Course Description
This course is the first level in a series for students who wish to upgrade their conversational skills in order to continue their education or improve their employment opportunities. Exercises will help students initiate and respond appropriately to communication in a variety of routine settings. The conversation practice will also provide an opportunity for language skill development, including grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary, as well as for pronunciation improvement.
Course Content
Listening
- To follow conversations and discussions, informal reports and talks, and instructions
- Use appropriate course technology to complete assignments.
Speaking
To participate in conversations and discussions
- Listen and contribute actively
- Use language functions, including the following:
- ask for information
- describe, and narrate
- explain and clarify
- express interests and preferences
- request/offer advice, suggestions, or assistance
- request/give permission
- express thanks
- express apologies
- express compliments
- Use gambits (short expressions used to open, close and extend conversation)
- Prepare and give informal reports and talks
- Dialogues/Roleplays
- Presentations
- Prepare information
- Prepare outline
- Organize ideas logically
- Use effective eye contact, body language and vocal delivery
- Use pronunciation elements appropriately (word stress, sentence/question stress, linking, phrasing)
- Recognize their own influence within interpersonal communication.
- Identify effective and ineffective communication.
- Manage communication anxiety effectively.
Reading and Writing
To prepare for, support, and extend listening and speaking
- Follow written assignment instructions
- Recognize topic, main ideas, key details
- Follow sequences of information and ideas
- Use simple context clues, (e.g., definitions)
- Write notes, messages, short reports and complete forms and assignments.
- Use notes for speaking tasks (e.g., informal presentations)
Accuracy (oral and written)
For explicit instruction and evaluation
- Tenses: simple present, simple past, present continuous, simple future
- Time markers and phrases
- Place prepositions
- Modals used for polite questions, requests, permission and ability
- Numbers – cardinals and ordinals
- Plurals
- Basic word stress, sentence/question stress, linking and phrasing
- Question formation
- Word order
Classroom Skills
Take responsibility for the following:
- attendance and punctuality
- class work and assignments
- participation and teamwork
Learning Activities
The instructor will facilitate, observe and evaluate students’ participation in communicative activities. Whole and small group instruction will be combined with individual assistance and student directed learning. Students will participate in the setting of goals by identifying their communicative and language development needs, and will participate in the selection of learning activities.
Means of Assessment
- Complete assigned skill development tasks. These could include:
- dictations and dictocomps (retelling of a story)
- speaking tapes and/or videos (e.g., responses to instructor questions; monologues)
- activities in pronunciation elements
- journal entries and/or contact assignment worksheets
- Identify topic, main idea, details in conversations, reports, talks, and instructions
- Participate in pair, group, and class conversation and discussion activities.
- Complete listening and speaking activities. These could include:
- leaving telephone messages (name and number)
- conducting telephone conversations with classmates
- obtaining simple information about College resources or procedures by phone or in person (e.g., hours of operation)
- interviewing a College student
- obtaining information about community center activities by phone or in person
- interviewing a member of the community (e.g., a neighbor, teacher, or church member)
- Plan and carry out at least one partner/group project. These could include:
- planning a trip
- planning a party
- making a video
- Give at least two short talks to a small group or instructor. These could:
- a talk about a favorite object or pastime
- a report about an event
- an explanation about how to do something (e.g., register on-line) or use something (e.g., a video camera)
- a set of map directions
- a story or a joke
- a summary of a TV show or a movie
- Complete oral and written tasks to a specified level of accuracy
- Complete quizzes both content and skill based
- Complete at least one self-assessment of learning strategies, progress, and classroom skills to be discussed with the instructor
This is a Mastery Graded course.
Learning Outcomes
Overall Objective
Extend fluency and confidence in communicating for a range of personal, educational and/or employment purposes.
Specific Objectives
- Understand topic, main ideas and key details in simple contexts (e.g., conversations and discussions, informal reports and talks, instructional situations)
- Communicate adequately in simple contexts (as above) in culturally-appropriate ways, on relevant and practical topics using appropriate language functions
- Speak comprehensibly but with some hesitations and global errors in language use
- Read to prepare for, support, and extend listening and speaking skills and expand vocabulary
- Write with a specified level of accuracy to extend listening and speaking skills
- Monitor and apply strategies to a specified level of accuracy in grammar, sentence structure, word choice, and pronunciation elements.
- Assess progress
- Participate effectively in a college classroom
- Develop awareness of differences in interaction within personal, social and cultural activities.
- Demonstrate self-awareness in group situations.
- Recognize how personal rights and social responsibilities affect occupational and personal life.
Textbook Materials
Students may be required to purchase textbooks and/or audio materials.