Sophomore English Guidelines
September 2015 - June 2016
Language Center
語言教學中心
College of Foreign Languages and Cultures
Soochow University
(http://www.scu.edu.tw/language/index.htm)
Sophomore English for Non-English Majors
Soochow University
2015-2016
I. General Goals of Sophomore English for Non-English Majors
This course is designed to help students better understand spoken and written English and to
express themselves confidently, accurately, and fluently in both speaking and writing in English.
Students are required to demonstrate their ability in passing the English Proficiency Test,
especially designed for Soochow University students after completing Sophomore English. In
compliance with the Ministry of Education’s policy of assessing students’ English abilities, an
important goal is to help Soochow University students meet the requirement for graduation –
passing GEPT (General English Proficiency Test) Intermediate second stage test (全民英檢中級
複試).
II. Administrative structure of the Sophomore English Program
A. Duties of Sophomore English teachers:
a. Required to attend Sophomore English meetings.
b. Be responsible for showing professionalism toward students and teaching duties (arriving in
class on time, making up missed classes, giving valid test questions for mid-term and final
exams and proctoring examinations.)
c. Clearly specify the guidelines for evaluation, dates for the exams, lessons to be covered,
ways of giving assignments as well as all the other details in their syllabi.
d. Proctor midterm and final exams of their own classes.
e. To give presentations or workshops on ESL/EFL teaching at the request of the Center.
B. Coordinators
We have one Head Coordinator and three Level Coordinators for each of the three levels of
Sophomore English. There is one specific TA in the Language Center who works for this
program. Should your contact information changes, please update your information with TA.
She will need it to contact you for important matters. Please also let her know the best time to
contact you.
Level 1 Coordinator (advanced)
趙佳音 Grace
gracec@scu.du.tw
Level 2 Coordinator (intermediate)
邱美和 Sylvia
sylvia@scu.edu.tw
Level 3 Coordinator (low-intermediate)
劉凱莉 Carey
liukl@scu.edu.tw
Head Coordinator
江逸琳 Belinda
belindajiang@scu.edu.tw
Teaching Assistant (TA)
鮑芃綺 Angie (# 6466)
angie@scu.edu.tw
During the spring/fall semesters, the level coordinators will create the test timetable for the
upcoming semester. The teaching assistant will then give the teachers the test timetable at the end of
each semester. Please refer to your test timetable for the names and contact information of the level
coordinator and the teachers who will be teaching, writing and reviewing questions for your level.
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III. Curriculum Design
A. Course objectives for each level
Sophomore English Levels of Mastery
Level
Listening & Speaking

1
Advanced
Reading
Comprehend and participate in
conversations on specific topics.

Make presentations on general or
professional topics

Comprehend and participate in
daily conversation.

Make presentations on familiar
topics.

Comprehend and participate in
basic daily conversation.

Make presentations on personalrelated topics
Co
2
Intermediate
3
Low
intermediate
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Summarizing
Developing critical thinking skills
Deriving word meanings from
contexts
Expanding vocabulary
Skimming & scanning
Predicting
Identifying topic sentences
Guessing meanings from contexts
Identifying what to read first
Getting specific information
Deriving word meanings from
contexts
Expanding vocabulary
Skimming & scanning
Predicting
Identifying topic sentences
Guessing meanings from contexts
Identifying what to read first
Getting specific information
Comprehending main ideas
Understanding grammar structure
Expanding vocabulary
Skimming & scanning
Predicting
Identifying topic sentences
Guessing meanings from contexts
Identifying what to read first
Getting specific information
B. Required Textbooks
Level
Lessons to be covered
New American Inside Out (Advanced)
Level 1 (Advanced)
1st semester: Midterm Exam: Unit 1, Unit 3
Final Exam: Unit 4, Unit 5
2nd semester: Midterm Exam: Unit 7, Unit 8
Final Exam: Unit 10, Unit 12
Aspire, Upper-intermediate
Level 2 (Intermediate)
1st semester: Midterm Exam: Unit 1, Unit 2
Final Exam: Unit 3, Unit 4
nd
2 semester: Midterm Exam: Unit 5, Unit 7
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Final Exam: Unit 8, Unit 9
Network 3
Level 3 (Low-intermediate)
1st semester: Midterm Exam: Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3
Final Exam: Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7
2nd semester: Midterm Exam: Unit 9, Unit 10, Unit 12
Final Exam: Unit 13, Unit 15, Unit 16
For teachers’ books and related materials, please contact TA. If you have any suggestions
regarding the textbooks, please contact your level coordinator. If the level coordinator contacts
you to review and select new textbooks, please respond to the coordinator by the deadline you
have been given. You may also refer to the test timetable for textbooks for each level and the
chapters to cover for the midterm and final examinations.
C. The Sophomore English Test
The standardized test format consists of a 40% multiple-choice with 20 questions for listening.
There is a required section on 30% reading test. The remaining 30% is at the teacher’s discretion.
Level
Listening 40%
Reading 30%*
 Reading comprehension
 Short answer question
Part I. Statements #1-6
 Vocabulary in context
Part II. Short conversation #7-14
Level 1
 Vocabulary matching
Part
III.
One
passage
&
one
long
(Advanced)
 Paraphrasing
conversation # 15-17; #18-20
 Sentence structure
 Translation
 True or False
 Reading comprehension
 Short answer question
Part I. Statements #1-6
 Vocabulary in context
Part II. Short conversation #7-14
Level 2
 Vocabulary matching
Part
III.
One
passage
&
one
long
(Intermediate)
 Paraphrasing
conversation # 15-17; #18-20
 Sentence structure
 Translation
 True or False
 Reading comprehension
 Short answer question
Part I. Question/response #1-6
 Vocabulary in context
Level 3
Part II. Short conversation #7-14
 Vocabulary matching
(LowPart III. One passage & one long
 Paraphrasing
intermediate)
conversation # 15-17; #18-20
 Sentence structure
 Translation
 True or False
 1-2 reading passages with related topics are included in reading test. Teachers can include at
least two types of questions mentioned above. Sample questions will be provided in
timetable for each level.
 Teachers should give a copy of their exams (60% in total) to the TA. Midterm copies are
due the following week after exams are completed and final copies are due one week before
the final exam.
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The 40% listening section is the standardized test, and two sets of test questions will be compiled
and recorded prior to the midterm and final respectively. Please review your test timetable very
carefully and also read the following related guidelines for writing test questions and giving exams.
(1) Writing/reviewing test questions:
It is extremely important that you meet the deadlines listed on the test timetable. Many things
need to be done to produce the midterm and final exams. If just one deadline is not met, the
entire schedule will be postponed and many people are inconvenienced. No one likes to be kept
waiting. Problems arising from missed deadlines put pressure on the level coordinators and the
TA. If you have any difficulty at all with the test timetable, please do not hesitate to contact your
level coordinator as soon as possible.
The reading question section of the midterm and final exams should be at least 30% of the total
grade for each exam. The content of the reading questions must be related to the focus of
chapters that are covered for the exam.
For the 2015-2016 school year, all DVD materials and the Writing Section will NOT be covered
on the standardized test. However, you are free to incorporate the DVD materials into the nonstandardized section of your exam.
(2) Giving the standard listening test:
The Sophomore English listening test is given in various classes during the entire week of
midterm or final exam. Therefore, you must not give students answers to the exam questions
during the week of the exam. The exam CD should be played only once and students cannot be
shown the questions or the answers. The 20 multiple-choice listening questions, which are the
unified part of midterm and final exams, should take up 40% of the total grade. Teachers will
receive questions one week before the test and the CDs will be distributed by the Curriculum
Office during the test week. You are required to give the exam on the dates shown on the
Soochow University schedule. You can download the schedule from this university website or
ask the TA for a copy. http://www.scu.edu.tw/reg/→行事曆
Please note: The answer sheet for the twenty questions (40% multiple choice section) should be
prepared by teachers.
D. Classroom
(1) Unless necessary, please do not exchange classrooms because it may confuse students.
(2) In order to understand how to use the equipment in your classrooms, you have to attend a
workshop before the new semester begins. You will receive a notice from the Language
Center about the workshop information, classroom policies, and related regulations.
E. Students
Students must attend the class for which they are assigned. Teachers must call roll at the
beginning of the semester to ensure that students are in the correct class. If there are students in
your class who are not on your class list, make sure that they attend the class which they are
registered. Teachers are not allowed to transfer students to different levels or different class
times. The university may penalize students if they attend the wrong class. Seating charts for
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your classrooms are available at the Language Center.
F. Syllabus
List your grading criteria and your attendance policies clearly on your syllabus. Make sure to upload
your syllabus to school website before deadline. Please note that if your student receives a grade below
60 for the semester, they fail and must repeat the course. If their grade for the fall semester is between
50 and 59, they may take your spring semester class but they must repeat the fall semester in the future.
G. Attendance
Attendance policies for each teacher must be clearly stated on the printed syllabus and announced in
class. An example: "Students will not be allowed to participate in final examinations if they are absent
more than 5 times during the semester without a valid excuse approved by the instructor.”
H. Testing make-up policies
Teachers must require students to obtain official documentation issued from the school for any absences
considered 'excused' for final exams. In order to be 'excused' for final exams, students must follow stated
school policies in obtaining acceptable proof of absence.
Make-ups for any and all exams will NOT be given if the students do not have proof of absence from the
school.
I. Teacher Evaluation
At the end of each semester, the school will administer a class survey to evaluate each teacher’s teaching.
Teacher whose teaching performance is found to be less than satisfactory will not be given classes to
teach or be given fewer teaching hours in the future.
J. Grade reports
Midterm
Final
Easy Test
Attendance, Quiz, Participation
Workplace English
25%
25%
10% http://eztest.idc.scu.edu.tw/
30%
10%
The university requires teachers to key in their grades on the Internet
<http://web.sys.scu.edu.tw/>. Please be aware of the deadline for submitting your grades. See
the TA for more information.
The Easy Test score accounts for 10% of the student’s overall semester grade. Teachers can
request a sample copy of the Easy Test in order to preview it before giving the test to students.
Please contact the Language Center staff at least one week before you plan to give the test so that
they can prepare the test materials in advance. Teachers are encouraged to view the online Easy
Test instructions (and contact Amigo with any further questions.) Please note: Students should
not mark the test form. The test materials will be collected right after the test and reused in
the future.
http://eztest.idc.scu.edu.tw/index.asp
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http://www.scu.edu.tw/language/2course/eztest-usage/ez-index.htm
Workplace English
Starting from the 2012-2013 school year, “Workplace English” has been incorporated into the
Sophomore English curriculum. For further information, please click on the link below
(http://www.scu.edu.tw/language/2course/Business_skills_for_sophomore_english.doc).
K. Adjustment of Semester Grades
In order to be fair to students placed into different levels, teachers are required to adjust their
semester grades according to the following distribution. That is, 70%~75% of the students in
each class should be placed in the following score ranges:
Score Range
Level 1: 85-70
Level 2: 80-60
Level 3: 75-50
Percentage
70%-75%
70%-75%
70%-75%
L. Finalizing Levels
Students’ levels are assigned based on their scores in the placement test given in the second
semester of their freshman year. According to the scores they get, students are placed in
Sophomore English level 1, 2, or 3. After the TA receives all placement test scores, the head
coordinator will schedule a meeting during the spring semester to determine the number of levels
and the number of students in each class.
M. Signing up for classes
Having a teaching schedule that is convenient is very important. Each Spring, the Language
Center secretary will ask you to indicate which classes you would like to teach in the following
year. Teachers who didn’t fulfill their duties (p.2) will not be given classes the following year.
N. The website
For your information, here are the websites that may provide you with additional information
about Sophomore English.
http://webbuilder.scu.edu.tw/builder/web_page.php?web=107&pid=3414
For the latest information of the courses and our Center, please visit us at
http://www.scu.edu.tw/language/
O. Important tips for new teachers
We wholeheartedly welcome new teachers as new additions to our team. Here are some tips for you:
A. Teachers will be able to download the name list of the students in their classes after the addand-drop week. Students must attend the class for which they are registered. Teachers must
call roll at the beginning of the semester to ensure that students are in the correct class.
B. In order to understand how to use the equipment in classrooms, new teachers must attend a
workshop. They will receive a notice from the Language Center about the workshop
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information, classroom policies, and related regulations.
C. Teachers have to list grading criteria and attendance policies clearly on the syllabus and
upload their course syllabus to the university administration webpage before the deadline set
by the University.
D. At the end of each semester, the school will administer a class survey to evaluate each
teacher’s teaching. Teacher whose teaching performance is found to be less than satisfactory
will not be given classes to teach or be given fewer teaching hours in the future.
E. New teachers will receive a Soochow personal identification number to download or upload
documents, such as downloading the class roster or uploading students’ grades.
F. Do not give students answers to the exam questions during the week of the exam. Make sure
you proctor and grade midterm and final exams of your own classes.
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