English Communication II

Syllabus

IBARAKI UNIVERISTY Spring 2001
English Communication II
Takaaki Kumazawa (takaakikumazawa@hotmail.com)

Goal: The overall goal of this course is to develop the learners’ four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking, so that they will be able to use English as their media to communicate with English speaking people in authentic situations. The first semester especially aims at fostering two skills: speaking fluency (i.e. to be able to produce understandable English without a breakdown in conversation), and listening for global meanings (i.e. to be able to grasp the overall meanings of the interlocutors). This course provides many opportunities for the learners to practice using English receptively and productively. Limited time is spent on teaching and correcting errors except when giving feedback on the learners’ performance. Students are expected to come to every class, participate in lessons, and actively practice speaking and listening in English. Also, the students are required to prepare for lessons, and take a midterm and final exams. Every week a presentation on topics that are selected is given.

Requirements:
1. You are required to come to class more than 10 times. Otherwise, you will fail the course.
2. You are to complete a speaking activity (What’s new) recorded almost every week in class. This can be a presentation or small talk
in pair.
3. You are to perform a small talk in pair (3-4 minutes) and a final presentation in front of class (3-4 minutes).
Required text:
Fuller, D. & Fuller, C. (1999). Face to Face. Macmillan Language House. Tape
Grading System:
30% attendance 30% Tape project (achievement) 20% midterm 20% final presentation 100-80=A 79-70=B 69-60=C 59>=D

Lesson plan:
We are going to cover each unit from Face to Face per class. Sometimes additional activities are provided mainly for a change or
entertainment.
Tentative outline:
1. Syllabus
2. Unit 1
3. What’s new Unit 2
4. What’s new Unit 3
5. What’s new Unit 4
6. What’s new Unit 5
7. mid-term pair talk
8. What’s new Unit 6
9. What’s new Unit 7
10. What’s new Unit 8
11. What’s new Unit 9
12. What’s new Unit 10
13. What’s new Unit 11
14. presentation
15. presentation

English Communication III

Syllabus

IBARAKI UNIVERSITY Spring 2001
Subject: English Communication III
Instructor: Takaaki Kumazawa
E-mail: takaakikumazawa@hotmail.com. *Feel free to make contact with me.

Goal: First, students will be able to talk about themselves and their lives in general by pushing themselves to perform their academic knowledge of English already learned in the past educational experience that includes basic spoken grammar and high frequency vocabulary. Then, the focus of the lessons moves toward discussing topics that are related to students’ lives, but, in the broader sense, the social and cultural environmental issues in which we live in as a world citizen in order to widen students’ perspective by raising their cross-cultural awareness. This course is implemented by conducting mainly communicative approach for the purpose of improving the students’ communicative competence. To enhance the amount of time that the students are able to practice their speaking/listening and interaction, various topics are to be presented mainly from a topic-based text, Impact Issues, and some additional written work, essays, discussions and activities are supplied for the further exposure to topics.

Behavioral objectives:
1. Students (Ss) will be able to (SWBAT) express own opinions freely, and talk about their personal lives and social issues in general by pushing themselves to produce understandable pronunciation and spoken output in pair/group/class with reasonable fluency so that Ss can make themselves comprehensible to the listeners.
2. SWBAT develop basic listening proficiency in order to listen to speakers speaking in pair/group/class so that Ss can respond to and cooperate with each other to meet their communicative goals.
3. SWBAT perform a 5-7 minute presentation which deals with topics that have been introduced in class, and convey meanings which they would like to express effectively with some presentation skills that will be covered in class. For the presentation, Ss are expected to do some outside research to support Ss’ ideas. The criteria of evaluating Ss’ performance are mostly based on the performance, organization, accuracy, and fluency.
4. SWBAT express Ss internal emotional feelings in English and perform a presentation in front of group-mates almost every week.

Affective objectives:
1. Ss gain interests in learning English communication mainly through sharing their own personal experience, lives, and personality
among classmates.
2. Ss gain confidence in producing output by pushing themselves to speak, and overcome their fear or psychological barrier, and willingly
participate in pair-work activities and recognize the efftictiveness of pair-wok as a learning activity.
3. Ss widen their perspective by exposing to own inner personal lives, social issues and sharing ideas to classmates.

Materials:
Day, Richard & Yamanaka, Junko. (1998). Impact Topics. Longman. Also, any necessary handouts are provided.

Requirements (for Ss):
1. Final 5-7 minute presentation performance. This presentation should not be read word for word and requires visual aids.
2. More than 1/3 of attendance (10/15 classes). In other words, if Ss miss more than 5 classes, Ss automatically fail the course.
3. Weekly assignments (small talk)

Evaluation:
1. 30%: attendance 40%: participation (tape project) 30%: presentation A=100-80 B=79-70 C=69-60 D=59-0

Important Reminder:
If you have any problem that I could be any of your help, please let me know any time. I am here to help you. So, do not hesitate to talk to me. You are always welcome.

Lesson 2

Ibaraki University
English Communication III

1. Introduce yourself.
a. Each student introduces his/herself to the classmates (30mins)

Impact Topics
2. Unit 14: The Good Teacher

Getting Ready
a. Work in pair to talk about Getting Ready

Understanding the Topics
b. Listen to the CD with the text closes
c. Answer the questions in Understanding the Topics
d. Read the questions following and Listen again with the text closes and answer them.
1. When is this conversation taken place?
2. What does their teacher, Mr. Jackson do in his class?
3. Which person does not like Mr. Jackson, Asa or Yuji?
4. What kind of English class does Yuji like?
e. Read the dialogue and fill in the missing words from the box.

What do you think?
f. Listen to the CD and decide you agree with the people.
g. Checking your opinions
h. Talk about the 4 statements in pair
-use the phrase, “why do you think~”.

Thinking about the Topics
i. Think about what makes a good or bad teacher alone.
j. Talk in pair about the topic (demonstration)
-use the phrase following: “I believe/think/insist that a good/bad teacher ~” I agree/disagree because~
k. Tell each other about the best teacher you ever had.

3. Homework
a. be ready to talk about your ideal teacher for English communication in pair.

Lesson 3 (ami)

Lesson 3
Ibaraki University
English Communication III

1. Record yourself in group
a. talk in pair about your ideal communication teacher.


2. Impact Topics: The Dream

Getting Ready
a. Work in pair to talk about the 5 questions
5. Tell your dream that you remember.

Understanding the Topic
b. Listen to the CD with the text closed.
c. Answer my question.
d. Read the question below and listen again with the text closed. Then answer them
1. How many times did Roberta have the same dream?
2. What happened in her dream?
3. What was the weather in her dream?
4. What will she do next week?
e. Read the dialog and fill in the missing words.
f. Check the answers together.
g. Listen to the CD for the last time.

What do you think?
h. Listen to the 4 statements and write the number.
i. Agree or disagree (demonstration)
-use the following phrase to state your opinion: in my opinion ~.
T: what do you think of ~ idea?
S: I agree/disagree with~. In my opinion~
T: Then, what should Roberta do?
S:

Think about the Topic
j. Make up a dream
k. In group of 3 listen and complete the chart.

3. Homework
a. Have you had a dejavu? Tell us.
b. Tell us your happiest dream or frighten one.
c. What is your dream in your future?

Lesson 3 (mito) & 4 (Ami)

Ibaraki University: English Communication III

1. Record yourself on tape.
a. Have you had a dejavu? Tell us.
b. Tell us your happiest dream or frighten one.
c. What is your dream in your future?

Impact Topics: Unit 17 (Close your Eyes and See)
Getting Ready
2. Read the title and predict what you think this unit is about. Then report to each other in pair.
3. Open the text and talk about the two questions.

Understanding the topic
4. Jack is 22-year-old man. He is blind. Listen to the CD and try to understand the dialog with eyes closed.
5. Answer the question.
6. Read the questions following. Then listen once again and try to answer them.
a. What did you see with your eye closed? How do you feel to be blind?
b. What happened to Jack in a restaurant? Why was he angry?
c. What does he want us (non-blind) people to see/understand?
d. What does not he want from us to think?
e. Why do you think non-blind people treat disable people unequally?
7. Discuss these answers in pair. Share your answers in class.
8. Open the text and listen to the CD once again. Fill in the blanks.
9. Report your answers in class.

What do you Think
10. Listen and fill in the blank and circle agree or disagree.
11. What do you do in your daily life?
12. Put checks in the chart.
13. Report to your partner. Use the phrase following:
A: Could you ~ if you were blind?
B: I think it would be ~
A: What might happen and how could you do it?
B: I might ~. Could you ~ if you were blind?

14. Homework
a. What might a blind person be able to do better than a non-blind person? What might they be able to see that we cannot see?
Interviewing is a good way to find out.
b. Do you know any diabled people? Tell us your experience
c. Tell us your experience being disable.

Lesson 4&5

Ibaraki University: English Communication III

1. Record your self on tape.
a. What might a blind person be able to do better than a non-blind person? What might they be able to see that we cannot see? Interviewing is a good way to find out.
b. Do you know any diabled people? Tell us your experience
c. Tell us your experience being disable.

Impact Topics: Unit 21 (I Hate School)
Getting Ready
2. Open the text and talk about the two questions.

Understanding the topic
3. Listen to the CD and try to answer the question with the text closed.
4. Read the questions following. Then listen once again and try to answer them.
a. Why does Matt want to quit his school?
b. What do his parents tell him about him thinking about quitting school?
c. What doesn’t he want to do in his future? Then what does he want to do?
d. What is Matt’s final decision?
5. Read the dialog and fill in the missing words.
6. Open the text and listen to the CD once again. Check your answers.

What do you Think?
7. Listen and circle agree or disagree.
8. Work in pair to tell each other why you agree or disagree with the opinions.
A: Do you agree with Amy’s opinion?
B: Yes/no, I agree/disagree because~. What do you think?

Thinking about the Topic
9. Work in pair to discuss the statements. See the chart to help you.

10. Homework
a. Do you like school? Why or why not? Make sure to give reasons.

Lesson 5&6

Ibaraki University: English Communication III

1. Announcement:
The day of the midterm examination is Lesson 8. Choose a partner and start practicing. Once again the midterm exam is to speak in pair for 4-5 minutes straight on topics you choose. Sign up you name.

2. Recording
a. Do you like school? Why or why not? Make sure to give reasons.
b. If you hate school, what can you do to change your attitude?
c. What do you think you should do during your school years?

Unit 18: Dangerous Friends
Getting Ready
3. Introduction
4. Talk about the 3 questions

Understand the topic
5. Listen to me speaking the overview. Then, listen and try to understand as much as you can.
6. Answer my question.
7. Listen once again and take notes on the details of the story to be ready for answering the summary (要約) of it.
8. Read it and fill in the missing words.
9. Listen again for the last time and mark you answers.

What do you think?
10. Listen and circle agree or disagree.
11. Work in pair to tell each other why you agree or disagree with the opinions.
12. What should Marie have to do with Bob in your opinion?

Thinking about the Topic
13. Share you past experience doing the activities in the chart.
A: Would you like ~?
B: Yes, I would/No, I would not. Once I ~.

Homework
a. Tell your experience doing something very valuable and ridiculous.
b. Tell your best and worst drinking party.
c. Have you had dangerous friends?

Lesson 7&6

Ibraraki University: EC III

Announcement:
The day of the midterm examination is Lesson 8. Choose a partner and start practicing. Once again the midterm exam is to speak in pair for 4-5 minutes straight on topics you choose. Sign up your name.

1. Recording conversation

Homework
a. Tell your experience doing something very valuable and ridiculous.
b. Tell your best and worst drinking party.
c. Have you had a dangerous friend?

Unit 27: Snake? Whale? Horse?
2. Introduction
-In Hinduism cows are believed to be sacred.
-A student in high school
-Vegetarians are troubled finding what they can eat.

Getting Ready
3. Talk about the two questions. For number 2, share your experience eating them.

Understanding Topic
4. Listen to me speaking about the overview.
5. Read the questions, and listen and answer them.
a. What is Wing’s favorite?
b. What is Jay’s reaction to his favorite?
c. What are the strange animals that Chinese eat?
d. What are the animals that Jay disbelieves to eat?
e. What animal is the one they don’t eat in a foreign country?
6. Checking the answers
7. Read it and fill in the missing words.
8. Listen again and mark your answers.

What do you Think?
9. Listen and circle agree or disagree.
10. Then, give reasons for your choices.

Thinking about the Topics
11. Write your answers in the chart.
12. Then, student A asks questions and student B tells what, when, where, and what kind of taste if you can.

Homework
13. practice for the midterm examination.

Lesson 7

Ibraraki University: EC III

Announcement:
The day of the midterm examination is Lesson 8. Choose a partner and start practicing. Once again the midterm exam is to speak in
pair for 5 minutes straight on topics you choose.

1. Level descriptor to show how it is evaluated
2. Recording conversation

Unit 29: My Other Life
3. Introduction
-crazy news such as parents killing own children, juvenile killing several people on an express bus.

Getting Ready
4. Talk about the two questions.

Understanding Topic
5. Listen to the conversation and answer the questions
a. What kind of people did Ted kill?
b. Is there any reason why he killed people?
c. How many people did he kill?
d. How did he feel to kill a man?
6. Listen again and fill in the blank. Then, check your answers. See p.94.

What do you Think?
7. Listen and circle agree or disagree.
8. Then, give reasons for your choices.

Bonus
9. What was the news that you clearly remember? Can anything be done to help them? Why or why not?

Homework
10. Practice for the midterm examination.