Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia – UNAD - Vicerrectoría Académica y de Investigación - VIACI
School of Education
Course: English Conversation
Program: BA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Code: 551015
Course General Guideline
Learning Strategy:
In order to accomplish the course educational intentions, the learning strategy to be implemented is the Task – Based Approach. The TBA is related to specific
assignments that will enhance students’ cognitive processes of comprehension, meaningful production and interaction in the target language, with high standards of
fluency and accuracy. The strategy in the course gives account of the following phases: Pre-Knowledge and Recognition Stage, Fostering speaking skills through
interaction (Unit 1), Preparing to become an independent English user through CAE (Unit 2), Enhancing teamwork through a virtual learning community (Unit 3), and
the Final Speech.
Topic:
Pre-Knowledge and Recognition Course Stage
Weeks:
Two
Learning Strategy Phase:
Individual Activity
Date:
Assessment Stage:
February 8th – 21st
Pre-Knowledge and Recognition
Academic Products and Weight of
Individual Activity
1. Previous Knowledge Quiz:
In the Knowledge Setting,
download the following
document:
After reading the document
thoroughly, go to the Assessment
Setting and perform the quiz called
Pre-knowledge. This will be useful for
Leaver, Betty Lou, Madeline
you to activate your metacognitive
Ehrman, and Boris Shekhtman. strategies to strengthen fluency in the
"Epilogue: from here to there: foreign language.
attaining near-native
proficiency", Achieving Success
10 points
in Second Language
Acquisition. 1st ed. Cambridge.
Settings:
Initial
Collaborative Work*
Assessment and Collaborative
Academic Products and Weight of
Collaborative Activity
2. Video Creation
Individual video creation and publication of
Using your web cam or a video camera,
link of video posted in YouTube in the forum
make a 4-minute video to introduce yourself in the Collaborative Setting.
to peers and tutor and express your ideas
after reflecting on how to improve your
15 points
advanced English skills.
See the detailed activity guide in the forum:
“Pre-Knowledge Stage (Video presentation)”
in the Collaborative Setting.
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Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia – UNAD - Vicerrectoría Académica y de Investigación - VIACI
School of Education
Course: English Conversation
Program: BA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Code: 551015
Topic:
Unit 1 – Fostering speaking skills through interaction
Weeks:
Date:
Assessment Stage:
Settings:
Four
February 22nd to March 19th
Intermediate
Assessment and Collaborative
Learning Strategy Phase:
Fostering speaking skills through phrasal verbs, a synchronic debate about linguistic issues and a live workshop presentation for English native speakers.
Academic Products and Weight of
Academic Products and Weight of
Individual Activity
Collaborative Work*
Individual Activity
Collaborative Activity
1. Phrasal Verbs Quiz
In the knowledge setting,
download the sources related
to phrasal verbs.
Once you consider your knowledge
about phrasal verbs has improved, go
to the assessment setting and
perform the ten- question quiz called
phrasal verbs. It will help you to selfassess your advances in phrasal verbs,
whose management will enhance
your speaking skills.
10 points
2. Synchronic Debate: Controversial
linguistic issues
For this first collaboratively activity, you will
register in a Google Drive document in order
to participate in a synchronic debate by
web-conference to demonstrate your ability
to support your ideas about a controversial
topic, strengthening also your sociolinguistic
skills.
You must read previously the following
document, available in the Knowledge
Setting:
Leaver, Betty Lou, Madeline Ehrman, and
Boris Shekhtman. "Sociolinguistics: the right
expression", Achieving Success in Second
Language Acquisition. 1st ed. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2005. 172-182.
Cambridge Books Online.
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Participation in a synchronous debate
This activity begins with the registration on an
online spreadsheet that includes: date, hour,
topic, video, and link to access the webconference. For each of the proposed topics,
there is a video you should watch before the
debate. Likewise, you should have at least five
questions about the topic, based on the
video. On the set day, you must be ready to
support your ideas accurately and fluently. Do
not forget that you will need a good
microphone and speakers to be able to
participate. After the encounter, your tutor
will post the grade and feedback in the
Assessment Setting.
80 points
Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia – UNAD - Vicerrectoría Académica y de Investigación - VIACI
School of Education
Course: English Conversation
Program: BA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Code: 551015
Topic:
Unit 2 – Preparing to become an independent English user through CAE
Weeks:
Date:
Assessment Stage:
Four
March 19th to April 19th
Intermediate
Learning Strategy Phase:
Becoming an independent user of English through collocations and training for the CAE speaking module.
Academic Products and Weight of
Individual Activity
Collaborative Work*
Individual Activity
1. Collocations Quiz
In the Assessment Setting perform
Another of the aspects that will
the quiz called: Collocations to check
make your speaking smoother
your knowledge about their correct
is the accurate use of
use.
collocations. In the knowledge
10 points
environment get familiar with
collocations.
2. Interview: Certificate in Advanced
English Exam (Speaking module)
It is time to experience a CAE-kind interview
with your tutor and one or two peers. Get
familiar with the speaking module of this
test by accessing this resource in the
knowledge setting:
Cambridge English Language Assessment
(2013). How to prepare for Cambridge
English: Advanced (CAE).
Settings:
Assessment and Collaborative
Academic Products and Weight of
Collaborative Activity
Participation in an interview following the CAE
It is key you get familiar with four parts of CAE
speaking module. Your tutor will send you a
link to a Google Drive spreadsheet
registration for a personalized interview, with
one or two partners. The interview will be
held by Skype. It will last just 15 minutes, as a
real CAE speaking module. Use of web cam
and headphones is mandatory.
Your tutor will post the feedback and grade in
the Assessment Setting after the interview.
80 points
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Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia – UNAD - Vicerrectoría Académica y de Investigación - VIACI
School of Education
Course: English Conversation
Program: BA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Code: 551015
Topic:
Unit 3 – Enhancing teamwork through a virtual learning community
Weeks:
Nine
Learning Strategy Phase:
Individual Activity
Date:
Assessment Stage:
March 7th to May 6th
Intermediate
Enhancing teamwork through participation in LILE Online Virtual Community.
Academic Products and Weight of
Collaborative Work*
Individual Activity
1. Idioms Quiz
Once you consider your knowledge
The use of idioms is a good way
about idioms has improved
to improve your English
meaningfully, go to the assessment
speaking skills. In the
Knowledge Setting get involved environment and perform the tenquestion quiz called idioms. It will
with this topic.
help you to self-assess your advances
in this linguistic aspect.
Settings:
Assessment and Collaborative
Academic Products and Weight of
Collaborative Activity
2. Weekly Participation on LILE Online
Learning Community
Weekly Participation on LILE Online
Community
By the time you get to this activity, you
should have participated actively in at least
three encounters per month, for a total of at
least 8 encounters in the whole term.
Therefore, the 8 participations will sum up a
total of 160 points (20 points each)
The online learning community holds weekly
encounters, where different cultural topics
are discussed, which you should address
before each encounter. Encounters begin on
the first week of September and end around
the first week of November. Tuesdays and / or
Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.
10 points
160 points
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Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia – UNAD - Vicerrectoría Académica y de Investigación - VIACI
School of Education
Course: English Conversation
Program: BA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Code: 551015
Final Exam through POA in accordance with the learning strategy: A Live Speech through Web Conference
Weeks: Two
Date: May 16th – May 29th
Assessment Stage: Final
Academic Products and Weight of
Individual Activity
Collaborative Work
Individual Activity
For the final exam you will
prepare an 8-minute live
persuasive or argumentative
speech or presentation, where
you are to talk about a topic of
your interest by web
conference.
Pick an academic cultural,
political, or controversial issue
of your interest, and make a
research about it. Prepare a
speech 6 – 8 minutes long. You
can support your presentations
with visual aids if you wish, but
if so it must consist of
concepts, graphics or short
sentences; NO paragraphs to
be read. Remember that the
goal is to demonstrate how
fluently you can speak about a
topic of your interest. Example:
Persuasive speech: The best
way to learn English.
For the presentation it is mandatory the
use of web cam.
Subscribe for the encounter in the posted
link in the Assessment Setting task
assignment.
The presentations will be held in groups
of 6 students, where each one is to
present their topic while the others will
attend and ask questions by turns.
100 points
Setting: Assessment
Academic Products and Weight of
Collaborative Activity
The set day you must be ready not only to
make your speech and answer your peers’
questions, but also to listen attentively to
your partners’ speeches and ask questions
too.
25 points
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Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia – UNAD - Vicerrectoría Académica y de Investigación - VIACI
School of Education
Course: English Conversation
Program: BA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Code: 551015
*Guidelines for Collaborative Works
Activity Planning for Collaborative Works
Students’ Roles within Collaborative Groups
All activities in the Collaborative Work Setting should
imply the following stages to guarantee meaningful
learning.
Performance in collaborative works will be assessed at
the moment of synchronic encounters. Previous
preparation would be individual and students should
be very attentive to peers’ performance at the moment
of debates or interviews to provide help and feedback
if necessary.
1. Reading of didactic material (Knowledge
Setting) – First five days
2. Preparation of contributions for live
performance in debates, presentations, and
interviews – First five days
3. Subscription for live online encounter by
Skype or Web Conference – First two days –
For every Collaborative Work, a Google
Spreadsheet will be available with dates,
times, topics and links to access encounters.
Each student chooses the most suitable
schedule to participate in debates,
encounters or interviews.
4. Performance in live encounter by Skype or
Web Conference using web cam (debate or
interview) – Along the period of the activity.
Roles and Duties of Students during Live
Performances
Last step in collaborative works will be
performance in live encounters (debates,
interviews or presentations). Immediately after
each encounter, there will be a session for selfassessment and peer assessment. Your tutor will
provide feedback at that moment too in regards of
your skill to express and defend your ideas,
Sometimes encounters among groups will be necessary thoughts, and ask and answer questions to peers,
to prepare group live debates or conduction of
as well as over items (grammar, pronunciation,
encounters for basic English students in LILE program. fluency and accuracy).
As this is a conversation course, most activities are
developed through synchronic means to foster
speaking skills, so contributions in the collaborative
setting will not be held within asynchronic forums, but
by Skype and Web Conference, using microphone and
web cam.
Recommendations by English Conversation course professors:
First of all, to be successful in this course, students require a level of B2 according to CEFR. If this is not case, the course should be changed immediately by
another with the same number of credits. Apart from quizzes (four in total) and the activity in the tool Voice Thread (Practice Work – Unit 2), all activities imply
synchronic interaction by Skype and Web Conference. Before each activity, students must subscribe to the provided schedule posted in the forums previously.
The foundation of English Conversation is the access to the course on a constant regular basis to be aware and prepared for all synchronic and asynchronic
activities to be performed. One of the activities is the attendance to weekly encounters conducted by an English native speaker, every Thursday from 6:00 to 7:30
pm. You improve your speaking skills by constant speaking practice.
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Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia – UNAD - Vicerrectoría Académica y de Investigación - VIACI
School of Education
Course: English Conversation
Program: BA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Code: 551015
In regards of APA Rules, Spanish 3rd version (English 6th version translation)
As this is a conversation course, not written hand ins are necessary. Just at the moment of debates, for example, you should mention the author or
authors you are supporting your ideas on.
Políticas de plagio: ¿Qué es el plagio para la UNAD? El plagio está definido por el diccionario de la Real Academia como la acción de "copiar en lo
sustancial obras ajenas, dándolas como propias". Por tanto el plagio es una falta grave: es el equivalente en el ámbito académico, al robo. Un estudiante
que plagia no se toma su educación en serio, y no respeta el trabajo intelectual ajeno.
No existe plagio pequeño. Si un estudiante hace uso de cualquier porción del trabajo de otra persona, y no documenta su fuente, está cometiendo un acto
de plagio. Ahora, es evidente que todos contamos con las ideas de otros a la hora de presentar las nuestras, y que nuestro conocimiento se basa en el
conocimiento de los demás. Pero cuando nos apoyamos en el trabajo de otros, la honestidad académica requiere que anunciemos explícitamente el
hecho que estamos usando una fuente externa, ya sea por medio de una cita o por medio de un paráfrasis anotado (estos términos serán definidos más
adelante). Cuando hacemos una cita o un paráfrasis, identificamos claramente nuestra fuente, no sólo para dar reconocimiento a su autor, sino para que
el lector pueda referirse al original si así lo desea.
Existen circunstancias académicas en las cuales, excepcionalmente, no es aceptable citar o parafrasear el trabajo de otros. Por ejemplo, si un docente
asigna a sus estudiantes una tarea en la cual se pide claramente que los estudiantes respondan utilizando sus ideas y palabras exclusivamente, en ese
caso el estudiante no deberá apelar a fuentes externas aún, si éstas estuvieran referenciadas adecuadamente.
Para mayor información visitar el siguiente link:
http://datateca.unad.edu.co/contenidos/551015/Politica_de_Plagio_de_la_UNAD.pdf
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