Khazar University
Department of English Language and Literature
Course Syllabus
Academic Language Skills (Humanities)
ENGL 218-H
Fall Semester, 2013
Instructor: Yegana Balamedova
Course Description
This class is designed to improve students’ academic language skills in written and spoken English.
Through taking notes, writing reviews, doing mini research projects, they will learn how to organize
arguments and review points of English grammar that still challenge them. In addition, they will work on
developing oral skills needed in a variety of academic contexts, i.e., group discussions, debates, and
presentations
Number of credits: 3
Number of hours per week: 6
Pre-requisites
ENGL 103
Course Objectives
- to equip students with the English language skills required for the successful undertaking of academic
studies with a primary emphasis on academic speaking and listening skills.
- to provide guidance and practice in basic general and classroom conversation and to engage in specific
academic speaking activities.
- to improve comprehensibility through pronunciation improvement
- to practice and improve general and academic listening skills
- to strengthen students' abilities to monitor and evaluate their own English language progress, initiate
self-improvement, and develop compensatory language skills as required
- to foster self-confidence and a positive attitude toward language learning generally
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students are expected to
- comprehend and practice the vocabulary used in academic speech and writing regardless the
discipline the students are concerned with.
- understand and deal with the vocabulary used in academic textbooks and articles as well as in
lectures and seminars.
- take notes at lectures, make a summary using the notes
- summarize or integrate information without plagiarism; paraphrase
- understand and describe graphs, charts, diagrams
- make reviews of articles, books and research papers
- understand the basics of research in various academic disciplines
produce a coherent well-organized piece of written work with the correct layout
- conduct a survey or undertake a research and present their findings.
-
acquire evaluative reading skills
think critically about the given topic
Texts
Headway Academic Skills: Reading, Writing, and Study Skills Levels 1 and 2, Sarah Philpot & Lesley Curnick,
2011.
Lecture Ready 1&2. Peg Sarosy & Kathy Sherak, 2007
Academic Listening. Life in Society, Kim Sanabria (optional), 2004
Writing Research Papers, Dorothy E. Zemach, Daniel Broudy, Chris Volvona, 2013 (reprinted)
Academic Encounters. Life in Society, Kristine Brown & Susan Hood, 2004
Academic Vocabulary in Use, Michael McCarthy & Felicity (optional), 2008
*Students will not be requested to purchase all the above given textbooks but rather use the printed materials
prepared by the instructor as a compilation file along with listening worksheets.
Course Policies
Attendance (Lateness): It is important absences can be detrimental to one’s grade due to the
number of class activities (presentations, and class participation) and complexity of the subject.
In case the students is late for more than ten minutes after the beginnings of lessons, he/she will
be marked as absent.
Class participation: For every three unexcused absences, one (1) point will be deducted from
the grade point average. More than 20% of absences during the course is excessive. Free
participation is discouraged.
Missed exams or assignments: A notification should be given in advance if the student is
unable to attend the scheduled presentation or test. Full class participation and completion of
assigned homework are necessary.
Academic Dishonesty: Any plagiarism while studying will be severely penalized (by a non-pass
for the course). Reference should be given to the sources used in the work. However, any
research paper consisting of references and citations only, without further analysis by the student,
will not be acceptable either. Cheating during the tests will be penalized likewise.
Presentations: Topics of presentations/project papers will be pre-determined by the instructor.
Free presentations/paper topics, presentations in cooperation with other students are allowed if
pre-agreed with the instructor. Presentations will be graded according to certain stages of work
(submitting of draft plan, submitting of script, overall presentation) and delivered two times –
before the mid-term and final examinations.
In class regulations: With exception of plain drinking water, no food or beverages (including
chewing gums) are allowed during the classes. Students are not allowed to use their mobile
phones for making phone calls, texting and surfing internet (unless the instructor has given
specific assignment).
Teacher evaluation: In the end of the course (possibly even twice during the whole semester)
the students will be requested to evaluate their teacher's work and encouraged to take it seriously
as their evaluation can help with further developments in the given subject.
Grading
Course grades will be based on daily work, classroom participation, attendance, homework, objective and
subjective quizzes and exams, presentations and research.
Grading scheme
Performance
Midterm
1. Exams – 55%
Midterm exam – 25 %
2. Oral participation– 15%
Class discussions (debates)– 5%
Final
Final exam – 30%
Group presentations – 5%
Individual presentations – 5%
3. Portfolio – 10 %
Writing assignments – graph and chart descriptions, paragraphs,
essays, summaries, research papers, etc.
4. Quizzes 20%
2 quizzes - 5% each
2 quizzes - 5% each
Total - 100 %
Course Content Schedule
WEEKS
1.
TOPICS
Sources
Introduction to the course.
Setting study goals in academic English. Focusing on
academic study. Reading and writing in academic English.
Studying independently on an academic English course.
2.
- Student life
Ways of reading.
Headway Ac. Skills
Unit 1
Writing about people. Linking ideas - sequencing words.
Review of paragraph and essay writing principles.
3.
-Daily routines
Headway Ac. Skills
Predicting content. Skimming.
Unit 2
Writing about routine and procedure.
- The pace of a place (listening class)
Lecture Ready 1 –
Listening for details. Paraphrasing the material heard. pp.12-33
Thinking critically about the topic.
4.
- People and the environment
Headway Ac. Skills
Scanning – using headings. Guessing the meaning of new Unit 3
words.
Writing about study habits.
Lecture Ready 1 –
- Global business: the case of MTV (listening class)
pp. 34-43
Recognize other lecture language that signals the big
picture of a lecture. Use an informal outline to take notes.
Express interest and ask for elaboration during a
discussion.
Quiz 1
5.
-
Cities of the world
Headway Ac. Skills
Looking at data – tables, charts and graphs. Getting facts from Unit 8
a text – using headings to help you find information.
Writing about cities.
-
Communications Revolutions
Lecture Ready 1.
Recognize lecture language that signals a definition. Use pp. 56-65
abbreviations instead of full words in notes. Interpret and
ask for clarification during a discussion.
6.
-
Staying alive
Using reference to understand a text. Focusing on statistics.
Writing about statistics. Words and phrases - language to
describe tables, charts, and graphs. Linking ideas – on the
other hand, as a result, also.
How Sleep Affects Thinking.
Recognizing lecture language that signals an example. Using
a visual form in your notes. Agree and disagree during
discussion. Writing a summary for the lecture.
7.
8.
Unit 10
Lecture Study 1.
pp. 68-77
Quiz 2
-
Group Presentations
-
Instructor's feedback on summary and conclusion
writing.
-
Review for the midterm exam.
-
Students' Evaluation (optional).
MIDTERM EXAM
-Architecture
9.
Headway Ac. Skills.
Making notes from study (intensive) reading.
Writing about buildings.
Headway Ac. Skills.
Unit 4
-
Marketing: Gender and Spending
Recognizing lecture language that signals the topic and big Lecture Ready 2.
picture of a lecture. Writing down key words and ideas from pp. 2-11.
the lecture. Entering a discussion about the ideas in the
lecture.
10
- Education
Headway Ac. Skills
Predicting content – using the title and the first few sentences. Unit 5
Linking ideas – expressing contrast – however
11
-
Technology
Headway Ac. Skills
Getting information from the websites: skimming and Unit 6
scanning to find useful information. Getting extra
information from diagrams and pictures. Writing a
description of a device. Giving examples – supporting
definitions with examples.
Quiz 3
12
-
Food, drink and culture
Headway Ac. Skills
Topic sentences – using a topic sentence to help Unit 7
understanding. Writer's opinion – identifying the writer's
opinion.
Linking ideas – in addition, and, etc - and avoiding repetition
by using pronouns
-
Science and please: choosing What We Eat.
Lecture Ready 2.
Recognize lecture language that signals an example. Organize pp. 46-55
key lecture material in visual form. Agree and disagree during
a discussion.
13
- Brain power
In other words – using pronouns and synonyms to avoid Headway Ac. Skills
repetition. Making notes – organizing notes.
Unit 9
Writing a summary – summarizing the main points of a text
- Unique solution to pollution.
Lecture Ready 2.
Recognize lecture language that signals an explanation. pp.56-65
Describe the graphics used in a lecture. Support your opinion
during a discussion.
14
- Global english
Lecture Ready 2.
Review and practice of all listening strategies. Review and pp. 100-109
practice of all note-taking strategies. Bringing a group to a
consensus during a discussion.
15
16
Quiz # 4
-
Individual presentations
-
Review of Essay Writing
-
Review of Note-taking, Conclusion Writing
-
Overall Review for the Final Exam.
-
Students' Evaluation
FINAL EXAM