ENGLISH ORAL COMMUNICATION
Instructor:
Wei-fung Tso
Office Hours: Mon
8-10
Tues
8-noon
Office: 6F32
Phone: 86746632
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course is designed to improve advanced EFL students’ oral communication skills by
focusing on:
1.
listening skills: comprehension of main ideas and important details; understanding
of speaker’s purpose and attitude; understanding spoken data in order to make
inferences, form generalization, and draw conclusion
2.
speaking skills: expressing ideas and opinions clearly; selecting, organizing and
presenting information spontaneously; summarizing main ideas from various
sources
3.
pronunciation: English sound articulation, stress, rhythm, grouping
(pausing, linking, focus) and intonation
4.
vocabulary expansion: vocabulary-building strategies and idiomatic English
5.
discourse strategies: using proper forms of language to perform social functions
in various contexts
TEXTBOOK:
Saslow & Aschser. (2006) Summit 1. Longman.
CLASS ACTIVITIES:
Class activities include:
1. a variety of listening exercises, such as spoken materials on DVDs and Internet websites
2. lectures and discussions on the sound system of American English and features of spoken
English
3. pair work and small group activities on oral communication skills
COURSE REQUIREMANT:
1. Online listening assignment
Students are required to go to Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab (http://www.esl-lab.com)
to listen to one online lesson per week and hand in a written report on the listening
assignment every week.
2. Reading assignment & Homework
There will be reading assignments for every class meeting. Students should finish the
assigned readings before class and share their views on the readings with the rest of
the class. Homework will take various forms, such as watching a video clip or doing
research on a topic. All homework must be done before due days.
2. In-class discussions and activities
A considerable amount of class time will be allocated to pair/group discussions and
activities. Students must be well-prepared and participate actively in the discussions
and activities.
4. Attendance
Regular attendance and punctuality is expected from all students.
GRADING
Weekly online listening assignment
Reading assignments
Discussions and activities
Quizzes
Final Exam
Attendance
30%
10%
10%
20%
10%
20%