This is a course for students with an advanced level of English, and who wish to learn and practice skills for using English in a variety of academic contexts. The class is ideal for students: who might be considering overseas study; want to improve their skills in communicating in intercultural and international contexts; and those who want to develop their English skills for discussions, activities, presentations, and publications. There is also a focus on developing critical literacy skills, and approaches to using A.I. with language.

This course differs from other mandatory English classes such as Listening & Speaking classes, in that it involves all four skills simultaneously (Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking). The class focuses on these four skills within an academic rather than a general context of English. The class is also more flexible than other mandatory English classes, meaning that the kinds of lessons and assignments that students will be involved in, will change depending on the students’ own particular needs and interests (for example: their major or field of study; their particular areas of interest; and research or experiments they are involved in). 

In this course, students will engage in activities that cover the four skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening in English. Throughout the course, students will be required to participate in a broad range of academic activities together with their classmates, which will include routinely talking and working collaboratively with other students in English, giving presentations, participating in debates and group discussions, analyzing texts such as academic and news articles, and producing texts such as reports or essays.

In general, the class offers to give students experience of the various tasks of academic life in the English language. This ranges from working together collaboratively with partners and groups, to engaging with and producing original academic texts. Furthermore, students are encouraged to develop their critical literacy by evaluating arguments, truth claims, and applications within both texts and speech. This includes students responding to each other’s arguments, truth claims, applications, and intentions, as well as developing reflexivity analyzing their own speech and original texts.

Students who are successful in this class will...

1. Work collaboratively in English together with other students in pair/group discussions and presentations

2. Analyze and respond to authentic academic written texts and speech

3. Analyze, respond, and peer-edit original academic texts and speech of their classmates

4. Develop critical literacy in response to: authentic materials; materials produced by classmates; materials they produce themselves in the class. 

5. Feel better able to deal with the demands of further academic study where English is the main medium of instruction.

The main medium of instruction for this class is English, and students will be expected to be able to understand authentic academic texts and presentations. Students will be expected to have a high level of English speaking, listening, reading and writing proficiency in order to fully participate in this class. Students are expected to work collaboratively with other students, including in assignments that are largely writing based, and are expected to give critical feedback and constructive suggestions in discussions, and in peer-editing written work.

Students will be evaluated on three pieces of work throughout the semester. One of these will be spoken (a presentation or discussion), one a group discussion and one of these will be written (an article, report, essay, etc.). Each of these will be worth 30% of their grade. Students will also be assessed according to their collaborative working skills which involves interacting with other students in the class, participating in group and class discussions, and participating in the peer-editing sections of the class.

Method of Evaluation

• Assignment 1 (30%) – “Problem Places” A Critique of an A.I. generated text.
• Assignment 2 (30%) – “Off the beaten track” – A travel guide beyond the stereotypes
• Assignment 3 (30%) – “A Narrative about an Important Event in My Life” - Presentation:
• Collaborative Working Skills (10%)

First Semester:

前期

Week 1

Introduction to the course / Ice breaker activities

Week 2

Unit 1: Home and Away

Week 3

Unit 1: Home and Away

Week 4

Assignment 1 class workshop

Week 5

Assignment 1 – first draft deadline

Week 6

Unit 2: The Ends of the Earth

Week 7

Unit 2: The Ends of the Earth

Week 8

Unit 2: The Ends of the Earth

Week 9

Assignment 2 workshop

Week 10

Assignment 2 first draft deadline

Week 11

Unit 3: The Kindness of Strangers

Week 12

Unit 3: The Kindness of Strangers

Week 13

Presentation workshop (Assignment 3)

Week 14

Presentation (Assignment 3)

Week 15

Assignments 1/2/3 Final Deadline