Year I Practical English- conversation (speaking and listening) UAM Kalisz
YEAR OF STUDY : 1 Semester : 1 and 2
Assessment method : spoken exam- as an integral part of overall Practical English Exam at the end of the academic year
Type of course : practical classes intermediate/ advanced
Language of instruction: English Level of course: upper-
Objectives of the course : developing students’ speaking and listening skills, vocabulary usage, grammar in practice
Course aims:
The major objective of the course is to develop students’ speaking and listening skills. The course will focus on the following:
1.
Continuous development of fluency and coherence as well as situational appropriateness of spoken language as determined by proper style and register choice.
2.
Use of rich, varied and precise vocabulary and native-like use of idioms.
3.
Correct pronunciation and correct and sophisticated grammar are also in focus (though students take independent phonetics and grammar courses).
4.
Listening comprehension in terms of recognizing the gist and the types of spoken texts as well as understanding details. The development of listening comprehension skills is helped by the use of different (varied) kinds of recorded materials (e.g. informal and formal dialogues, speeches, TV programs, etc.).
Course description:
1.
Before every class students are obliged to read articles/other materials chosen by the teacher (and possibly by students) from coursebooks at FCE and CAE levels and other sources, including original published texts, of comparable difficulty.
2.
In class, students take part in pair and group conversation, discussions, debates, etc. related to the assigned reading and audio/video materials used in class, which are also employed to develop students’ listening skills. All these activities are designed by the instructor, who monitors them all and points out the most frequent mistakes and imperfections, and suggests ways of eliminating them.
3.
Students receive a detailed list of issues (NOT questions) discussed in class while covering every major topic.
The list shall be the starting point for the interview part (oral part) of the final Practical English exam and the mock exam. Students will receive the list for the 1st term by the end of the term and the list for the 2 nd
term by 15
May.
4.
Students are obliged to learn all the marked vocabulary in the assigned reading material. Students’ knowledge of the vocabulary is tested by a number of quizzes in which students define words and expressions given as well as provide their phonetic transcription, provide examples, fill in gaps, etc. (use of Polish is disallowed).
There are 10 topics, each of which shall be covered during 2 classes. The quizzes of about 15 min take place at the opening of every second class and cover the material prescribed for one relevant topic (articles vocab plus
O’Dell/McCarthy’s book)
5.
IMPORTANT!!! Additionally, in line with Regulamin Egzaminu z PNJA , students are required to learn, on an individual basis, all the vocabulary included in the assigned coursebooks. Their knowledge of this vocabulary will be tested by the final exam. The second year additional cooursebook is English Vocabulary in Use Upper-
intermediate by Felicity O'Dell and Michael McCarthy. However, its units whose topics are relevant to our general topics to be covered are also part of articles/ reading material vocab test.
6.
Towards the end of the first and second term students shall have a mock exam. It will take place during the last two classes of each term, and students will be evaluated according to the final Practical English exam criteria.
General topics to be covered
1.
Environment
2.
Health
3.
Crime
4.
Family
5.
Traveling
6.
The Supernatural
7.
Intelligence
8.
Personality
9.
Stereotypes
10. Entertainment

Credit requirements
1.
Good preparation for and active participation in classes.
2.
60 % of vocabulary tests is passed.
3.
Mock exam passed.
4.
Class attendance- you are allowed to miss ONLY two classes per semester for whatever the reason
(doctor’s leave, overslept, sick and tired because of other reasons), if you miss more you will be required to make-up for the additional absences (extra paragraph homework) [we make allowances for unpredictable diseases and uncontrollable calamities or other natural disasters]
Vocabulary books
McCarthy, M. and O’Dell, F. 2002. English Vocabulary in Use . Advanced .
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
McCarthy, M. and O’Dell, F. 2001. English Vocabulary in Use . Upper-intermediate.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
O'Dell, F. and McCarthy, M. 2008. English Collocations in Use. Advanced.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
McCarthy, M. and O'Dell, F. 2002. English Idioms in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
McCarthy, M. and O'Dell, F. 2005. English Collocations in Use. Intermediate.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Vince, M. 2009. First Certificate Language Practice.
Oxford: Macmillan Education.
Vince, M. and Sunderland, P. 2004 .Advanced Language Practice . Oxford: Macmillan
Education.
Wellman, G. 1992. The Heinemann ELT English Wordbuilder . Oxford: Heinemann.