FACULTY OF ARTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE

BACHELOR OF ARTS HONOURS IN ENGLISH AND COMMUNICATION
(BHEC) PROGRAMME
STUDENTS TUTORIAL LETTER
PART 1 SEMESTER I
________________________________________________________________________
Dear Student

This is the first of a series of communications with you. Our intention is to keep you
informed of the issues and events that concern the programme. Congratulations for making
it into the Bachelor of Arts Honours in English and Communication (BHEC) Degree
programme. This year the competition was stiff with many prospective students from
within and without Zimbabwe applying for the BHEC programme. The team at the national
centre and regional coordinators hope that you will find the experience of learning with
ZOU very rewarding and worthwhile. Indeed, this is an important step towards both your
professional and academic development. Depending on the national and university
guidance pertaining to the COVID-19 WHO Guidelines, most of the tutorials are now
being held online through Microsoft Teams. It is important to get the requisite data and be
able to participate in these online tutorials. From experience we have noted that those
students who participate in tutorials score better than those who do not.

Modules on offer
During the course of this semester you will study the following modules: -

BHEC119: Theories of Communication and New Media Technologies

BHEC113: Communication Skills
BHEC114: Introduction to Linguistics
BHEC115: Literary Criticism
BHEC122: Organisational Communication
FARS101: Principles of Ethics

SEMESTER DATES

No Activity Date

1. First Tutorial 05-06 February 2022

2. Second Tutorial 26-27 February 2022

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 3. Third Tutorial 26-27 March 2022

4. First Assignment 22 February 2022

5. Second Assignment 18 March 2022

6. Research Projects/Internship Reports/Dissertations 18-19 March 2022

Submission

7. Examination Period 19 April - 6 May 2022

NB: It is the duty of every candidate to check their examination timetable and stick to
them. Please do not rely from what other students say to you. The correct Examination
timetable is normally posted on your student portal. Only rely on proper university
channels for information pertaining your studies. Please endeavor to successfully write
your coursework and sit for examinations.

MyVista Platform
This is our online e-learning platform. You advised to constantly check this online platform
for all your course requirements. Soft copies of modules are uploaded on this platform and
some extra relevant reading material is also uploaded on this platform. You can also chat
with your tutor on this platform.

Written assignments
Assignments form the backbone of your studies because through them, we are able to direct
your reading so that you are able to explore related topics in a systematic manner.
Therefore, these assignments are a critical and integral part of your assessment and should
be taken with the seriousness they deserve. Coursework (assignments) constitute 25% and
the examinations at the end of each semester contribute 75% of your final mark.

You are required to submit two (2) tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) per course each
semester. Always ensure that you meet the given deadlines in submitting your
assignments, as late assignments will not be marked. Contact your Regional Programme
Coordinator if you have any problems of meeting the assignments due dates(s).

Assignment Submission
Please note that assignments are submitted online through the MyVista Platform. They are
uploaded on the MyVista portal. Please ensure that you upload the correct assignment and
not to submit wrong assignments because you will lose marks. Also make sure that you
upload the correct document and not the assignment question or any other irrelevant
document. It is your responsibility to submit the correct document which is virus free.
Preferably you should submit word documents. Assignments that are uploaded on the
wrong portal will not be marked hence as a student you should make sure you have
uploaded your correct assignment on the correct portal. Also, you should do you

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assignments whilst there is still enough time. Late submissions of assignments will not be
tolerated and you are bound to jeopardise your studies through such misdemeanor.

Hints on assignments
Note that a scholarly assignment cannot simply be scribbled off in an hour or so. Therefore,
you should do background reading from the prescribed and recommended texts/sources so
that you are well acquainted with the relevant facts, figures, issues, examples, etc before
committing pen to paper. This means that you should research widely in order to write a
systematic assignment, which is acceptable at this level of study.

Always endeavour to first write a draft outline before writing the actual assignment and as
indicated before, the writing up of assignments is not a one off incident because if you do
that your answer will not be systematic and coherent.

Structure of assignments
There are general rules governing the format and presentation of essays. It is to your
advantage to observe these rules. If in doubt you should ask your Programme Coordinator
in the region for assistance on how to write essays.

On getting your assignment questions read and understand the question(s) demands before
attempting to write an answer. Also identify and define the key words. Academic essays
normally have three main divisions, which are the introduction, body and conclusion. The
three categories are briefly discussed below.

Introduction
This section of your essays plays a very important role because in it:
 You “set the scene” or establish the position you are taking as you respond to the
question
 You identify the main issues as you respond to the question
 You identify the main issues at stake
 You also identify and demystify the problematic/contentious aspects of the topic
 You briefly and boldly tell your reader/marker what your line of argument is going
to be and usually this can be done in one or two sentences or a short paragraph

Body
 In it you refer to key words
 Support your arguments by use of relevant examples
 Always refer to key words that would have been identified in the introduction
 Provide answers to questions that might come to the reader/marker’s mind e.g.
“what point…” “So what…” etc
 Use of correct spellings, grammar, punctuations, making of proper paragraphs as
well as appropriate sentence construction.

Conclusion
 You should not introduce new data or evidence
 Summarise the main points of your arguments in the body

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  Bring together and evaluate all the arguments and conclusions made in the body of
the essay
 Bring your conclusions to the fore
 Justify your conclusions

Write legibly and pay particular attention to the presentation/arrangement of

your essay material as this will create a great and lasting impression on the
marker.

Plagiarism
Be very careful to avoid plagiarism in your assignments and examination. Simply put,
plagiarism is the copying or writing of information from sources like a book, an article, a
module or even a tutorial letter without acknowledging. Acknowledging should be
understood to mean:-

(i) Giving the surname(s) of the author(s) of the source from which your
information is taken
(ii) Giving relevant page numbers from which information is taken e.g. (Chimuti
1970:19 -30).
(iii) Giving the date (year only) in which the source was published.

You will be heavily penalised if you simply copy or re-write information from any
given text. Therefore, you should not simply rewrite information from your
prescribed/recommended text(s) as this will never earn you good marks. In fact,
plagiarism is one of the greatest academic “Sins/offense” as you are liable to
prosecution should you be found guilty.

As a result, it is best that you always acknowledge the use of other people’s thoughts
and words in your written work.

Examinations
It is a prerequisite that you should know the structure of your paper. Your papers are not
divided into subsections. There are six questions and you are required to answer any three
questions. The examination is three hours long and is written at the end of each semester.

To score high marks and thus pass the exam, you should:-
(i) Read widely on your own
(ii) Revise regularly. This is done through a revision timetable, group discussions,
practising answering exam questions in the prescribed time as well as using past
exam papers.
(iii) Not make the module(s) your “Bible”, but rather consult other sources or texts
to broaden your understanding of the course(s).
(iv) During the course of the semester always consult your regional BAMS or
BHEC coordinators if you have any queries/problems with your studies.
They are there to help you.
When writing examinations, always remember to:-

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 (i) Write legibly
(ii) Be clear by avoiding vague, unexplained terms
(iii) Be concise by getting your message across economically and avoiding
wordiness
(iv) Be consistent
(v) Be coherent by ensuring that the various sections, subsections, paragraphs and
sentences of your answer follow a natural logical progression.
(vi) Be critical by avoiding the mere narration of facts for example,. ensuring that
terms and concepts used are defined and clearly explained etc.
(vii) Avoid unnecessary repetition
(viii) Avoid giving inaccurate/wrong information.

ESSAY WRITING

Students have problems in presenting essays that meet the acceptable standard. Writing is
a skill that takes time to develop but at least a student must be able to present his/her
thoughts in writing. All students must purchase Mr Mapfumo’s Learning to Learn at a
Distance. It is an excellent guide for the adult learner learning at a distance. The following
notes are a brief guide to assist the student.

Analysing the Question

Before attempting a question, answer the following.
 What is the Subject Matter / Content, [collective bargaining, bioscience, ethics etc.]
 What does the question require you to do? e.g Discuss, Describe, Evaluate
 How will I answer? (e.g Give definitions then discuss characteristics and support with
references to other books and give relevant examples). This leads us to essay structure.

Structure
Any essay should have three sections, an introduction, body and conclusion. The
structure is very simple and easy to remember
 Introduction Tell the reader what you want to tell her/him
 Body Tell the reader the details
 Conclusion Tell the reader what you have told her/him
(See example of an Introduction and Conclusion below)

The paragraph
You also need to know the structure of a paragraph especially when developing your
argument in the body of the essay.
A simple structure is as follows:
 The Topic sentence: The first or second sentence presents the topic of the paragraph.
 The Developers: Two or more sentences that develop the given topic and this section
should include reference to some texts or journals that you have consulted.
 Supporters: Two or three sentences with examples to support the argument

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You can modify this structure but these are the essential features of any paragraph. The
examples overleaf contain these features.

Essay writing is about writing, rewriting and rewriting ad infinitum. It requires constant
practice and one can only master after years of practice. I only became confident as an
essay writer after my first degree! Use these notes in conjunction with the handout on
Common words in Essay questions and preparing for exams.
These following words are commonly used in essay questions

Analyse Examine the essential features, showing how they are related and why
they are important
Assess Judge the worth, the importance or the truth of the concept, giving, e.g.
advantages and disadvantages.
Comment on Discuss, criticise or explain as fully as possible.
Compare Show the similarities and differences between
Contrast Compare bringing out the differences
Criticise Give your judgement on the good and bad points, supporting your opinions
by a discussion of the evidence (To criticize does not necessarily mean to
attack).
Define Give the precise meaning of the word or phrase, distinguishing it from
related words.
Describe Give a detailed account or verbal picture in logical sequence or narrative
form.
Discuss Examine in detail by argument, sifting evidence and explaining pros and
cons.
Enumerate Name and list the main ideas one by one. Number them.
Evaluate Judge the worth, the importance or the truth of the concept, giving, e.g.
advantages and disadvantages.
Explain Make plain, interpret and account for.
Illustrate Make clear by concrete examples, comparisons or analogies. Or, in some
subjects, use a figure or diagram to explain or clarify.
Interpret Give the meaning, using enough explanation and examples to make it clear.
Justify Give reasons for the statement or conclusion or decision

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List Make a numbered list of words, sentences, ideas, reasons, etc. or Name and
list the main ideas one by one. Number them.
Outline Give the main ideas or principles and the important supporting details.
Emphasize the relationships among the parts. The instruction to use outline
form could mean using conventional symbols and progressive indentation
to show parts and their sub-divisions.
Relate Show how things are connected to one another and to what extent they affect
one another. Sometimes relate means simply to narrate.
Review Give a survey or summary of the topic, criticizing where appropriate.
State Describe the main points in clear, brief form.
Summarize Give a concise account of the main points, omitting details and examples.
Trace Follow the development or history of the subject.

Double question-words: Make sure you give appropriate weight (as much as one half
to each) when answering.

Discuss and justify: justify = support a view point appropriately.

Explain and justify: Make plain, interpret and account for and support a view
point appropriately.
Discuss and identify: identify = point out a particular one.
Evaluate and indicate: indicate = point out, make known, show, etc.
Describe and evaluate: describe = give major and minor characteristics of
WH QUESTION

WHAT? Identify something and/or explain why something is so.

WHY? Explain and give reasons for

Which? Identify one from a number of others. You may have to provide
background information and give reasons for your choice.
HOW? Give an explanation for something, what it is, why it works that way.

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Preparing for exam

Introduction
Examination time creates anxiety and uneasiness and tension. Often this is unwarranted
and is largely due to inadequate preparation and lack of self-confidence. You must take
into account two key factors:
-Careful preparation
-Skill in examination techniques.
Preparation

This takes several forms. Whatever format you follow does not matter, as long as you
follow some format.
Make an audit of topics to be covered in each subject or course. For example:

Subject/Course – BHEC114 Topic 1

2
3
Etc.
Subject/Course – BHEC115 Topic 1
2
3
Etc.
Subject/Course – BHEC119 Topic 1
2
3
Etc.

You follow this pattern for all courses and you will be clear of how much ground you have
to cover. Let us assume you have five subjects and you have identified eight topics for
each. This means there are forty topics in all. You need not necessarily cover all topics but
at least you know exactly how much has been covered in your studies. It is your business
to identify a number of topics in each course that you think you need to cover adequately.
So for each course you might end up preparing thoroughly five topics. This means you will
then do twenty-five topics in all

Time management
The problem now arises of how much time is available to cover the identified topics. And
how will it be done? Ideally you might need about eight weeks of reading to prepare for
the examination. But this is an arbitrary figure it will depend on your ability or competence.
Each topic should be allocated some time within the eight-week time frame where you set
aside two or three hours a day.

This is a frame of reference, which you can modify. At least you will be aware of what you
have covered and what is outstanding. If you manage to prepare for twenty out of the forty
topics you will go into the examination with settled mind fully aware of your limitations.

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The Study materials
Having covered the aspect of preparation we now turn to what should be read.
-Study the objectives of your courses. It is around these that examinations are set.
-Relate these to the work outlined in the modules
-Consult other materials that cover the topic i.e. go beyond the module in you reading.
-This entails collecting texts, pamphlets, articles, magazines and newspapers.
-Include your assignments in your collection of study materials.
-You should classify the materials according to the topics of study for ease of reference
NB whatever topic you study must be well supported by examples and illustrations

Techniques of Study
This will come at 2 levels and both of them are of critical importance especially for adult
learners: Reading and Group Discussion.

Reading
This calls for reading skills. Concentration in reading varies per individual but the
maximum span does not normally exceed three continuous hours. It is important you
identify you own maximum span of concentration and then have short breaks when you
lose concentration. For example, some people take a short break every hour or every one
hour thirty minutes.
Establishing your own span of concentration and you will improve in your strategies for
exams.

In your revision only read material you have already covered in the past. DO NOT attempt
any new materials no matter how good it looks. It will only cause confusion and panic.

Group Discussion
This is the core of any learning process. An ideal group is composed of students who see
each other as equals and are ready to share knowledge and learning experiences A
discussion helps in two ways:
1. It is a forum from which you can learn new ideas and insights even in a topic
that you feel you have exhausted.
2. It is a “chalkboard” against which you can test your ideas. As you read you
come up with various responses to the text you are covering. A discussion group
will confirm these ideas or where they need correction, the ideas are corrected
and you emerge a better-informed learner.
The second reason becomes more relevant as one gets older and at postgraduate level.

Some physiological considerations.

- A day before the examinations you must have adequate rest whether you
have completed your study schedule or not.

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 - You must eat well- do not let tension affect your appetite. Studying
consumes energy.
- Have a bit of physical exercise- fit this into your study schedule.
- Avoid all stimulants like coffee, bioplus etc when you are tired rest. It is
better to read in small intensive sessions with long breaks of rest than long
sessions punctuated by short naps!

On Exam Day
- Have pens, pencils etc ready, double check on student ID, or other identity
particulars and establish the location of the exam room at least 24 hours
before the exam.
- Secure a copy of the timetable well before the exams to establish day time
and paper to be written.

In the examination
- Follow instructions in the exams booklet
- Read the entire exam paper before selecting your questions
- Allocate time for each question and leave ten minutes for revision
- Within the time for each question set aside five minutes for analysis and
interpretation of question.
- Plan your ideas for each question on some scrap paper before attempting
the answer “always write some kind of plan however sketchy”
- Always attempt the questions that you are sure of first it builds up your
confidence.

USE OF REFERENCES AND QUOTATIONS IN ASSIGNMENTS AND

PROJECTS.

1. INTRODUCTION
Academics use different ways of acknowledging sources of information when they write
papers; and or books. Although there may be ONE good way of doing so, we need to be
consistent in our use of the method we happen to opt for. Consistently, in this case means
you should not use more than one method in one piece of work or in different pieces of
work. So, the method suggested below should be the one you use in every piece of work
including your projects. Whenever you write an assignment consult this paper to ensure
that your presentation complies with the suggestions given.

2. DIRECT QUOTATIONS
The use of direct quotations involves the use of the actual words used by a writer. These
are taken directly from a book. You should not OVERUSE direct quotations. Before you
use them, ask yourself why you are quoting directly from a book. In other words, the
quotation should have some specific value in your discussion.

Use direct quotations when:

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 (a) They support an idea or ideas that look controversial. In this case, your quotation
will serve to illustrate that although the idea is controversial, certain prominent
researchers support it.
(b) They clarify ideas that are crucial to your discussion. In this case, the quotation
helps you focus on the issue or issues under discussion.
(c) They clarify differences between theories or ideas.

When your quotation consists of three or more long sentences, it should be dented.

Note that:
(i) No quotation marks are used on INDENTED QUOTATIONS.
(ii) Source is acknowledged twice; first before quote and without page number and
then below quote, without year but with name and page number.

A quotation that consists of ONE or TWO short sentences should not be dented. These can
be acknowledged as follows.

UNINDENTED QUOTATION (example)

(a) Halliday (1976: 210) notes that a direct response to a question…” is one which does
merely fill in the Blank: which supplies the appropriate nominal, adverbial or
prepositional groups”

Note that:
(i) Quotation marks are used.
(ii) The author’s name is followed by year in which the book from which the
quotation was taken, was published and the page.

Alternatively, an indented quotation can be presented as follows:

Marcus Garvey (cited in Asante: 1995:345) stated:

The Principles of the Universal Negro Improvement Association … in view of the

fact that the black man of Africa has contributed as much to the world as the white
man of Europe and the brown man and yellow man of Asia … demand that the
white, yellow and brown races give to the black man his place in the civilization of
the world.

3. INDIRECT REFERENCES
In such cases no direct words are taken from books. Therefore no quotation marks . year
of publication as in the following example.

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Referring to the reading of epistemology in Media studies, Mosco (1996) claims that
epistemology broadens the knowledge process from simple determination to multiple
interactions.

N.B.
- No initials of authors should be mentioned in the essay. Only surnames are
required
- No book titles should be mentioned in the essay.
- No footnotes are needed.

4. REFERENCE
Note the way books should be listed at the end of your essay.

(i) These should be in Alphabetical Order.

(ii) Surname first, then initials followed by year and then book title.
(iii) The title of the book should be underlined.
(iv) Quote place of publication and publishers.

5. MARKING ASSIGNMENTS

At all times, marks will be deducted for:

(v) Poor use of language (i.e. spelling errors, grammatical errors,
punctuation, paragraphing etc)
(vi) Poor use of quotations.
(vii) Poor outline and presentation of reference.
(viii) Inadequate and uncritical presentation of content.

You are advised to consult this paper whenever you write an assignment and whenever you
revise assignments before submitting them.
Good Luck!

19-01-2022
………………………………. ………………………
Mrs. A. M. Madongonda Date
Senior Lecturer, Languages and Literature

19-01-2022
………………………………. ………………………
Prof. E. S. Gudhlanga (PhD) Date
Chairperson, Languages and Literature

Approved / Not Approved

……………………………. …………………….
Prof. A. Chitando (PhD) Date

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