English Conversation I-2

Course Information

College	Akashi College	Year	2023
Course Title	English Conversation I-2
Course Code	5317	Course Category	General / Compulsory
Class Format	Lecture	Credits	School Credit: 1
Department	Mechanical Engineering	Student Grade	3rd
Term	Second Semester	Classes per Week	2
Textbook and/or Teaching Materials	Conversation Strategies: Pair and Group Activities for Developing Communicative Competence (Third Edition) by David Kehe and Peggy Dustin Kehe (2014) Pro Lingua Associates, ISBN: 978-0-86647-369-9.
Instructor	HERBERT John C.

Course Objectives

1) 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 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 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 use them properly.
5) 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) Speak one's opinions and impressions in English using basic terms, regarding everyday life and familiar topics.
7) Make explanations and tell stories at a speed of about 100 words a minute in a manner that conveys one's meaning to a listener.
8) Use conversation strategies to keep an English conversation lively and meaningful.

Rubric

	Mastery Level	Standard Level	Unacceptable Level
Objective 1	Clear pronunciation and natural intonation	Understandable pronunciation and recognizable intonation	Poor pronunciation using only Japanese katakana to try to speak English and flat intonation
Objective 2	Natural accent, stress, and rhythm	Understandable accent, stress, and rhythm	Incomprehensible accent, stress, rhythm
Objective 3	Mastery of all textbook vocabulary	Mastery of most of the textbook vocabulary which the teacher focused on in class lectures	Mastery of only a few of the textbook vocabulary which the teacher focused on in class lectures
Objective 4	Mastery of all the grammar from the textbook and from the teacher's lectures	Mastery of most of the grammar from the textbook and from the teacher's lectures	Mastery of only some of the grammar from the textbook and from the teacher's lectures
Objective 5	Able to maintain a basic conversation fluently	Able to maintain a basic conversation somewhat fluently	Not able to maintain a basic conversation
Objective 6	Able to express opinions in English clearly	Able to express opinions in English somewhat clearly	Not able to express opinions in English
Objective 7	Able to explain ideas fluently in English	Able to explain ideas somewhat fluently in English	Not able to explain ideas in English
Objective 8	Able to use all of the English conversation strategies from the textbook skillfully and with ease	Able to recognize and use many English conversation strategies from the textbook	Not able to recognize or use English conversation strategies from the textbook

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 the practice and assessment of pronunciation and intonation. A written test will be given at the end of the semester and speaking tests will be held during class time in the 8th and 15th weeks of the semester.

Notice:

Active participation in English is essential for completing this course successfully. Active learning as an individual and as a member of a group is 20% of the final grade for this course. 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 evaluation.

Characteristics of Class / Division in Learning

Active Learning

Aided by ICT

Applicable to Remote Class

Course Plan

			Theme	Goals
2nd Semester
	3rd Quarter
		1st	Unit 13: Making Comparisons Conversation practice. Finding and correcting common errors in English. Homework: Common error and lesson review activities online.	Practice comparing things and ideas in English.
		2nd	Unit 14: Finding the Right Word Conversation practice. Finding and correcting common errors in English. Homework: Common error and lesson review activities online.	Practice strategies to help you find the right word to say.
		3rd	Unit 15: Exploring a Word Conversation practice. Finding and correcting common errors in English. Homework: Common error and lesson review activities online.	Practice strategies to help you understand and use vocabulary in a wider range of situations.
		4th	Unit 16: Correcting Someone Conversation practice. Finding and correcting common errors in English. Homework: Common error and lesson review activities online.	Practice correcting someone politely when they give false information.
		5th	Unit 17: Eliciting Confirmation Conversation practice. Finding and correcting common errors in English. Homework: Common error and lesson review activities online.	Practice making sure that you are understood.
		6th	Unit 18: Starting and Stopping a Conversation Conversation practice. Finding and correcting common errors in English. Homework: Common error and lesson review activities online.	Practice starting and finishing an English conversation smoothly.
		7th	Review of Units 1-18 Conversation practice. Finding and correcting common errors in English. Homework: Common error and lesson review activities online.	Put all of the conversation strategies from units 1-18 together in practice conversations. Prepare for the next speaking test.
		8th	Mid-term Speaking Test	Master the conversation strategies taught in the book.
	4th Quarter
		9th	Unit 19: Beginning and Ending a Phone Call Conversation practice.	Practice starting and finishing a telephone call smoothly in English.
		10th	Unit 20: Expressing Opinions Conversation practice.	Practice expressing opinions politely and with confidence.
		11th	Unit 21: Making a Group Decision Conversation practice.	Practice techniques for participating in group discussions and coming to a consensus as a group.
		12th	Units 22: Discussion Connectors Conversation practice.	Practice including everyone in a group discussion and smoothly connecting everyone's contribution to the discussion.
		13th	Units 23 and 24: Summarizing and Conducting a Formal Meeting Conversation practice.	Practice summarizing what has been said and following the rules of participating in formal meetings.
		14th	Units 25 and 26: Word Games and Volunteering an Answer Conversation practice.	Build vocabulary with word games and practice volunteering an answer without being asked directly. Put all of the conversation strategies from units 1-26 together to make conversations for your speaking test.
		15th	Final Exam (Speaking Test) on ALL of the conversation strategies taught in the textbook.	Master the use of conversation strategies taught in the units 1-26. Prepare for the written exam on conversation strategies.
		16th	Final Exam (Written test) on ALL of the conversation strategies taught in the textbook.	Master the conversation strategies taught in the book.

Evaluation Method and Weight (%)

	Two Speaking Tests	One Written Test	Homework/Quizzes	Active Learning/Behavior	Total
Subtotal	40	20	20	20	100
Basic English Communication	40	20	20	20	100