English Conversation II

Course Information

College	Akashi College	Year	2022
Course Title	English Conversation II
Course Code	4405	Course Category	General / Compulsory
Class Format	Lecture	Credits	School Credit: 1
Department	Electrical and Computer Engineering Computer Engineering Course	Student Grade	4th
Term	Second Semester	Classes per Week	2
Textbook and/or Teaching Materials	Take It Easy! Second Edition by Herman Bartelen (National Geographic Learning)
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

	Ideal Level	Standard Level	Unacceptable Level
Achievement 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
Achievement 2	Natural accent, stress, and rhythm	Understandable accent, stress, and rhythm	Incomprehensible accent, stress, rhythm
Achievement 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
Achievement 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
Achievement 5	Able to maintain a basic conversation fluently	Able to maintain a basic conversation somewhat fluently	Not able to maintain a basic conversation
Achievement 6	Able to express opinions in English clearly	Able to express opinions in English somewhat clearly	Not able to express opinions in English
Achievement 7	Able to explain ideas fluently in English	Able to explain ideas somewhat fluently in English	Not able to explain ideas in English
Achievement 8	Able to use all the conversation strategies taught in this course appropriately and confidently	Able to use new conversation strategies with limited confidence only when directly prompted	Not able to understand how, why, or when to use the conversation strategies taught in this course

Teaching Method

Outline:

This course focuses on English conversation strategies 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 conversation strategy 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 7th and 14th weeks.

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 a passing grade.

Characteristics of Class / Division in Learning

Active Learning

Applicable to Remote Class

Course Plan

			Theme	Goals
2nd Semester
	3rd Quarter
		1st	Lessons 1: Meeting and Greeting People Conversation strategy: Hesitating	Use proper timing and pauses to hesitate giving answers in a natural and strategic manner.
		2nd	Lessons 2: Talking About the Past Conversation strategy: Showing interest	Use rejoinders properly and in a timely manner to show interest in what someone is saying in English.
		3rd	Lessons 3: Home Life and School Life Conversation strategy: Talking about personal news	Ask and respond to personal questions tactfully in English.
		4th	Lessons 4: Going Out Conversation strategy: Asking follow up questions	Keep an English conversation going with relevant and appropriate follow up questions.
		5th	Lessons 5: Food and Drink Conversation strategy: Using polite expressions	Use polite expressions to ask for favors in English. (Homework: Prepare for the 1st Speaking Test Preview Quiz)
		6th	Lessons 6: The Future Conversation strategy: Agreeing and disagreeing 1st Speaking Test Preview Quiz	Express certainty and uncertainty in English. Agree and disagree politely in English. Be prepared for the speaking test in advance. (Homework: Rehearse more for the 1st Speaking Test)
		7th	1st Speaking Test Test partners and conversation prompts will be randomly selected immediately before each test begins.	Make fluent English conversations using the conversation strategies covered in lessons 1-6 and conversation prompts on pages 26-27 and 48-49.
		8th	Lessons 7: Travel Conversation strategy: Asking comparison questions	Ask for and give directions. Ask for and make comparisons.
	4th Quarter
		9th	Lessons 8: Entertainment Conversation strategy: Asking for repetition and clarification	Ask for repetition and clarification politely.
		10th	Lessons 9: Staying Healthy Conversation strategy: Using numbers	Use numbers correctly in English conversation. Give instructions and describe routines.
		11th	Lessons 10: Describing People Conversation strategy: Emphasizing	Emphasize key points and degrees of meaning in English. Describe personalities and physical characteristics.
		12th	Lessons 11: Storytelling Conversation strategy: Reacting to events in a story.	Tell a story in English. Give meaningful feedback and questions in response to a story. (Homework: Prepare for the 2nd Speaking Test Preview Quiz)
		13th	Lessons 12: Society Conversation strategy: Expressing opinions 2nd Speaking Test Preview Quiz	Ask for and give advice tactfully in English. Express your opinion with confidence in English. Be prepared for the speaking test in advance. (Homework: Rehearse more for the 2nd Speaking Test)
		14th	2nd Speaking Test Test partners and conversation prompts will be randomly selected immediately before each test begins.	Make fluent English conversations using the conversation strategies covered in lessons 7-12 and conversation prompts on pages 70-71 and 92-93.
		15th	Course Review	Prepare for the final exam.
		16th	End-term Exam (Written Test) on the conversation strategies, sentence structure, grammar, and vocabulary covered in all the lessons of this course.	Understand how and when to use conversation strategies appropriately and effectively in English. Master the use and understanding of every sentence structure presented in the textbook, class handouts, and lecture notes.

Evaluation Method and Weight (%)

	2 Speaking Tests	1 Written Test	2 Quizzes	Active Learning	Total
Subtotal	40	20	20	20	100
Basic English Communication	40	20	20	20	100