Coursebook: 2011/2012 Syllabus
Freshmen 1BA and 1AA, Blocks A-D
Teacher: Ms. Janna Scheflen
janna.scheflen@bilgym.sk
Overview of the Coursebook class for Freshmen:
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We will go through the Coursebook text (at least to Unit 11) and cover all material.
We will practice listening and speaking through classroom activities.
We will read short texts and practice writing our own short texts.
We will review (when possible) and go on to learn new grammatical structures in English.
We will work together to communicate accurately and fluently together in English.
Objectives:
- Improve confidence and fluency when speaking
- Improve comprehension when listening
- Improve range of vocabulary and grammatical accuracy (based on the materials in the
Coursebook) when speaking and writing
- Improve speed, comprehension and summarization skills when reading English texts
- Learn new skills and methods for vocabulary learning
Materials:
McKinlay, Stuart, and Bob Hastings. Success: Intermediate Students’ Book. Pearson Longman, 2007.
Assessment:
o Class participation and short daily homework: 20%
This includes class discussions, group work, preparation for class, and short homework
assignments. If it becomes necessary, this may include pop quizzes.
o Homework, projects and writing assignments: 20%
There will be a project assigned for each Block and also an ongoing glossary project for the
whole year, which will be checked and marked each Block. This also includes short writing
assignments for each Unit.
o Quizzes: 25%
Quizzes (oral/written) will be given each Unit (3-4 per Block), scheduled in advance.
o Tests: 35%
There will be at least 2 tests in each Block. You will know the date in advance.
Requirements:
- All students must come to class prepared (with homework, textbooks and notebooks, and
having read all necessary materials) and participate in class.
- All assessments must be completed on time. Late assignments have a 10% penalty per day.
- Students must work together equally on group projects, and must complete individual
assignments on their own.
- I recommend that all students have access to good bilingual and monolingual dictionaries
(not on the internet). Students may not use Google Translate or similar programs when
working on class material.
- Students who are ill or miss class are responsible to contact the teacher to submit
assignments on time. Students must contact classmates for notes or homework, and have
three class days to make up all work. Later work will not be accepted.
- Students must keep a binder or folders to keep all papers and notes organized.
Freshmen Coursebook: 2011/2012 Assignments
Teacher: Ms. Janna Scheflen (janna.scheflen@bilgym.sk)
Glossary Project (Blocks A-D):
Throughout the year, all students will work on preparing a glossary. Each student must have
a notebook just for the glossary. I recommend an A5 blank (no lines) notebook for this. The
glossaries will be checked during the test periods in each block.
The purpose of the glossary project is to practice word associations and develop new ways
to connect previous vocabulary with new vocabulary using a variety of learning styles.
In each Block, students must produce about one set of vocabulary for each week (Block A =
7, B = 8, C=8, D=7). Vocabulary sets can be mapped using charts, graphs, webs, diagrams or they can
be drawn, used to label pictures, illustrated, or they can be in list form. However, all sets of
vocabulary must have a definite theme or connection.
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An excellent glossary will use creativity and a variety of methods and styles (at least three
different styles per Block) to help make word connections. It will contain words that we did
not study directly in class (words from other classes, from outside reading, or from dictionary
study), including words that the student has learned in previous classes (to make connections
between past learning and new vocabulary). It will unite vocabulary from different lessons
during the quarter. It will be revised throughout the Block, not just before the glossary is due.
An adequate glossary will include at least three different styles of vocabulary presentation. It
will include some additional vocabulary that is not from our class textbook.
An inadequate glossary will only have lists or maybe one labeled picture. It will have lots of
Slovak translation instead of drawing on previous English language knowledge.
Block A project:
The project for Block A will be a group project about communication and technology.
Groups must have 3 or 4 members.
Each member must interview family members (parents, grandparents, and older siblings)
about their experiences with technology. Find out what kinds of communication technologies they
can remember using and when they started (or stopped) using that kind of technology. We will
brainstorm in class about the specific kinds of technology.
Then each group must make a timeline together which shows the spread of those kinds of
technologies. It must be visually creative and clearly plot (place) the different years and kinds of
technology (and places, if it tells about different parts of Slovakia). It must have correct English
vocabulary and grammar. The timeline must be A3 size or bigger.
Groups must present their timelines to the class briefly (3-4 minutes), explaining their design
choices and the results of their “research”. All group members must participate in all parts of the
project! Group members who do not appear to have fully participated will receive lower marks than
other members of the same group.