Academic Language Skills: Listening and structures 2

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Course description

The course includes advanced and proficiency grammar, use of English, and academic vocabulary and listening-oriented activities. It aims at preparing students for their C2-Level Practical English Exam.

ECTS points in relation to student’s duties

1 ECTS pt – 30 class participation hours

1 ECTS pt – 15 hours of consultation and/or exercise preparation for in-class discussion;15 hours of extensive listening and/or grammar exercises as take-home assignments.

Contact: tgadzina@uni.opole.pl

Course objectives

The course is addressed to students who begin composing their MA theses. It improves their C2-level competence. Through practical analysis of exam-oriented tasks with reference to the structures and vocabulary of English, and the language skill of listening, the course guides students towards their Practical English Exam. The course focuses on:

- developing students' command of vocabulary with special reference to the academic discourse,

- understanding authentic texts while listening and paraphrasing,

- improving students' knowledge of English grammar and structures used on the C2 level,

- developing exam task-solving techniques.

Course content

English tenses for past, present and future; passive voice; conditional sentences; understanding lexico-grammar, recognising and using collocations, using affixes to create a new word family, developing exam strategies; listening: general gist, details, specific information, interpreting context; listening to understand the meaning of a range of spoken material, including lectures, radio broadcasts, speeches and talks.

Reading list

A. obligatory reading (to get a credit):

A.1. used in class

Side, Richard, Guy Wellman. (2002). Grammar and Vocabulary for Cambridge Advanced and Proficiency. (Fully updated for the revised CPE). Longman.

Betsis, Andrew, Sean Haughton, Lawrence Mamas. (2012). Succeed in Cambridge English: Proficiency 8 CPE Tests. Global ELT.

A.2. used for self-study

Gude, K. & M. Duckworth. (2009). Proficiency masterclass: Exam practice workbook. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Mann, M. & S. Taylore-Knowles. (2014). Use of English for Advanced. London: Macmillan.

B. supplementary reading

More, J. (2005). Common mistakes at proficiency and how to avoid them. Cambridge: University Press.

Knowledge

Graduate knows and understands:

1. (k_W06)grammatical and lexical rules of C2-Level academic English, in particular English tenses, passive voice, conditional sentences (P7S_WG)

2. (k_W02)knows collocations and how to create a new word family (P7S_WG)

Skills

Graduate can

3. (k_U05) apply grammatical and stylistic rules of C2-Level academic English, in particular students can use passive voice, conditionals, and grammatical tenses, and decide which variant is more appropriate in a given context (P7S_UK)

4. (k_U05) identify and use lexicogrammatical patters and create a new word family (P7S_UK)

5. (k_U05) understand a range of spoken material and use English as a foreign language at the level of C2 (P7S_UK)

Forms of evaluation of effects

1. Informed participation in class and preparation to class – 1,2,3,4,5

2. Listening tests – 2,3,5

3. Tests in advanced grammar and vocabulary of English – 1,2,3,4,5

Criteria of evaluation

1. Active participation in class and preparation to class – 20% - continuous assessment

2. Two listening tests – 40%

3. Two tests in advanced grammar and vocabulary of English – 40%

Informed, participation in classes (pluses for informed participation in discussions and exercises: 2-3 pluses 3,0; 4-5 pluses 3,5; 6-7 pluses 4,0; 8-9 pluses 4,5; 10 pluses and more 5,0)

To get a credit students need to pass all tests.

Test marks are granted according to the following framework:

grade 2,0 (fail): 0–54%

grade 3,0 (average): 55–62%

grade 3,5 (plus average): 63–70%

grade 4,0 (good): 71–80%

grade 4,5 (plus good): 81–90%

grade 5,0 (very good): 91–100%