Course Name: Academic English 1-3

Course Code: S2113001

Semester: 1

Credit:2(each semester)

Program: All

Course Module: Language & Social Science

Responsible: ShiyuYin

E-mail: yinshiyu@tju.edu.cn

Department: School of Foreign Languages and Literature, Tianjin University

Time Allocation(1 credit hour = 45 minutes)

Course Description

This course is to train students in English listening comprehension and speaking skills at an advanced level. It is not an English conversation class; it is designed for students who are relatively comfortable with the complex grammatical structures of English and with casual conversation.

Prerequisite

Not required.

Course Objectives

The course provides practice in four main areas:

Ÿ Various kinds of oral interactions, including impromptu speaking, job interviews, research presentations, and dynamic teaching, for which students/graduates will be responsible in their careers,

Ÿ The idiomatic English associated with such communication,

Ÿ Accurate pronunciation, stress and intonation patterns in English, and to

Ÿ Critical listening skills for professional contexts.

Course Syllabus

It is designed to improve academic language skills in written and spoken English. Through writing short essays and memos, students will learn how to organize arguments and review points of English grammar that still challenge students. In addition, students will work on developing oral skills needed in a variety of academic contexts, i.e., group discussions, debates, and presentations.

Students will be responsible for a variety of spoken communication tasks. Such factors will be considered as effective message structure, gestures and facial expressions, common idiomatic expressions associated with particular contexts, successful Q & A sessions, useful visual aids, and interpretation of rapid speech. The influence of national- and micro-cultures on communication norms will also be considered. Students will learn how to evaluate their performances, as well as their peers.

We will use some class time to work on common problems in English pronunciation, stress and intonation. In addition, each student will have a personal lab program to address individual pronunciation and listening comprehension problems.

Although our primary focus is spoken communication, you will also learn about effective memo writing and be responsible for handing in occasional memos for a variety of purposes.

Textbooks & References

Ÿ Alley, Michael.The Craft of Scientific Presentations: Critical Steps to Succeed and Critical Errors to Avoid. New York, NY: Springer, 2007. ISBN: 9780387955551.

Ÿ Meyers, Colleen, and Sheryl Holt.Pronunciation for Success. Aspen Productions.

Ÿ Mattock, Arthur.The Torch or the Firehouse: A Guide for Section Teaching.

Grade Distribution

The point value (for a total of100 points) of each assignment follows:

Capability Tasks

CT1: To understand basic science, and to have analytical ability and the ability to integrate related knowledge.

CT9: To be competent for a job position in a company and have a good career path; To have sense of responsibility, teamwork spirit, cooperation and leadership capacity, project management capacity, and capacity of communicating and working with experts and non-experts, and carry out innovation management.

CT10: To have the capacity to work in international environment; the capability to master one or more foreign languages and be open to foreign cultures; be able to acclimatize themselves to the international language environment.

Achievements

Ÿ Proficient in English skills in academic reading and writing. –Level: M

Students: Computer science, Year 1