The promotion of academic literacy in higher education: The course Reading and Writing for the Production of Academic Knowledge

Abstract

Despite the recognition of the difficulties of many students, their training in the field of academic literacy has no tradition in higher education in Portugal. There are, however, some approaches dealing with it. The course Reading and Writing for the Production of Academic Knowledge, taught to undergraduate students at the University of Minho, is an example of these approaches. This course places the issue of academic writing in the broader framework of academic literacy. It aims to make students aware of the specific uses of academic language in their field of study and promote their understanding of the role of reading and writing in knowledge construction and dissemination. The course Reading and Writing for the Production of Academic Knowledge assumes a practical nature to facilitate the appropriation of academic genres by engaging students in academic language practices within their learning context and by using the specific texts of their disciplines.