Page & Screen: Exploring Narratives of Space

Using Andy Weir’s The Martian and its film adaptation as central texts, the course promotes vocabulary development, listening, reading comprehension and spoken fluency through discussion and analysis.

The course consists of six sessions, with students expected to read selected chapters of the book or watch corresponding scenes from the film in preparation for each class. Each session includes guided discussion, group activities and take-home language tasks. More specifically, students will: 

• Build vocabulary and expressions related to science and technology, while developing skills in summarising and paraphrasing;
• Compare narrative techniques in the novel and the film, sharpening skills in critical thinking and spoken discussion;
• Improve understanding of technical English by unpacking accessible explanations of scientific concepts featured in the story.

By the end of the course, students will have developed greater fluency and confidence in discussing complex ideas in English, while enjoying a deeper appreciation of storytelling across different media (i.e. novel and film adaptation).
 

Dates of the course
Classes will be held every fortnight to allow students time to read selected chapters of the book or watch scenes from the film.

Teacher
Ophélie Malcolm

Profile and prerequisites

• Students seeking to improve their reading, listening, and speaking skills in English.
• English level B2

Teaching language
English

Teaching modalities
Online synchronous (meets at scheduled times via Teams)

Assessment modalities
Students must attend all six sessions to be allowed to sit the exam. The mark allocation is as follows:

• Active participation in meetings (students are expected to have their camera on during meetings): 40%
• Oral exam: 60%