Practical English

The components of integrated Practical English (Use of English, Speaking and listening, and Reading and writing) are still treated as one subject. Each component supports, continues and builds on the themes and linguistic content of the other constituents. The successful completion of all three is obligatory in order to receive a composite positive grade, which is calculated on the basis of the mean from the constituent components.

Use of English

During the course we will discuss and practice the selected problems of the practical grammar and vocabulary of the English language at B2 level.

The list of topics may be slightly altered depending on the results of initial and ongoing diagnosis.

Content distribution:

- Modal verbs (followed up with advice giving in Listening and Speaking and Reading and Writing)

- Conditionals and unreal past(followed up with the production of relevant texts in Listening and Speaking and Reading and Writing)

- Reported Speech (followed up with the relevant text production in Listening and Speaking and Reading and Writing)

- Passive vs. Active Voice and causative structures (followed up with the production of relevant texts in Listening and Speaking and Reading and Writing)

- selected collocations, idiomatic expressions and other vocabulary items associated with e.g. ability and possibility, hypothetical scenarios, reporting and quoting etc., integrated with grammatical content.

- word formation (continued)

The material includes FCE-type tasks for vocabulary and grammar (gap-filling, multiple-choice cloze, paraphrasing, or introduction to word formation) for an objective assessment of progress.

Speaking and listening

The aim of the course is to develop students' aural-oral skills through accuracy-focused speaking exercises (the accuracy of grammar, vocabulary and communication) and fluency in order to establish students' average language proficiency level at B2.

The objective will be achieved through various types of tasks and texts spoken in different registers and with different accents. Intensive listening will also focus on vocabulary and interesting structures, and through oral reproduction (reporting on the content, using the principle of information gap activities), students will activate them in a discussion (the post-listening stage). B2+ level texts used will represent diverse issues relating to the life of an individual and society. Through regular test practice, students will acquire a number of listening comprehension and speaking strategies used in popular international English language tests, such as FCE.

Content distribution:

- careers and studying: How are you finding your job? A dying breed; The Bologna process; feeling about the future

- socializing: Going out to celebrate; starting conversations; agreeing to meet

- transport and travel; renting a car; reporting problems; driving in different countries; expressing shock

- health and medicine: Suddenly falling ill; Medical tourism; passing on messages

- life-changing events: catching up with news and gossip; Key life events around the world; showing uncertainty

- banks and money: Money-related problems; The Magic Moneybag; a debate about the lottery; apologizing and offering explanation

- food: How do you cook it? Food-related news stories; vague language

- business: I’m just phoning to, Dream and Achieve; using ‘would’ to be polite

- FCE practice tests:listening

Reading and Writing

The course is designed so as to p consolidate the skills learned in the previous semester for effective critical reading and writing.

The aim of the course is to develop students’ language skills and prepare them to understand and create multi-paragraph text, preparing students for writing academic texts in the future.

Upon successful completion of the course, students will master reading and writing skills at B2 level.

The students will also acquire a number of reading comprehension.

Content distribution

- Nature (u. 7); problem-solution paragraph revisited

The idea of a dependent paragraph

- Law and order (u. 8); writing guidelines

- Careers and Studying (u. 9); guidelines: job market: in-class writing

- Socialising (u. 10); emails: register differences

- Transport and travel (u. 11); formal letter of complaint

- Health and medicine (u. 12); summary revisited

- Life-changing events (u.13); paraphrase

- Banks and Money (u. 14); film and music review,

- Food (u. 15); restaurant review

- For and against

- common writing problems: run-on sentences, comma splices, etc

- teacher student conferences

- in-class writing

All the components will use the system of mid-semester and semester-final FCE-based tests to prove the attainment of the consistent B2 level in all the areas.

Use of English

Observation of participation, preparation and Moodle assignments or other homework completion, documented in an activity log (U1, U2, K1)

Mid-semester test and end-of-semester test (W1, W2, U1)

Reading and Writing:

Observation of participation, preparation and homework completion, Moodle assignments, documented in an activity log (W3, U4, U5, K2 )

Mid-semester test (W3, U3, U6)

End-of-semester test in the summer semester (W3, U3,U6)

Speaking and listening:

Active participation in class and preparation for it (K3, U10, W4)

Presentations (W4, U7, U8)

Vocabulary tests (W4)

Final oral test at the end of the semester (U7, U9, W4)

Assessment criteria:

Practical English course grades will be given in reference to the following criteria:

fail – 0 – 59%

satisfactory - 60 – 69%

satisfactory plus - 70 – 75%

good - 76 – 85%

good plus - 86 – 90%

very good - 91 – 100%

The final grade in the course is assigned to the average of the three components’ percentages.

The final test in every Practical English module is administered to determine the extent to which students have met the assumed learning outcomes. This test has to be passed for the successful completion of the course. Students who have failed a test are allowed one retake, which in case of the final test is administered in the retake examination session.

The students are evaluated in accordance with the university regulations, and they must attend all course meetings in a classroom or a distance learning platform. Informed participation in class discussions – based on completion of the assigned reading and supportive collaboration with classmates – is also required. Each class absence has to be excused in the first week after the lesson missed. The final grade percentage will be reduced for every unexcused absence from physical or virtual class or assignment that a student has failed to complete (homework or asynchronous learning).

A grade average of at least 60% must be achieved to pass each Practical English module, so the students who have passed the final test but failed to obtain the required cumulative grade point average have to retake the final test and achieve the result sufficient to make up for the points lost due to unexcused absences or failing course assignments.

Instructors are authorized to refuse credit when the student’s absenteeism rate is around 50% even if the absences have had valid reasons.

Timely completion of assigned tasks is obligatory. In the case of assignments submitted after the deadline or re-submitted, the grade is lowered.

NOTE: all the above principles apply to all kinds of classes: traditional classroom and all the forms of remote teaching situations. In case of online teaching, the tests may likewise be administered remotely in a form facilitating the verification of the achievement of learning outcomes.

In 2020/2021, the class is conducted remotely with the use of remote teaching and testing methods, primarily through the Moodle platform and MS Teams.

Use of English, Nelly Strehlau

https://moodle.umk.pl/WHUM/course/view.php?id=1669

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/channel/19%3a58071f6f74e84fa8aec1ec7dac9922d0%40thread.tacv2/General?groupId=910779ae-3a1b-4bf9-9d1d-428f5f1081b7&tenantId=e80a627f-ef94-4aa9-82d6-c7ec9cfca324

There will be the same moodle for Reading and Writing / Speaking and Listening; the TEAMS will be individual

Reading and Writing, K. Strzemeski

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/team/19%3a709533b241574bb2b03088fdd29410e7%40thread.tacv2/conversations?groupId=42fe382e-56b3-4030-82ba-4ff18b4faf09&tenantId=e80a627f-ef94-4aa9-82d6-c7ec9cfca324

code: 2bqex6e

Reading and Writing, Adam Rubczak

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/team/19%3a1b1ae26a91374a6f861e8ed7b54d435d%40thread.tacv2/conversations?groupId=93de6b0d-1285-4c4a-9785-3897fc70781d&tenantId=e80a627f-ef94-4aa9-82d6-c7ec9cfca324

Kod zespołu: xg09m7e

Listening and Speaking, Adam Rubczak

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/team/19%3a1b1ae26a91374a6f861e8ed7b54d435d%40thread.tacv2/conversations?groupId=93de6b0d-1285-4c4a-9785-3897fc70781d&tenantId=e80a627f-ef94-4aa9-82d6-c7ec9cfca324

Kod zespołu: xg09m7e

Listening and Speaking, Dan Karczynski

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/channel/19%3a5a5e4c3c8a704f56b482a53e0bd7a861%40thread.tacv2/Og%25C3%25B3lny?groupId=9120bdde-f43d-4a89-8434-46da668f637c&tenantId=e80a627f-ef94-4aa9-82d6-c7ec9cfca324

OR via code: scswqna

Listening and Speaking, Joanna Antoniak

MS Teams: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/team/19%3a7dc11e8b70a345b1a6907f13a2367126%40thread.tacv2/conversations?groupId=067784a8-a103-442b-8b5d-0d61b7667601&tenantId=e80a627f-ef94-4aa9-82d6-c7ec9cfca324

Kod: 4z6p8gm

oraz adres kursu na Moodle'u: https://moodle.umk.pl/WHUM/course/view.php?id=1860