With a wide range of classroom activities and exercises, this one-year course is designed to enhance the English skills and proficiency of first-year NCHU undergraduates. The lecturer will guide participants through a wealth of English learning resources and authentic materials dealing with the following topics: 1) The Art of Public Speaking 2) Travel 3) Environmental Pollution 4) New Media and 5) Food.
In order to facilitate learning and classroom discussion, students are required to complete listening and reading assignments before coming to class. Every week, they will have to take quizzes, speak English both in small groups and in front of the class, and engage in a series of writing tasks.
A communicative approach which emphasizes teacher-student interaction is adopted, though attention is also paid to familiarize students with the complex sentence structure and grammar of the English language as well as common English expressions used in a variety of topics and daily-life situations.
Grades
35% participation (3 minute-talk 5%; group presentations 10%; class participation 15%; writing task 5%) 20% attendance (attendance 10%, quizzes 10%)
45% exams (Freshman English Test 5%; Midterm20%; Final 20%)
>3 minute-talk: You will have to give an individual 3 minute-speech on any topic of your
choice. For each week, 2-3 students will take turns presenting.
>Group presentation: 2 group presentations on the selected films and readings.
>Class participation: I will give points based on your speaking frequency during the in-class activities
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0= didn’t speak 1-5= spoke only a few times 6-10= made a few comments 12-15=talked a lot |
0= didn’t speak 1 = ass d a question
2= made a few comments 3=talked a lot
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Absences
>Sickness: If you can’t come to class because you’re sick, please show me your doctor’s notes in the next class. You will need to show me absent notes approved by the university on the day of a quiz or test; otherwise, your absence will be unexcused. Each class absence will drop 1 point off your final grade.
>Tardiness: You should come to class on time. If you arrive late after I take attendance, you will be marked absent.
>Other reasons: Please discuss them with me beforehand.
Course Objectives: At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Speaking: -speak more confidently and fluently about various topics
-speak with fewer simple grammar mistakes
- Reading -improve reading skills -become familiar with different genres of English materials
- Vocabulary -increase vocabulary, especially vocabulary related to the topics in online English materials and selected readings
- Grammar -improve usage of already-learned grammar in writing and speaking
- Listening -improve listening for both main ideas and details on a variety of topics
- Writing -learn to describe their daily life, events and stories in short paragraphs
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Dates |
Topics |
Selected Readings |
Speaking/Writing Tasks |
Audio Programmes |
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Week 1 22/2 (M) |
Meet and Greet |
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Introduction |
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Week 1 24/2 (W)
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Meet and Greet |
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What I did during the winter break |
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Week 2 1/3 (M) |
Holiday
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Week 2 3/3(W) |
The Art of Public Speaking |
Reading Article 1 Suzanne Bearne’s ‘How to crush stage flight and become a master in public speaking’ |
In-Class activity: Speak about your experience of public speaking |
Quiz 1 Does Pronunciation Matter? |
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Week 3 8/3 (M) |
The Art of Public Speaking |
Reading Article 1 Suzanne Bearne’s ‘How to crush stage flight and become a master in public speaking’ |
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Week 3 10/3 (W) |
The Art of Public Speaking |
Reading Article 2 Gaby Hinsliff: ‘How to be Heard’ |
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Quiz 2 Learn a thousand foreign words |
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Week 4 15/3 (M) |
The Art of Public Speaking |
Watch the film The King’s Speech |
Writing Task 1: Write a 200-word film review (Deadline: 7/4 ) |
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Week 4 17/3 (W) |
Continue to watch The King’s Speech |
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Week 5 22/3 (M)
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Film Discussion |
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Group Presentation on The King’s Speech |
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Week 5 24/3 (W) |
Film Discussion
Travel |
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Continue the Group Presentation
In-Class activity: Speak about your experience of traveling |
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Week 6 29/3 (M)
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Travel |
Reading Article 3 Ted Talk: Pico Iyer’s ‘Where is home?’ |
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Week 6 31/3 (W)
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Travel |
Reading Article 3 Ted Talk: Pico Iyer’s ‘Where is home?’ |
Tedtalk Discussion |
Quiz 3: Should tourists go to Antarctica? |
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Week 7 5/4(M) |
Holiday |
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Week 7 7/4 (W) |
Environmental Pollution |
Reading Article 4 Paul Bogard’s ‘Let there be Dark’ |
In-Class activity: Speak about issues of environmental pollution Deadline for Writing Task 1 |
Quiz 4: Is there more of the world to explore? |
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Week 8 12/4 (M) |
Environmental Pollution |
Reading Article 4 Paul Bogard’s ‘Let there be Dark’ |
Reading Discussion |
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Week 8 14/4 (W) |
Writing Diagnosis/Debate |
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Quiz 5: plastic pollution |
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Week 9 19/4 (M) |
Mid-Term Week |
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21/4(W) |
Mid-Term |
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Week 10 26/4 (M) |
New Media |
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In-Class Activity: Speak about cyber bullying |
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Week 10 28/4 (W) |
New Media |
Reading Article 5 ‘The price of shame’ by Monica Lewinsky |
Tedtalk Discussion
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Quiz 6 ‘The fame game’
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Week 10 29/4 (T)
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Freshman English Test |
The test will take place at the Language Centre from 16:00~18:00. |
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Week 11 3/5(M) |
New Media |
Reading Article 5 ‘The price of shame’ by Monica Lewinsky |
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Week11 5/5(W) |
New Media |
Reading Article 5 ‘The price of shame’ by Monica Lewinsky |
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Quiz 7: ‘Bullying or normal competition’ |
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Week 12 10/5 (M) |
Watch the Film Before the Flood |
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Week 12 12/5(W) |
Watch the Film Before the Flood |
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Quiz 8: Air ‘Pollution in China’ |
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Week 13 17/5(M) |
Before the Flood |
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Group Presentation |
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Week 13 19/5(W) |
Before the Flood |
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Group Presentation |
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Week 14 24/5(M) |
Teaching by TA |
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Week 14 26/5(W) |
Food
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Reading Article 7 Tom Parker Bowles’ ‘How Taiwan Became The Hottest Food Destination On Earth’ (2015) |
In-Class Activity: Speak about Food
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Quiz 9: ‘Brazilian Food’ |
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Week 15 31/5 (M) |
Food |
Reading Article 7 Tom Parker Bowles’ ‘How Taiwan Became The Hottest Food Destination On Earth’ (2015) |
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Week 15 2/6(W) |
Food |
Reading Article 7 Tom Parker Bowles’ ‘How Taiwan Became The Hottest Food Destination On Earth’ (2015) |
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Quiz 10 ‘Cycling for Food’ |
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Week 16 7/6(M) |
Food |
Reading Article 8 Tedtalk: Jamie Oliver’s ‘Teach Every Child About Food’ |
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Week 16 9/6(W) |
Food |
Reading Article 8 Tedtalk: Jamie Oliver’s ‘Teach Every Child About Food’ |
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Week 17 14/6(M) |
Holiday |
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Week 17 16/6 (W) |
Debate
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Week 18 21/6 (M) |
Final Week |
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Week 18 23/6 (W) |
Final Exam |
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Note: all quizzes are held at the start of the class.
(M): Monday
(W): Wednesday
