Syllabus | Schedule | Tronclass
BEN11505 English Conversation 1
W 8:10-10:00, Rm R0310
Handouts
Instead of a textbook, we use handouts for each class to help guide our conversations. These handouts include questions and instructions for the activities we will do in class.
There will be a handout available for download on Tronclass for each week. Please, go to Tronclasse and download the handout, print it out, and bring it to class. You need to have the paper copy with you in class each week.
- Download, print out, and bring the handout to class. (Not bringing the handout to class will negatively impact your participation grade.)
- Find the handout on the Tronclass webpage.
- Use the handout before class to help you prepare mentally for class. I expect you to come to class eager to communicate in English with lots of ideas about what to say and questions to ask classmates.
Videos
Also on Tronclass, you can find one or two links to YouTube videos for each week. These videos reflect the language and topics we are discussing in class. Occasionally, we will watch one of these videos in class, but usually they are provided to help you prepare for class. Please watch the videos and pay attention to the language and ideas in order to be better prepared for classroom discussion.
Weekly writing homework
Every week, in addition to watching videos you must prepare for class by doing a little writing. Research the day’s topic on the internet, and by write a little bit about the topic in your own words. Come to class prepared to speak. Think ahead about what you want to say and look up words or special language you want to use.
Write about 200 words about the topic in answer to the question on the weekly schedule. It is very important that you write your own ideas without copying. The writing is informal. Don’t spend too much time trying to write a serious essay each week. Lots of vocabulary and grammar issues are more easily seen in writing than in speaking. By focusing on writing your own ideas in your own words, you will be better prepared to talk about the day’s topic, and you will be more clearly able to see what words you need to learn and which grammar points you need to improve.
Format this weekly writing correctly.
You will receive a grade of 1-5
- Something is written, but not much and it looks copied, and is sloppy.
- Writing is under-length and/or it looks copied. Poor format
- Everything is OK. Format good, writing is simple. Ideas are basic. Not bad.
- You have one or two good insights or interesting thoughts of your own. Format is good.
- Excellent. I can tell you really thought carefully about this topic and challenged yourself with your writing.
Panel Presentation & Group Discussion
This semester there is just one presentation and it is a panel discussion, after the midterm, done with your group.
- After the midterm, each group will be responsible for the class topic of one class hour. You must do three things to prepare for this.
- Discuss with your group and decide your topic before the midterm.
- Prepare a Panel Discussion related to your topic (20 min.): This will be presented at the beginning of your group’s week.
- 20 min. (10 minutes presentation, 10 minutes Q & A)
- This is a common format for discussion topics that is used on television with news and variety shows. It can be both fun and interesting. Each person in your group plays a different role and you discuss a topic in front of the class. You can best prepare by understanding your own position and anticipating questions you will receive from others about the things you say.
- May 8 will be used to prepare for this class.
- Prepare at least two follow-up activities for the class related to your topic.
- Make a handout and print copies for all classmates.
- The activities could include a game, a series of questions, a task to complete, or any other idea you can think of.
- Plan ahead: Discuss your ideas for your class’s day ahead of time. Talk with me about your plans and ideas.
- Choosing your topic. A good topic is something that you and most classmates will find interesting and that different members of your panel can present different opinions or perspectives.
- Each person in your panel is called a panelist, and each panelist expresses their ideas. You can role play another person or just be yourself.
- Panelists are experts or people with special experiences. For example, a panel on school bullying could include some of the following
- a person who has been a bully
- a child who has been bullied
- a bullied child’s parent
- a teacher from the bullied child’s class
- a government official from the ministry of education
- a school psychologist
- a classmate who is friends with the victim or bully
- A panel can be about a topic in general or it can be focused on one recent incident (the presidential elections, a new law, a specific crime, a new movie or book, etc.)
Evaluation
- Fluency. You keep talking without long pauses or searching for words or sounding memorized.
- Language. Good, precise vocabulary and grammar that helps to say your ideas clearly.
- Attitude. You seem interested in your topic.
- Depth. You say things that are interesting to classmates such as new ideas or information.
Midterm Discussions
The midterm is a conversation between 2-3 students about a question related to a class topic.
The midterm focuses on your ability to explain and defend your ideas related to one of the class topics from the first half of the semester.
Choose your group beforehand and sign up for a time. You do not need to attend the class when other groups are doing their conversation.
You will choose a piece of paper with a topic/question related to the topics discussed in class previously. Then, you will begin to talk about the topic with your partner(s). You can ask each other questions, share your opinions and ideas, and ask follow-up questions. I will be watching but will not speak. I’ll tell you when the time is finished. I
I will give you your grades in the first class of the second half of the semester.
Final Interviews
These are individual interviews held in my office. (10 minutes)
- Sign up for a time slot one or two weeks before the interview.
- You only need to come for your time. Otherwise, you are free during midterm and final exams.
- Please wait outside for me to open the door and invite you to come in.
- You can bring a classmate to sit in on your interview, if you like (it may help you to relax).
- Come a little early, but you may need to wait a little while for the interview before yours to finish.
- Interviews will usually be from about 10-12 minutes.
- I’ll ask questions to try to make you talk more deeply and give more details.
- Like your presentations, don’t try to memorize, but practice what you want to say many times using different words each time while trying to consider different kinds of questions that you may be asked.
Your goal is to speak with fluency, clarity and depth about a topic that you choose.
- The midterm focuses on your ability to explain and defend an opinion.
- The final is about going into more depth about one of topics discussed in one of the panel discussions (besides your own).
Remember that it’s important to
- make clear and specific points.
- talk more in depth about few topics than say a little about many things
- give clear examples to show what you really mean
- demonstrate that you really know something about your topic
- show that you can speak naturally and clearly making meaningful points
- These are the tree main criteria for evaluation
- Content: depth & detail
- Fluency: ability to keep talking without pauses, pronunciation, intonation
- Language: Word choice & grammar (accuracy & sophistication)
- The chart below provides more detail.
Grading reference for oral exams, both midterm and final
| Score | In General | 1. Content: Depth & Detail | 2. Fluency | 3. Grammar | 4. Vocabulary |
| 9-10 | Easy to understand and subtleties expressed well. | Makes meaningful, insightful and relevant points. | Few pauses. Can easily speak at length. Can naturally link ideas together to speak in depth. | Uses a variety of sentence structures, including simple and complex sentences. Verb tenses, etc. | Uses a variety of words accurately and precisely. |
| 7-8 | Small errors do not cause problems with understanding | Good ideas, but not always explained in detail | Few pauses, can speak at length, not always easy to connect ideas | A variety of sentence structures and lengths with errors that don’t cause trouble for understanding | Uses good words to express ideas. |
| 5-6 | Understandable with a little effort | Makes general points but seldom explains deeply or gives meaningful examples. | More pauses to search for words and. Sometimes restates rather than develops ideas. | Mostly simple sentences. Complex sentences often have errors. | Can express meaning but sometimes words are not accurate. |
| 3-4 | Understandable with much effort | The points made are understandable, but not explained. | Difficulty speaking at length. Longer pauses and short statements that are not always logically connected | Most sentences have errors making understanding somewhat difficult. | Word choices sometimes cause confusion. |
| 1-2 | Mostly difficult to understand. | It is difficult to understand what points are being made. | Short answers to direct questions. Little or no elaboration. | Few sentences without errors making comprehension very difficult. | Word choices frequently cause confusion. |