English Conversation I

Course Information

College Akashi College Year 2020
Course Title English Conversation I
Course Code 0056 Course Category General / Compulsory
Class Format Lecture Credits School Credit: 2
Department Mechanical Engineering Student Grade 3rd
Term Year-round Classes per Week 2
Textbook and/or Teaching Materials
Instructor HERBERT John C.

Course Objectives

1) Can read aloud or speak considering the basic rhythms, intonations, and sound connections in phrases and sentences in order to convey one's meaning to a listener.
2) Learn the rules of English pronunciation and accents and can use them properly in order to speak clearly and convey one's meaning to a listener.
3) Memorize the vocabulary learned in junior high school. Learn new vocabulary in accordance with the curriculum guidelines for high school and technical English terms required for professional education, and can use them properly.
4) Learn grammar and sentence structure in accordance with the curriculum guidelines for high school in addition to the grammar and structure learned in junior high school, and can use them properly.
5) Can listen to and catch the necessary information from the content spoken in a clear pronunciation at a speed of about 100 words a minute, regarding everyday life and familiar topics.
6) Can speak one's opinions and impressions in English using basic terms, regarding everyday life and familiar topics.                 
7) Can read aloud sentences including descriptions and stories at a speed of about 100 words a minute in order to convey one's meaning to a listener.
8) Understand mistakes that Japanese students often make and can avoid them.

Rubric

Ideal LevelStandard LevelUnacceptable Level
Achievement 1Clear pronunciation and natural intonationUnderstandable pronunciation and recognizable intonation Poor pronunciation using only Japanese katakana to try to speak English and flat intonation
Achievement 2Natural accent, stress, and rhythmUnderstandable accent, stress, and rhythmIncomprehensible accent, stress, rhythm
Achievement 3Mastery of all textbook vocabularyMastery of most of the textbook vocabulary which the teacher focused on in class lecturesMastery of only a few of the textbook vocabulary which the teacher focused on in class lectures
Mastery of all the grammar from the textbook and from the teacher's lecturesMastery of most of the grammar from the textbook and from the teacher's lecturesMastery of only some of the grammar from the textbook and from the teacher's lectures
Able to maintain a basic conversation fluentlyAble to maintain a basic conversation somewhat fluentlyNot able to maintain a basic conversation
Able to express opinions in English clearlyAble to express opinions in English somewhat clearlyNot able to express opinions in English
Able to explain ideas fluently in EnglishAble to explain ideas somewhat fluently in EnglishNot able to explain ideas in English
Able to recognize and correct more than 80% of the common English errors in a 250-word passageAble to recognize and correct 60% to 80% of the common English errors in a 250-word passageNot able to recognize or correct 60% of the common English errors in a 250-word passage

Assigned Department Objectives

学習・教育到達度目標 (B) See Hide
学習・教育到達度目標 (E) See Hide

Teaching Method

Outline:
This course focuses on English conversation practice and confidence building. Students will make the English they have learned from previous classes come alive in its spoken form.
Style:
Each lesson will involve plenty of conversation practice with a different theme and grammar point each week. This course also includes pronunciation practice, short reading drills, and some brief English writing assignments. Students will study, do homework, and be tested on correcting common errors that Japanese students of English make. Written tests will be given as mid-term and final exams and speaking tests will be held during class time one week before each written test.
Notice:
Active participation in English is essential for completing this course successfully. Students who do not stay focused and those who are more than 10 minutes late for class may be counted absent.
Students who miss 1/4 or more of classes will not be eligible for a passing grade.

Course Plan

Theme Goals
1st Semester
1st Quarter
1st Course Orientation and Introduction to Online Self-Study and Smartphone App
Unit 1: That's My Kind of Friend! (A)
Discussing personalities and qualities of people.
Learn how to master this course through online self-study and how to particpate interactively through pair, group, and whole-class activities in MS Teams.
Use relative pronouns as the subjects and objects of clauses to describe personalities and qualities of people.
2nd Unit 1: That's My Kind of Friend! (B)
Discussing likes and dislikes.
Finding and correcting common errors in casual English letters.
Using “it” clauses plus adverbial clauses with ”when” to describe likes and dislikes.
Practicing the pronunciation of linked sounds.
Reduce the occurrences of common English errors made by Japanese students.
3rd Unit 1: That's My Kind of Friend! (C)
Writing and reading about personalities and likes and dislikes.
Finding and correcting common errors in casual English letters.
Describe a good friend in writing.
Master reading comprehension through purpose-driven rereading activities.
Reduce the occurrences of common English errors made by Japanese students.
4th Unit 2: Working 9 to 5 (A)
Discussing opinions, advantages, and disadvantages of jobs.
Finding and correcting common errors in casual English letters.
Use gerund phrases as subjects and objects do you share opinions about jobs.
Reduce the occurrences of common English errors made by Japanese students.
5th Unit 2: Working 9 to 5 (B)
Comparing various jobs.
Finding and correcting common errors in casual English letters.
Make comparisons with adjectives, verbs, nouns, and past participles.
Practice applying stress to compound nouns.
Reduce the occurrences of common English errors made by Japanese students.
6th Unit 2: Working 9 to 5 (C)
Describing and reading about a satisfying place to work.
Finding and correcting common errors in casual English letters.

Describe in writing which job would be most satisfying.
Master reading comprehension through purpose-driven rereading activities.
Reduce the occurrences of common English errors made by Japanese students.
7th Speaking Tests (Part One) Make fluent English conversations with the vocabulary and grammar covered in Units 1 and 2.
8th Speaking Tests (Part Two) Make fluent English conversations with the vocabulary and grammar covered in Units 1 and 2.
2nd Quarter
9th Unit 3: Lend a Hand (A)
Discussing favors, borrowing, and lending.
Make requests with modals, “if” clauses, and gerunds.
10th Unit 3: Lend a Hand (B)
Leaving messages with requests.
Make indirect requests.
Practice pronouncing words with unreleased consonant sounds.
11th Unit 3: Lend a Hand (C)
Writing messages with requests.
Reading about talking to friends about difficult topics.
Write a message with a request.
Master reading comprehension through purpose-driven rereading activities.
12th Unit 4: What Happened? (A)
Describing past events.
Use the past continuous for an ongoing action in the past.
Use the simple past for an event that interrupts that action.
13th Unit 4: What Happened? (B)
Telling stories.
Practice intonation in complex sentences.
Use the past perfect for an event that occurred before another event in the past.
14th Unit 4: What Happened? (C)
Writing and reading about personal accounts of stories.
Write a personal account of something that happened.
Master reading comprehension through purpose-driven rereading activities.
15th Speaking Tests Make fluent English conversations with the vocabulary and grammar covered in Units 1 to 4.
Prepare for the written exam.
16th End-term Exam (first written test) on the grammar and vocabulary covered in Units 1 to 4 and common errors that Japanese students of English make. Understand how to use the grammar and vocabulary covered in Units 1 to 4 in written conversations.
2nd Semester
3rd Quarter
1st Unit 5: Expanding Your Horizons (A)
Discussing life away from home.
Finding and correcting common errors in casual English letters.
Use noun phrases containing relative clauses to describe life away from home.
Practice word stress in sentences.
2nd Unit 5: Expanding Your Horizons (B)
Describing cultural expectations and differences.
Finding and correcting common errors in casual English letters.
Explain cultural expectations with phrases like, “supposed to,” “expected to,” “acceptable to,” and so on.
3rd Unit 5: Expanding Your Horizons (C)
Creating a tourist pamphlet and reading about culture shock.
Finding and correcting common errors in casual English letters.
Create a tourist pamphlet that introduces the customs of the place you are advertising.
Master reading comprehension through purpose-driven rereading activities.
4th Unit 6: That Needs Fixing. (A)
Describing problems and making complaints.
Finding and correcting common errors in casual English letters.
Describe problems with nouns and with past participles as adjectives.
5th Unit 6: That Needs Fixing. (B)
Discussing what needs to be fixed.
Finding and correcting common errors in casual English letters.
Describe problems with gerunds and infinitives.
Practice using contrastive stress to change the meaning of a question.
6th Unit 6: That Needs Fixing. (C)
Writing and reading about problems and solutions.
Finding and correcting common errors in casual English letters.
Write a critical online review about a fictitious product.
Master reading comprehension through purpose-driven rereading activities.
7th Speaking Tests (Part One) Make fluent English conversations with the vocabulary and grammar covered in Units 1 to 6.
8th Speaking Tests (Part Two) Make fluent English conversations with the vocabulary and grammar covered in Units 1 to 6.
4th Quarter
9th Unit 7: What Can We Do? (A)
Discussing environmental problems.
Use present continuous passive and present perfect passive sentences with prepositions to describe environmental problems.
Practice the reduction of auxiliary verbs.
10th Unit 7: What Can We Do? (B)
Comparing solutions to social problems.
Use infinitive clauses and phrases to make comparisons of solutions for social problems.
11th Unit 7: What Can We Do? (C)
Writing and reading about environmental problems and solutions.
Write and respond to messages about environmental problems.
Master reading comprehension through purpose-driven rereading activities.
12th Unit 8: Never Stop Learning. (A)
Discussing personal preferences.
Use “would rather” and “would preferred” to discuss personal preferences.
Practice using the proper intonation for questions of choice.
13th Unit 8: Never Stop Learning. (B)
Discussing ways of learning and life skills.
Use “by” plus gerunds to describe how to do things.
14th Unit 8: Never Stop Learning. (C)
Writing about something you have learned and reading about ways to study.
Explain in writing about something you have learned and how you learned it.
Master reading comprehension through purpose-driven rereading activities.
15th Speaking Tests Make fluent English conversations with the vocabulary and grammar covered in Units 1 to 8.
Prepare for the written exam.
16th End-term Exam on the grammar and vocabulary covered in Units 1 to 8. Understand how to use the grammar and vocabulary covered in Units 1 to 8 in written conversations.

Evaluation Method and Weight (%)

Speaking TestsWritten TestsHomework/QuizzesTotal
Subtotal404020100
Basic English Communication404020100