This subject is designed to introduce students to academic culture as a culture of critical debate and equip students with the academic literacy skills necessary to perform successfully at university and later in their chosen profession. In particular, the subject aims to help students access the conventions of academic English by focussing on attitudes to knowledge, and the ways in which ideas are structured and presented in academic texts and speech. The subject assists students to comprehend academic texts, identify key ideas and concepts, and identify and use the rhetorical moves used in academic texts. It also aims to help students compare and contrast ideas across texts, improve grammatical skills that relate to academic writing, summarise and synthesise information, and understand why, when and how to reference information.