By Marsha Chan
This is the textbook for the course. College Oral Communication 1. Please bring it to the first class. It is available at University Book and Supply.
Course Description:
| In this class, students will learn to discuss academic topics using academic speaking strategies. Students will also take notes on short lectures while learning and using a variety of note taking strategies. The course will cover several lectures on several academic areas while helping students expand their vocabulary in these areas.
Course Objectives: At the end of this listening course, students will be able to… • listen to medium-length lectures about academic topics • develop academic vocabulary • identify syllables and word stress • get information by using listening strategies • use his/her lecture notes for tests and small-and whole-class discussions At the end of this speaking course, students will be able to… • continue to develop academic speaking skills • retell the content of a lecture • recognize and produce word stress and question intonation • ask and answer questions and ask for clarification |
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Special Projects: |
In addition to the above, this course provides the students many hours of speaking practice outside of the confines of the classroom.A. Conversation Partners: As part of your course, you are required to have a conversation partner assigned to you by the CIEP. You will meet with this person on a regular basis at least once a week. If you have not been assigned to a conversation partner or your conversation partner does not comply with her/his end of the deal, you need to talk to the activities director in the CIEP main office (Baker 72).
B. RSVP: Attendance to RSVP meetings is part of your course requirement, as well. Your instructor will let you know the specific time and date for this meeting. RSVP meetings are usually held on Tuesdays at 2:00, so plan ahead in order not to make any appointments at that time. C. Academic Lectures and others: You are also required to attend Cultural Lectures organized by the CIEP. |
Listening / Speaking logs:
- There will be at least one (1) teacher assigned topic each week for both listening and speaking
- If it’s your week for RSVP, you should write a summary of your activities there.
- Keep track of the amount of time and the topics you and your conversation partner shared.
- Buy a (cheap!) notebook to record your listening and speaking activities
What are the course grades? Course grades show your level on English proficiency (ability). In the CIEP, we use the ABCF scale, similar to the scale at the University of Northern Iowa. The letter represents your ability and what you are and what you are not able to do in English.
A 93-100 A- 90-92 B+ 87-89 B 83-86 B- 80-82 C+ 77-79 C 73-76 F <73%
What is Passing? An average of 73%/C or higher in a course means the student has made satisfactory progress and shows the student has met learning objectives/outcomes. The student passes to the next level of instruction.
What is Failing? An average of 72% or lower shows failure to make satisfactory progress and shows the student has not met learning objectives/outcomes. The student is therefore NOT permitted to advance to the next level.
What happens when I am absent? If you are absent, the teacher must report you to the director. You may not be able to take a “make up” exam. Make you appointments before or after CIEP classes. Also, do not make travel plans before the final exam. It is not possible to take exams early.
Tell me about MIDTERMS and FINALS. All courses midterm and final exams that instructors must give in week 4 and week 8. Because several teachers look at these exams, these tests are an objective way to see how you’re doing. To pass (advance, go) to the next level, you need a 73% /C or higher average on both the midterm and the final exams. If you fail both exams, you fail the course. The MIDTERM and FINAL exams are in-class exams.
Why don’t I have a grade for homework? Homework is your chance to practice. Homework is your chance to make a mistake BEFORE you take a quiz or a test. This is why teachers do not usually give big grades on homework. For example, do you remember the first time you ever drove a car? Do you want to driver license officers to grade you on your first drive in a car?
Also, in the university, professors rarely grade homework exercises. The professor is giving you a chance to practice on difficult problems before you take a test. When make a big mistake on the homework it’s no problem. Why? You have a chance to learn from the mistake and not get a bad grade!
Finally, you are adults. It is your choice to do your practice or not. However, some people don’t do homework. Unfortunately, they usually repeat classes.
I got an A in one quiz, but I failed the class. That’s not fair. Congratulations, you did a great job on your quiz. However, what was your final exam grade? What was your midterm exam grade? Did you finish all your essays and paragraphs? Your grade depends on many things, not one quiz.
I talk a lot in class. Why are my grades bad? Teachers love talking students. Imagine: You have to teach a group of students and they say NOTHING. That’s difficult! However, talking in class has to be about the subject in class. The talking has to help learn how to give a speech, take notes, help a classmate or learn pronunciation. “Small talk” is nice, but it doesn’t help your grade.
I work hard. Why did I get an F? We know many people work hard, but for some reason they don’t learn. That’s OK, because some people need more time to learn than others. However, we can’t let you pass into the next level for working hard. Teachers have to look at two simple questions: Do students know English at this level NOT?
This class is too easy. On the first two days of class, we will do a lot of review and take many exams. Why do we do this? This is like going to a doctor. A doctor takes your blood, hits your knee and looks into your mouth and ears to learn about your health. We want to know about your language ability, so we can design a class just for you.
How can I improve my English ability?
- Take an active role in your education. You have to do your laundry by yourself. Therefore, you have to learn by yourself.
- Open your mind: Look around. You are in a new country and a new environment. Open your mind to the experience. Remember: When in Rome, do like the Romans. Are you a tourist or a student?
- Time is money! Therefore, plan your life! Keep a planner and write down all of your homework.
- Establish a good rapport with your instructors/professors in the classes you take.
Your professors can’t be your friends. They will be your teachers and will help you IF you help them. - Help yourself, your friends and your family. It is good to help your friends and family. However, don’t hurt yourself. Are you absent a lot because you have to help friends and family? Do your friends ask you to miss a lot of class to help them? If you are, then you are not helping anyone. You help people now but you hurt them and yourself later.
- Respect your teachers and classmates:
- o Do your homework – athletes need to train, musicians need to rehearse, students need to practice.
- o Participate in group activities – practice the new things you have learned!
- o Prepare for your group activities – your classmates depend on you.
- o Come to class on time – your classmates depend on you.
- o Come to your appointments with teachers on time – if you are often late, we think you don’t respect us.
- o Leave your problems with other people outside of the class – we have to live together on this planet and the classroom. There are differences between people and there will always be differences. An educated person understands these differences and learns.
- o Turn off your cell phone. It is considered very low class to let your cell phone ring. It is considered very low class to talk on your cell phone in class.
- o Turn off your iPod/MP3 player. Put your earphones away. It’s rude to listen to music during class.
- Write and speak about what you know and what you want to know more about.
- Review your textbook every day.
- Do all homework assignments – this is your chance to practice – therefore, your teacher will not grade you on your practice. We believe that you are adults and we don’t need to supervise your practice.
- Attend class regularly (a low attendance score can have a negative impact on your final grade).
- Participate in class discussions and ask questions – participating in class is how your teacher learns about your ability.
- Form a study group with other class members (i.e., do you own work but check answers with others who have also done the assignment).
- Reread chapter in the textbook after going through exercises in class.
- Make an appointment to see the teacher if your exam or assignment score is lower than you expected (but don’t wait until the end of semester to become concerned about exam grades)
