The planned objectives of this course are to:

• Continue helping students with using English for academic purposes,

• Continue developing students' communicative English skills,

• Continue providing learners with academic reading and listening strategies in English,

• Continue giving students chances to critically interact with science-based topics of interest in English.
                                                         

The Course is Skill-Focused:

Listening skills, note-taking skills, summarizing skills, and a focus on critical thinking

Students listen to and comprehend lectures. They then work in pairs to summarize and discuss the content. The pedagogical focus of each unit is on comprehending natural reduced-form English and also note-taking. Each unit has review activities to facilitate task repetition and learning.

How Academic Listening and Speaking helps:

- introduces students to topics from the sciences, social sciences, and the arts, readying them for study in an English academic setting

- shows students how to approach these topics critically by identifying support, seeing where doubt is cast, and assessing what is presented

- develops student note-taking skills systematically

- focuses on summarizing

- teaches students naturally reduced, English weak forms

The desired outcomes of this course are to:

• Leave learners with an extended range and level of academic listening and reading skills in English,

• Leave learners with a developed sense of confidence and agency with discussing science-based topics critically,

• Leave learners equipped with an enhanced range of vocabulary, functions, and structures that support academic tasks in English,

• Leave learners with additional knowledge and areas of interest, and clearer directions for future areas of study.

This course will be delivered in English. Students are encouraged to communicate with each other and with the teacher in English as much as possible. Students are strongly requested to purchase the textbook to take this course. If students are continuing with this course in the second semester, they are only required to purchase it once. Students must also regularly check projectyou.jp for class updates, as well as study outside of class time in a self-directed way.

More information about expectations for students taking this course, such as attendance policies, will be shared in the first class of the semester.

You are required to bring your textbook and a notebook to class every week.

Participation is essential, therefore attending every class is required. A large part of the grade will be based on participation during class. Doing your homework outside of class to prepare and review will be required to maximize in-class participation.

The homework grade will be calculated based on preparation done by yourself and with your classmates outside of class, e.g. preparing for group presentations for each unit. The homework will consist of doing the exercises in the textbook, preparing for presentations, and using Duolingo to develop your English proficiency.

There will be a midterm test and a final test if you are taking the class all year.

There may also be other quizzes as well if the teacher deems necessary.   

Students will be expected to complete all exercises in the textbook as homework outside of class and complete a Duolingo assignment to improve English proficiency each week.

Grades will be calculated as follows:

33% Participation - This is a speaking and listening class so you must be present and you must actively participate in class

33% Tests and Quizzes - There will be multiple quizzes as well as an in-class midterm and final test

34% Homework - This includes work done in the textbook as well as through online learning using Duolingo

All other materials and resources will be produced and prepared by the teacher.

The course is planned as follows; however, this may be adapted as the semester progresses:

Week 1 - Class Introduction

Week 2 - Unit 5 - History: The Age of Exploration

Week 3 - Unit 5 - History: The Age of Exploration

Week 4 - Unit 5 - History: The Age of Exploration

Week 5 - Group Presentations

Week 6 - Unit 6 - Fine Arts: Realism and Cubism

Week 7 - Unit 6 - Fine Arts: Realism and Cubism

Week 8 - Unit 6 - Fine Arts: Realism and Cubism

Week 9 - Group Presentations

Week 10 - Unit 8 - Education: The Flipped Classroom

Week 11 - Unit 8 - Education: The Flipped Classroom

Week 12 - Unit 8 - Education: The Flipped Classroom

Week 13 - Group Presentations 

Week 14 - Final Test

The instructor has been training Japanese professionals for 26 years and teaching university for 18 years. 

His areas of focus are on independent language learning, pronunciation, and intercultural communication.

Fluency in a language requires practice. Practice is vital. And in this class you need to speak English.

At the end of the class you should be able to:

- feel more comfortable using English

- maintain simple discussions on familiar topics

- give clear descriptions of events and things that are familiar

- understand the main points of "native speaker" discussions on familiar topics