagiarism by referencing correctly in-text and in the reference list
- Develop your self-editing and proofreading skills
- Develop critical thinking abilities
Contact Details:
| APK | D Ring 3 | +27115592568 | [email protected] |
| APB K Block (above safe keeping venue) | K Block (above safe keeping venue) | +27115591646 | [email protected] |
| DFC | Room 6311, 6th floor, John Orr Building | +27115596595 | [email protected] |
| SWC | Adelaide Tambo Building | +27115595652 | [email protected] |
To learn more about the Academic Literacies Unit, please follow this link.