Overview

Students in this level will have limited or no prior knowledge of English language learning. The focus of this level is to introduce learners to the communicative areas of reading, writing, listening, and speaking for daily tasks. This course will help learners develop their confidence and to engage in various settings where English language is practiced.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to: 

• Understand short texts, recognize words and basic phrases, and reread as required.
• Recognize familiar words/signs accompanied by pictures, such as a fast-food restaurant menu illustrated with photos or a picture book using familiar vocabulary.
• Demonstrate comprehension of simple written instructions. 
• Respond to simple texts through a variety of responses. 
• Recognize the structure of simple sentences and use this in obtaining meaning from texts. 

• Demonstrate understanding of sentence structure through writing short phrases and sentences relevant to familiar topics. 
• Create descriptive short stories to illustrate familiar scenes. 
• Utilize connecting devices and transition words to develop further understanding of sentence structure. 
• Demonstrate understanding of punctuation structures. 
• Demonstrate knowledge of parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs). 

• Identify information (e.g., places and times) from short recordings on familiar everyday topics. 
• Follow information provided in simple conversations to understand meaning. 
• Demonstrate comprehension of pre-recorded conversations by answering related questions.
• Follow classroom instructions and directions. 
• Answer questions on familiar topics.  

• Describe simple aspects of their everyday life in a series of simple sentences, provided they can prepare in advance.
• Ask and answer questions about themselves and daily routines.
• Exchange likes and dislikes on familiar topics. 
• Make simple transactions with customer services.
• Utilize various questions and phrases to ask for help or clarification. 
• Recognize and reproduce a few basic pronunciation, stress and intonation patterns. 

 Mode of delivery:

The majority of instruction and class time will be spent on-site. In-person delivery will include lectures, workshops, small group work and partner activities. Occasionally, students will attend alternative learning field trips to nearby destinations such as libraries, museums and cultural events to immerse themselves in the English language and apply skills learned in the classroom. Sessions can be divided into reading, writing, listening, and speaking, with skills overlapping when necessary or preferred at the discretion of instructors.  

 Textbooks:

1. Oxford Picture Dictionary Third Edition by Jayme Adelson-Goldstein and Norma Shapiro
2.  Oxford Picture Dictionary Low Beginning Workbook Third Edition by Jayme Adelson-Goldstein and Norma Shapiro

Assessments: 

Students will need 75% to continue on to Level 2. Students will be assessed on graded completion of formative weekly tasks and assignments assigned at the discretion of their instructor. In addition, there will be two scheduled summative exams students will complete midway through and at the end of term. 

All exams and assignments are assessed according to rubrics and answer keys. Student attendance and participation will be included in their final grade breakdown. 

Suggested Breakdown of Grading:

Overview

Students in this level will have a beginner’s working knowledge of English to complete basic communicative tasks. Students are able to complete daily tasks that require a basic integration of reading, writing, listening and speaking. This course will help learners move from a beginner’s level to an intermediate level with a focus on structured and unstructured material. Students will begin to link sentences into short paragraphs, listen to longer structured listenings and readings and prepare a structured presentation. 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to: 

• Understand short texts on subjects of personal interest composed in graded language and supported by illustrations and pictures.
• Read various types of texts including informational and graphic texts, such as graphs and letters. 
• Demonstrate understanding of descriptive language through retelling of short paragraphs or stories based on familiar topics.   

• Plan, revise and proofread short texts for community and academic purposes.
• Compose short paragraphs.
• Produce draft pieces of writing using models and templates.
• Demonstrate comprehension of multiple forms of writing through creation of texts. 
• Demonstrate ability to plan by creating and implementing pre-writing strategies. 

• Understand simple information being explained in a predictable situation. 
• Understand figures, prices and times provided in an adapted audio recording. 
• Demonstrate comprehension of specific information in classroom presentations, instructions, etc. 
• Demonstrate comprehension with a conversation partner to have clear, structured conversations on familiar topics.  

• Describe simple aspects of their everyday life in a series of simple sentences. 
• Understand and answer questions and instructions addressed to them. 
• Understand questions and instructions given by the instructor easily and can provide clarification to classmates. 
• Form thoughts and opinions in a coherent fashion.
• Demonstrate understanding through participation in guided discussions.  

Mode of delivery:

The majority of instruction and class time will be spent on-site. In-person delivery will include lectures, workshops, small group work and partner activities. Occasionally, students will attend alternative learning field trips to nearby destinations such as libraries, museums and cultural events to immerse themselves in the English language and apply skills learned in the classroom. Sessions can be divided into reading, writing, listening and speaking, with skills overlapping when necessary or preferred at the discretion of instructors.  

Textbooks: 

1. Oxford Picture Dictionary Third Edition by Jayme Adelson-Goldstein and Norma Shapiro
2. Oxford Picture Dictionary Low Beginning Workbook Third Edition by Jayme Adelson-Goldstein and Norma Shapiro

Assessments:

Students will need 75% to continue on to Level 3. Students will be assessed on graded completion of formative weekly tasks and assignments assigned at the discretion of their instructor. In addition, there will be two scheduled summative exams students will complete midway through and at the end of term. 

All exams and assignments are assessed according to rubrics and answer keys. Student attendance and participation will be included in their final grade breakdown. 

Suggested Breakdown of Grading:

Overview 

Students in this level will have an intermediate working knowledge of English to complete more complex communicative tasks. Students will focus on more in-depth graded listening and reading material. This course will help learners write longer paragraphs with the end goal of formulating a three-paragraph essay. Students will prepare a structured presentation on an assigned topic. This course further extends student capacity to read a variety of texts, write for multiple purposes and expand vocabulary. 

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the course, students will be able to: 

• Use a variety of reading comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading to understand texts. 
• Demonstrate a clear and well-structured response to graded texts.
• Demonstrate an understanding of graded texts.
• Understand simple, brief instructions. 
• Pick out the main information in short news reports or simple articles in which figures, names, illustrations and titles play a prominent role and support the meaning of the text. 
• Find specific, predictable information in simple everyday material such as advertisements, reference lists and timetables. 

• Write more complex texts to convey information and ideas for a variety of purposes. 
• Organize information relating to a central idea into a three-paragraph essay. 
• Demonstrate correct simple grammatical structures.
• Use prewriting strategies to generate vocabulary and develop ideas for writing. 
• Revise, edit, and proofread drafts using a variety of teacher-directed and independent strategies.
• Identify and integrate feedback provided by the instructor. 
• Demonstrate guided use of the different stages in the writing process. 

• Understand and extract the essential information from short, recorded passages dealing with predictable everyday matters.
• Understand phrases and expressions related to areas of most immediate priority (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). 
• Generally, identify the topic of discussion and recognise when people agree and disagree in a conversation. 
• Follow a very simple, well-structured presentation or demonstration. 
• Understand basic instructions on times, dates and numbers, etc., and on routine tasks and assignments to be carried out.
• Demonstrate comprehension of specific information in more complex, graded audio recordings. 

• Explain what they like or dislike about something, why they prefer one thing to another, making simple, direct comparisons. 
• Give a short, rehearsed presentation on familiar topic and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions, plans and actions.
• Present ideas and information orally for small group discussions on familiar and assigned topics. 
• Engage in spoken interactions on personal and content-area topics. 
• Use a number of conversational expressions to negotiate spoken interactions
• Use an accurate number of pronunciation, stress, and intonation patterns. 

Mode of delivery:

The majority of instruction and class time will be spent on-site. In-person delivery will include lectures, workshops, small group work and partner activities. Occasionally, students will attend short fieldtrips to nearby destinations such as libraries, museums and cultural events to immerse themselves in the English language and apply skills learned in the classroom. The outings will also serve as rich learning experiences in which debriefing will take place back in the classroom in various activities. Sessions can be divided into reading, writing, listening, and speaking, with skills overlapping when necessary or preferred at the discretion of instructors. 

 Textbooks: 

• Learn to Listen, Listen to Learn by Roni S. Lebauer https://www.pearsonerpi.com/en/elt/listening-and-speaking/learn-to-listen-listen-to-learn
• Longman Academic Reading Series 2 by Kim Sanabria https://www.pearsonerpi.com/en/elt/eap/longman-academic-reading-2-student-book-466338 
• Longman Academic Writing Series 2 by Ann Hogue https://www.pearsonerpi.com/en/elt/eap/longman-academic-writing-2-student-book-essential-online-resources-466333 

 Assessments: 

Students will need 75% to continue on to Level 4. Students will be assessed on graded completion of formative weekly tasks and assignments assigned at the discretion of their instructor. In addition, there will be two scheduled summative exams students will complete midway through and at the end of term. 

All exams and assignments are assessed according to rubrics and answer keys. Student attendance and participation will be included in their final grade breakdown. 

Suggested Breakdown of Grading:

Overview: 

This course prepares students to use English with increasing fluency and accuracy in classroom and social situations. Students will develop the reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills required for success in intermediate language tasks and projects. They will extend listening and speaking skills through participation in class discussions and preparing presentations that involve development of ideas. Students in this level will study and interpret a variety of graded texts and some authentic texts. Students will practice responding critically and writing different structures in response to a variety of texts. 

Learning Outcomes 

 By the end of the course, students will be able to: 

• Understand the main points in news items on non-familiar topics. 
• Understand a short factual report with predictable details. 
• Understand assignment instructions without illustrations or templates. 
• Demonstrate an understanding of authentic texts in a variety of ways.
• Use a wide variety of reading comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading to understand texts. 
• Use a variety of vocabulary acquisition strategies to enrich vocabulary.  

• Interpret and describe simple visuals on familiar topics. 
• Identify and reproduce key words and phrases from a variety of texts. 
• Demonstrate written accuracy in grammar, spelling and punctuation appropriate for this level. 
• Write a mixture of simple and complex sentence structures to convey information and ideas. 
• Write a three paragraph essay on an assigned topic. 
• Revise, edit, and proofread drafts using instructor feedback.   

• Demonstrate comprehension of specific information in more complex directions, instructions, and classroom presentations.
• Understand the important points of a story and manage to follow the plot. 
• Identify the main point of TV news items reporting events, accidents, etc. where the visuals support the commentary. 
• Understand phrases and expressions related to areas of most immediate priority (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). 
• Identify the topic of discussion and recognize when people agree and disagree. 
• Follow a simple, well-structured presentation or demonstration, provided it is illustrated with slides, concrete examples or diagrams.  

• Can describe plans and arrangements, habits and routines, past activities and personal experiences. 
• Can cope with a limited number of straightforward follow-up questions. 
• Demonstrate the ability to understand, interpret, and evaluate spoken English for social and academic purposes. 
• Use speaking skills and strategies to communicate in English for group discussions. 
• Use accurate language structures in spoken conversation appropriate for this level. 
• Present ideas and information for academic purposes. 
• Use a variety of pronunciation, stress, and intonation patterns in social and academic speaking tasks. 

Mode of delivery: 

The majority of instruction and class time will be spent on-site. In-person delivery will include lectures, workshops, small group work and partner activities. Occasionally, students will attend short fieldtrips to nearby destinations such as libraries, museums and cultural events to immerse themselves in the English language and apply skills learned in the classroom. The outings will also serve as rich learning experiences in which debriefing will take place back in the classroom in various activities. Sessions can be divided into reading, writing, listening, and speaking, with skills overlapping when necessary or preferred at the discretion of instructors. 

 Textbooks: 

• Learn to Listen, Listen to Learn by Roni S. Lebauer https://www.pearsonerpi.com/en/elt/listening-and-speaking/learn-to-listen-listen-to-learn
• Longman Academic Reading Series 2 by Kim Sanabria https://www.pearsonerpi.com/en/elt/eap/longman-academic-reading-2-student-book-466338 
• Longman Academic Reading Series 2 by Kim Sanabria https://www.pearsonerpi.com/en/elt/reading/longman-academic-reading-2-student-book-466338 
• Longman Academic Writing Series 2 by Ann Hogue https://www.pearsonerpi.com/en/elt/eap/longman-academic-writing-2-student-book-essential-online-resources-466333 

 Assessments: 

Students will need 75% to continue on to Level 4. Students will be assessed on graded completion of formative weekly tasks and assignments assigned at the discretion of their instructor. In addition, there will be two scheduled summative exams students will complete midway through and at the end of term. 

All exams and assignments are assessed according to rubrics and answer keys. Student attendance and participation will be included in their final grade breakdown. 

Suggested Breakdown of Grading:

Overview:

Students in this level will have a working knowledge of English and are already able to deal with everyday situations using accurate but simple language. The focus of this level is to introduce learners to a variety of registers in English in addition to the communicative areas of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. This course is an introduction to Academic English and will help learners develop their confidence and to engage in various settings where English language is used for academic purposes.

Learning Outcomes:

ACADEMIC WRITING 

By the end of this course, students will be able to: 

• write short, simple essays on a variety of topics
• introduce arguments in a simple discursive text
• collate and summarize information from several sources 
• report and give an opinion about accumulated factual information 
• use a range of discursive devices to connect ideas in a text

CRITICAL LISTENING AND READING 

By the end of this course, students will be able to: 

• scan longer texts to locate desired information
• gather information from different parts of a text
• recognize arguments in texts and lectures
• follow a lecture or talk on a familiar topic
• Identify main parts of a lecture

ORAL DISCUSSION AND PRESENTATION 

By the end of this course, students will be able to: 

• communicate with confidence on both routine and non-routine matters 
• use a range of strategies to help keep a conversation or discussion going
• give clear descriptions and express viewpoints using complex sentence forms
• explain the main points in an idea or problem with reasonable precision
• understand and apply the basic principles of academic presentations 

Resources and Required Texts: A number of texts will be provided in PDF form or via links to online sources.  You should have your own copy of the following texts:   

• Learn to Listen, Listen to Learn 2 by Roni S. LeBauer https://www.pearsonerpi.com/en/elt/listening-and-speaking/learn-to-listen-listen-to-learn-2-student-book-814000 
• Longman Academic Reading Series 3 by Robert F. Cohen, Judy L. Miller https://www.pearsonerpi.com/en/elt/reading/longman-academic-reading-3-student-book-466337 
• Longman Academic Writing Series 3

Mode of delivery:

The majority of instruction and class time will be spent on-site. In-person delivery will include lectures, seminars, workshops, small group work and partner activities. Occasionally, students will attend alternative learning field trips to nearby destinations such as libraries, museums, and cultural events to immerse themselves in the English language and apply skills learned in the classroom. Sessions can be divided into academic writing, critical listening and reading, and oral presentation and discussions, with skills overlapping when necessary or preferred at the discretion of instructors.  

Assessments:

Students will need 75% to continue on to the next level. Students will be assessed on graded completion of formative weekly tasks and assignments assigned at the discretion of their instructor. There will be two scheduled summative exams students will complete midway through and at the end of term. All exams and assignments are assessed according to rubrics and answer keys.

In addition to the midterm and final exams, grades will be based on a combination of the following, at the discretion of the course instructor(s). 

• Active participation in seminar work: this means that students are expected to contribute orally in the (possibly virtual) classroom meetings for the courses, which are called ‘seminars’. In-class contributions can include one or several of the following: responding to questions from the teacher, being active in small-group discussions with other students, demonstrating knowledge and understanding of relevant pre-seminar materials.  
• Weekly tasks and assignments: these will be smaller assignments, completed either during or outside of class time, and are designed to evaluate focused skills such as note-taking, reading comprehension, or critical thinking.
• Written assignments: most commonly a writing task set by the teacher, to be completed by an individual student and submitted electronically by a specified hand-in date and time).  Assignments may include academic reports, essays, and/or case studies.
• Peer-review – a student review of some work (often a writing assignment) by another student (peer).  Typically, this is a critical review where students assess in an objective way the merits of the work (its structure, language, the connection of ideas in the text), and not a personal response to the work where students simply explain, for example, what was liked or disliked.  
• Oral presentations – a sustained oral presentation on a specific topic, often given in the seminar classroom by an individual or a group to the teacher and fellow students (they can take the form of a recorded audio-video or on-line film presentation depending on the task).  Presentation genres may include exposition, persuasion, or procedure.
  
  

Suggested Breakdown of Grading:

Overview:

Students in this level will have some knowledge of academic English as a specific area of language use, as well as functional proficiency in general English. The focus of this level is to introduce learners to more complex academic tasks, such as taking accurate lecture notes and producing academic essays. Students will also engage in academic discussions and deliver university-style presentations. This is an intermediate Academic English course and will help students develop foundational skills needed to succeed at the college or university level.

Learning Outcomes:

ACADEMIC WRITING 

By the end of this course, students will be able to: 

• synthesize information and arguments from several sources
• use a range of cohesive devices to produce text that is well-organized and coherent
• structure longer texts in clear, logical paragraphs
• express news and views effectively in writing and relate to those of others
• produce the appropriate collocations of many words in most contexts

CRITICAL LISTENING AND READING 

By the end of this course, students will be able to: 

• use a variety of strategies to achieve comprehension by identifying contextual clues
• understand a clearly structured lecture and take notes on important points
• recognize different structures in discursive text: contrasting arguments, problem-solution presentation, and cause-effect relationships
• critically evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of various options

ORAL DISCUSSION AND PRESENTATION 

By the end of this course, students will be able to: 

• initiate, maintain and end discourse appropriately with effective turn taking
• reformulate an idea to emphasize or explain a point
• construct a chain of reasoned argument
• expand and support main points with relevant supporting detail and examples
• give a clear, prepared presentation, giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view and giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options

Resources and Required Texts:

A number of texts will be provided in PDF form or via links to online sources.  You should have your own copy of the following texts:   

• Learn to Listen, Listen to Learn 2 by Roni S. LeBauer https://www.pearsonerpi.com/en/elt/listening-and-speaking/learn-to-listen-listen-to-learn-2-student-book-814000 
• Longman Academic Reading Series 3 by Robert F. Cohen, Judy L. Miller https://www.pearsonerpi.com/en/elt/reading/longman-academic-reading-3-student-book-466337 
• Longman Academic Writing Series 3 by Ann Hogue, Alice Oshima https://www.pearsonerpi.com/en/elt/eap/longman-academic-writing-3-student-book-essential-online-resources-466332 

 Mode of delivery:

The majority of instruction and class time will be spent on-site. In-person delivery will include lectures, seminars, workshops, small group work and partner activities. Occasionally, students will attend alternative learning field trips to nearby destinations such as libraries, museums and cultural events to immerse themselves in the English language and apply skills learned in the classroom. Sessions can be divided into academic writing, critical listening and reading, and oral presentation and discussions, with skills overlapping when necessary or preferred at the discretion of instructors.  

 Assessments:

Students will need 75% to continue on to the next level. Students will be assessed on graded completion of formative weekly tasks and assignments assigned at the discretion of their instructor. There will be two scheduled summative exams students will complete midway through and at the end of term. All exams and assignments are assessed according to rubrics and answer keys.

In addition to the midterm and final exams, grades will be based on a combination of the following, at the discretion of the course instructor(s). 

• Active participation in seminar work: this means that students are expected to contribute orally in the (possibly virtual) classroom meetings for the courses, which are called ‘seminars’. In-class contributions can include one or several of the following: responding to questions from the teacher, being active in small-group discussions with other students, demonstrating knowledge and  understanding of relevant pre-seminar materials.  
• Weekly tasks and assignments: these will be smaller assignments, completed either during or outside of class time, and are designed to evaluate focused skills such as note-taking, reading comprehension, or critical thinking.
• Written assignments: most commonly a writing task set by the teacher, to be completed by an individual student and submitted electronically by a specified hand-in date and time).  Assignments may include academic reports, essays, and/or case studies.
• Peer-review – a student review of some work (often a writing assignment) by another student (peer).  Typically, this is a critical review where students assess in an objective way the merits of the work (its structure, language, the connection of ideas in the text), and not a personal response to the work where students simply explain, for example, what was liked or disliked.  
• Oral presentations – a sustained oral presentation on a specific topic, often given in the seminar classroom by an individual or a group to the teacher and fellow students (they can take the form of a recorded audio-video or on-line film presentation depending on the task).  Presentation genres may include exposition, persuasion, or procedure.
  
  

Suggested Breakdown of Grading:

Overview

Students in this level will have working proficiency in academic English and be able to deal with most routine institutional situations. The focus of this level is to help learners develop both grammatical complexity and finer shades of meaning in their academic writing and speaking and gain higher proficiency in dealing with lectures and academic texts. This is a low advanced Academic English course and will help students improve their accuracy, fluency, and critical thinking at the college or university level.

Learning Outcomes:

ACADEMIC WRITING 

By the end of this course, students will be able to: 

• write clear, detailed texts on a variety of subjects related to a particular field of interest
• synthesize and evaluate information and arguments from several sources
• write an essay or report that develops an argument systematically 
• use a wide variety of linking words efficiently to mark the relationships between ideas
• clearly signal the difference between fact and opinion

CRITICAL LISTENING AND READING 

By the end of this course, students will be able to: 

• scan quickly through long and complex texts, locating relevant details
• read with a large degree of independence, adapting style and speed of reading to different texts and purposes
• differentiate between facts and opinions in a lecture or text
• understand the main ideas of propositionally and linguistically complex speech on both concrete and abstract topics

ORAL DISCUSSION AND PRESENTATION 

By the end of this course, students will be able to: 

• adjust to the changes of direction, style and emphasis normally found in conversation
• intervene appropriately in discussion, exploiting appropriate language to do so
• present and respond to complex lines of argument convincingly
• account for and sustain views clearly by providing relevant explanations and arguments
• answer follow-up questions with fluency and spontaneity 

Resources and Required Texts: 

A number of texts will be provided in PDF form or via links to online sources.  You should have your own copy of the following texts:  

• Perspectives: Academic Reading Skills and Practice by Marina Rozenberg https://global.oup.com/academic/product/perspectives-9780199009541?lang=en&cc=nl 

• LEAP 3 - Listening and Speaking by Dr. Ken Beatty https://www.pearsonerpi.com/en/elt/eap/leap-3-listening-and-speaking-book-etext-my-elab-student-12-months-138569 

Mode of delivery:

The majority of instruction and class time will be spent on-site. In-person delivery will include lectures, seminars, workshops, small group work and partner activities. Occasionally, students will attend alternative learning field trips to nearby destinations such as libraries, museums and cultural events to immerse themselves in the English language and apply skills learned in the classroom. Sessions can be divided into academic writing, critical listening and reading, and oral presentation and discussions, with skills overlapping when necessary or preferred at the discretion of instructors.  

Assessments:

Students will need 75% to continue on to the next level. Students will be assessed on graded completion of formative weekly tasks and assignments assigned at the discretion of their instructor. There will be two scheduled summative exams students will complete midway through and at the end of term. All exams and assignments are assessed according to rubrics and answer keys.

In addition to the midterm and final exams, grades will be based on a combination of the following, at the discretion of the course instructor(s). 

• Active participation in seminar work: this means that students are expected to contribute orally in the (possibly virtual) classroom meetings for the courses, which are called ‘seminars’. In-class contributions can include one or several of the following: responding to questions from the teacher, being active in small-group discussions with other students, demonstrating knowledge and  understanding of relevant pre-seminar materials.  
• Weekly tasks and assignments: these will be smaller assignments, completed either during or outside of class time, and are designed to evaluate focused skills such as note-taking, reading comprehension, or critical thinking.
• Written assignments: most commonly a writing task set by the teacher, to be completed by an individual student and submitted electronically by a  specified hand-in date and time).  Assignments may include academic reports, essays, and/or case studies.
• Peer-review – a student review of some work (often a writing assignment) by another student (peer).  Typically, this is a critical review where students assess in an objective way the merits of the work (its structure, language, the connection of ideas in the text), and not a personal response to the work where students simply explain, for example, what was liked or disliked.  
• Oral presentations – a sustained oral presentation on a specific topic, often given in the seminar classroom by an individual or a group to the teacher and fellow students (they can take the form of a  recorded audio-video or on-line film presentation depending on the task).  Presentation genres may include exposition, persuasion, or procedure.
  
  
  

Suggested Breakdown of Grading:

Overview:

Students in this level are proficient in both general and academic English and are able to deal with the majority of academic tasks. The focus of this level is to help students fine-tune their skills for their unique academic and career goals. The course will focus on critical thinking and analysis, peer and self-editing, nuanced grammatical structures, and strategies for continued academic success. This is an advanced Academic English course and will help students become more proficient in argumentation, exposition, and overall academic readiness.

Learning Outcomes:

ACADEMIC WRITING 

By the end of this course, students will be able to: 

• produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
• select an appropriate written formulation from a broad range of language
• self-correct with a high degree of effectiveness
• restate, evaluate and challenge contributions from academic texts
• qualify opinions and statements precisely in relation to degrees of, for example, (un)certainty, (dis)belief, likelihood, etc.

CRITICAL LISTENING AND READING 

By the end of this course, students will be able to: 

• scan quickly through several sources in parallel and identify the relevance and usefulness of sections for specific tasks
• take detailed and accurate notes during a lecture on a variety of topics
• understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning
• recognize a wide range of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms, appreciating register shifts.
• use contextual, grammatical, and lexical cues to infer attitude, mood and intentions 

 ORAL DISCUSSION AND PRESENTATION 

By the end of this course, students will be able to: 

• argue a formal position convincingly, responding to questions and comments fluently and spontaneously
• give clear, systematically developed presentations, with appropriate highlighting of significant points, and relevant supporting detail.
• evaluate problems, challenges, and proposals in a collaborative discussion in order to decide the way forward
• plan what is to be said and the means to say it, considering the effect on the recipient(s).
• adjust speech and the means of expressing it to the situation and the recipient and adopt a level of formality appropriate to the circumstances

Resources and Required Texts: 

A number of texts will be provided in PDF form or via links to online sources.  You should have your own copy of the following texts:  

• Perspectives: Academic Reading Skills and Practice by Marina Rozenberg https://global.oup.com/academic/product/perspectives-9780199009541?lang=en&cc=nl 

• LEAP 3 - Listening and Speaking by Dr. Ken Beatty https://www.pearsonerpi.com/en/elt/eap/leap-3-listening-and-speaking-book-etext-my-elab-student-12-months-138569 

 Mode of delivery:

The majority of instruction and class time will be spent on-site. In-person delivery will include lectures, seminars, workshops, small group work and partner activities. Occasionally, students will attend alternative learning field trips to nearby destinations such as libraries, museums and cultural events to immerse themselves in the English language and apply skills learned in the classroom. Sessions can be divided into academic writing, critical listening and reading, and oral presentation and discussions, with skills overlapping when necessary or preferred at the discretion of instructors.  

 Assessments:

Students will need 75% to continue on to the next level. Students will be assessed on graded completion of formative weekly tasks and assignments assigned at the discretion of their instructor. There will be two scheduled summative exams students will complete midway through and at the end of term. All exams and assignments are assessed according to rubrics and answer keys.

In addition to the midterm and final exams, grades will be based on a combination of the following, at the discretion of the course instructor(s). 

• Active participation in seminar work: this means that students are expected to contribute orally in the (possibly virtual) classroom meetings for the courses, which are called ‘seminars’. In-class contributions can include one or several of the following: responding to questions from the teacher,  being active in small-group discussions with other students, demonstrating knowledge and  understanding of relevant pre-seminar materials.  
• Weekly tasks and assignments: these will be smaller assignments, completed either during or outside of class time, and are designed to evaluate focused skills such as note-taking, reading comprehension, or critical thinking.
• Written assignments: most commonly a writing task set by the teacher, to be completed by an individual student and submitted electronically by a specified hand-in date and time).  Assignments may include academic reports, essays, and/or case studies.
• Peer-review – a student review of some work (often a writing assignment) by another student (peer).  Typically, this is a critical review where students assess in an objective way the merits of the work (its structure, language, the connection of ideas in the text), and not a personal response to the work where students simply explain, for example, what was liked or disliked.  
• Oral presentations – a sustained oral presentation on a specific topic, often given in the seminar classroom by an individual or a group to the teacher and fellow students (they can take the form of a recorded audio-video or on-line film presentation depending on the task).  Presentation genres may include exposition, persuasion, or procedure.
  
  
  

Suggested Breakdown of Grading: