United International College

English I (ENG 1011)

1. Course Aims

The course involves a careful instruction of English as both an academic subject and a foreign/second language. The course focuses on all four language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. It is also designed to enable students to study their major courses more effectively.

2. Course Content

The required textbook coverage is as follows: Liz and John Soars (2005). New Headway Upper-Intermediate. Oxford University Press, Units 1 - 6.

The students will breakdown and apply grammar patterns featured in those units. The essay writing tasks will require the students to employ established techniques to write 4 standard academic expository essays. For presentations the students will demonstrate established presentation techniques to produce an academic style presentation of their essay topic. Reading and listening tests will be conducted in the Listening Lab.

Club attendance will be required once a week, with instructors offering a range of foreign culture interest clubs. Students will complete reflective reports evaluating their club learning, and these reports will form part of the final course grade.

Interviews and essay consultation sessions will take place in the Writing Resources Centre (WRC) with ELC instructors.

3. Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs)

3.1. Analyze the content if reading and listening passages based on lifestyle matters.

3.2. Describe a culturally or socially important subject, event or idea in 4 expository essays.

3.3. Develop academic and personal ideas about club topics and express these ideas in club discussions and debates.

3.4. Apply upper-intermediate level grammar in formal individual presentations. The grammar focus includes the tense system; formal and informal language differentiation; expressions of quantity; modal verbs; and phrasal verb usage.

English II (ENG 1012)

1. Course Aims

Course objectives are aimed at developing and improving the four language skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking to a level appropriate for university study

2. Course Content

The required textbook coverage is as follows: Liz and John Soars (2005). New Headway Upper-Intermediate. Oxford University Press, Units 7- 12.

The overall aim of the course is to help students to express opinions, to argue, and to negotiate. To facilitate this aim, the following language areas will be focused on: Modal verbs; Relative pronouns and clauses; Phrasal verbs and idioms; Synonyms; metaphors; idioms; Word pairs and idioms; Relative pronouns and clauses; Adjectives and adverb collocations and Expressions for hypothesizing.

Language functions which relate to the course aims feature strongly in the course; these include: expressing arguments, opinions, probability and analyzing general facts.

3. Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs)

3.1. Analyze and explain content from listening and reading material based on news and current affairs.

3.2. Argue for and defend a given stance in writing.

3.3. Argue for and defend a given stance in a formal presentation.

3.4. Display teamwork, independent learning and good pronunciation through Choral Speaking events and Club discussions.

3.5. Explore, explain and identify grammatical rules.

English III (ENG 2011)

1. Course Aims

The course involves a careful instruction of English as both an academic subject and a foreign/second language, and is designed to enable students to study their major courses more effectively. The course outcomes are aimed at continuously improving the speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills of Year 2 students with a focus on Public Speaking skills.

2. Course content

The course comprises English language instruction with a concentration on public speaking and writing, reading and listening activities, designed to improve the students' overall language skills.

Public Speaking: Building confidence and poise; speaking to an audience; informal and formal presentations; articulation, pronunciation, and elocution.

Writing Effectively: Writing for clarity; essay introduction and thesis statement; supporting details and conclusion; unity, coherence, clarity, and conciseness; focus on cause and effect, and persuasive essays

Listening: Reflective listening and attentive listening

Reading: Increasing reading comprehension skills; SQ3R Method (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review)

Text(s) and materials include Philip Kerr & Ceri Jones (2007). Straightforward Limited (provided), relevant handouts (Teacher-prepared) and a good English college [paper] dictionary (recommended).

3. Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs)

3.1. Use proper speaking strategies to express themselves clearly, concisely and effectively in formal public speaking and in day-to-day communication.

3.2. Compose essays that are written in an academic tone and structured in a variety of styles.

3.3. Identify and use reading strategies in order to summarize and clarify main points in a written passage.

3.4. Demonstrate proficiency in listening by accurately interpreting listening exercises and identifying their main points.

English IV (ENG 2012)

1. Course Aims

The course involves a careful instruction of English as both an academic subject and a foreign/second language, and is designed to enable students to study their major courses more effectively. English IV is a continuation of writing and speaking objectives in English III, with different types of speaking activities and writing assignments. The course outcomes are aimed at continuously improving the speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills of Year 2 students with a focus on Public Speaking skills.

2. Course content

The course comprises English language instruction with a concentration on public speaking and writing, reading and listening activities, designed to improve the students' overall language skills. Grammar is taught within the necessary demands of clarity in writing.

Public Speaking: Devise methods of confidence and poise in speaking; adjust speeches for different audiences; perform both informal and formal presentations; use proper articulation, pronunciation, and elocution; employ effective body language and gestures when speaking; use correct grammar while speaking

Writing Effectively: Writing for clarity in essays; develop essays with adequate supporting information; write in different tones for different types of speeches; use correct grammatical structure; utilize unity, coherence, and conciseness; create effective process, argumentative, comparison and contrast, and definition essays

Listening: Use methods for active listening and comprehension

Reading: Increasing reading comprehension skills; adopt new vocabulary into speeches and writing

Text(s) and materials include Philip Kerr & Ceri Jones (2007). Straightforward Limited (provided), relevant handouts (Teacher-prepared) and a good English college [paper] dictionary (recommended).

3. Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs)

3.1. Adjust speaking methods and rhetoric for different types of speeches. Speak effectively both formally and informally. Demonstrate effective interview responses and questions.

3.2. Compose essays that are written in an academic tone and structured in a variety of styles

3.3. Identify and use reading strategies in order to summarize and clarify main points in a written passage.

3.4. Demonstrate comprehension of grammatical structure by using correct grammar in speaking, writing, and relevant grammar exercises

Note: all four courses bear three credits