Practical English

The practical English course is a system of modules. During the course the students will develop their academic English proficiency with regard to use of English, reading comprehension and writing as well as speaking and listening comprehension at a consistent B2+ level proceeding to C1.

The three components are elements of one subject and each must be passed in order to receive a positive grade, calculated on the basis of the mean average from the three components.

The course consists of the following components:

Use of English:

The course will cover selected issues connected to practical English grammar and vocabulary, focusing on aspects relevant to language production of both texts and speech at upper-intermediate level over time proceeding towards advanced level (B2+ with elements of C1).

Content distribution (which may be subject to modifications depending on students’ expressed needs or ongoing diagnosis conducted in all components of the Practical English course):

- Revision regarding conditionals and the unreal past, nouns and articles

- Linkers, linking phrases and other types of linking clauses

- Passive voice and causative

- More complex sentence structures (continued)

- Inversion and emphasis

- Reported speech; reporting verbs and phrases used in reported speech

- Formal academic English – grammatical and lexical aspects; academic vocabulary

- Collocations and fixed phrases, academic idioms (continued)

- Synonyms and words easily confused (continued)

- Word formation practice (continued)

- Selected prepositional phrases, phrasal verbs and their one-word alternatives

Throughout the semester, students will improve their overall grammar and vocabulary skills through a variety of exercises (open and multiple choice lexical and grammatical cloze, transformations, and error correction) at the B2+/C1 level.

Reading and Writing

The course is designed so as to provide the foundation for effective critical reading and writing in selected academic content areas. Upon successful completion of the course, students will master reading and writing skills as well as key vocabulary required to decode written academic texts and complete written assignments at B2+/C1 level, using a formal academic register.

Content distribution:

- Building academic vocabulary and dictionary activities (continued)

- Developing academic reading skills

- Writing effective paragraphs (continued), and ensuring coherence between paragraphs

- Writing and evaluating a concluding paragraph in an academic essay

- Synthesizing citations, evidence and explanation; referencing and formatting the text in accordance with the NCU BA Stylesheet (continued)

- Using hedging in academic writing (continued)

- Using classification language, and recognizing the classification of information in a text

- Activities for integrated reading and writing

- Editing for correct grammar, spelling, and use of mechanics.

Speaking and Listening

During the course the students will exercise their skills regarding speaking formally in the academic register with regard to accuracy and fluency at B2+/C1 level. They will practise further their abstract vocabulary and their ability to activate such vocabulary during discussions with emphasis on the ability to specify, defend and modify their own opinions in discussion. In addition, the students will improve their skills with regard to academic discourse. The students will practice listening comprehension skills, including the understanding of longer oral academic texts and the comprehension of different varieties of spoken English. The advanced (intellectually stimulating) materials will represent varied society- and academia-related themes.

Content Distribution:

- Listening to confirm predictions, recapping/taking part in a seminar discussion

- Perspective and stance language/interpreting and using intonation

- Recognizing argument support, different strategies of emphasizing

- Evaluating arguments, responding to them

- Speculating and reflecting

- Recognising and exploring connections between phenomena

- Recognising analysis and evaluation stages

- Giving a presentation

Use of English

Required reading (selected chapters):

Hewings, Martin. 2012. Cambridge Academic English. An Integrated Skills Course for EAP. Upper-Intermediate/B2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Paterson, Ken and Roberta Wedge. 2013. Oxford Grammar for EAP. English Grammar and Practice for Academic Purposes. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Porter, David. 2007. Check Your Vocabulary for Academic English. A&C Black.

Vince, Michael. 2014. Macmillan English Grammar in Context: Advanced. Macmillan Education

Yule, George. 2015. Oxford Practice Grammar Advanced, Oxford University Press.

Resources available on the Moodle course page.

Additional reading:

Evans, Virginia. 2002. CPE Use of English 1. Express Publishing.

McCarthy, M., F. O'Dell. 2006. English Vocabulary in Use: 3rd. Upper Intermediate and Advanced

Swan, Michael. 2005. Practical English Usage, Oxford

Reading and Writing

Required reading:

Selection of texts and materials developed by the teachers, made available on the Moodle platform

Additional reading (selected chapters):

Chazal, Edward de and Sam McCarter. 2012. Oxford EAP. A Course in English for Academic Purposes. Upper-Intermediate/B2. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Critical Reading Questions. 2004. New York: Learning Express, LLC.

Folse, Keith S. and Tison Pugh. 2020. Great Writing 5: From Great Essays to Research. Boston: National Geographic Learning..

Hewings, Martin. 2012. Cambridge Academic English. An Integrated Skills Course for EAP. Upper-Intermediate/B2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

VanderMey, Randall and Verner Meyer. 2012. The College Writer Brief. A Guide to Thinking, Writing, and Researching. Wadsworth: Cengage Learning.

Speaking and Listening

Required reading (selected chapters):

Chazal, Edward de and Sam McCarter. 2012. Oxford EAP. A Course in English for Academic Purposes. Upper-Intermediate/B2. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Hewings, Martin. 2012. Cambridge Academic English. An Integrated Skills Course for EAP. Upper-Intermediate/B2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Additional reading

English language lectures, popular science podcasts and other resources available on the Moodle course page.

Assessment methods:

Use of English:

Observation of participation, preparation and homework as well as Moodle assignment completion, documented in an activity log (U1, K1)

Mid-semester grammar and vocabulary tests (W1, U2, U3)

Final grammar and vocabulary test (W1, W2, U1, U2, U3)

Reading and Writing:

Observation of participation, preparation and homework as well as Moodle assignment completion, documented in an activity log (W3, U4, U5, U8, U9, K2)

Mid-semester integrated reading and writing test (W3, U4, U5, U6, U8)

Integrated reading and writing final test (W3, U4, U5, U6, U7, U8, U9)

Speaking and Listening:

Continuous assessment of student activity in class work (W4, U10, U12, K3)

Assessed prepared and improvised presentations (W4, U11, U14)

Mid-semester test (W4, U12)

Final Speaking Assessment (W4, U10, U11, U12)

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.

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