This course will focus on learning and practicing conversational English skills by actively discussing various issues in pairs, small groups, and also as a class. Speaking skills will also be supported by listening activities and both basic writing and reading skills will also be required. Students are encouraged to actively participate in order to put into practice English that they already know as well as to expand their English language knowledge. A wide range of topics and ‘real’ vocabulary will be introduced to help students achieve this purpose.

By the end of this course, students should have improved their vocabulary related to certain topics and to have more confidence to speak on these topics more fluently. Weekly practice will give the students an opportunity to make their own English sound more natural and smooth while improving their listening comprehension during topic talks.

English Communication

Basic classroom methodology will be used to create an English-speaking environment in class for 90 minutes. Examples and new vocabulary will be shown on handouts but the onus will be on the student to communicate in English within their pair or group. Individual questions are welcomed. Initially many short conversations will take place, leading to longer ones further into the course. Towards the end of the course group discussion will replace repeated pair conversations.

Some of the topics that will be covered include:
1. Describing yourself.
2. Travel.
3. Music.
4. Family.
5. Movies.
6. Recommendations.
7. Opinion exchange.
8. Presentation and feedback session.

Students are expected to attend and participate in all class discussions. Thus, students must attend class regularly since every absence will have a negative effect on the student’s final grade. Be on time and be prepared to discuss ideas with others. The level of this course corresponds approximately to a TOEIC score of 380-530.

Please come to class prepared and on time.

Reports must cover all class activities and be detailed. Active participation in conversations is a basic requirement. Presentations must be practiced and not an exercise in just ‘reading’.

Topic speaking tests: 20% (4x5%), Country presentation: 20%, Movie report: 20%, Feedback presentation: 20%, Final speaking test: 20%.
*Students missing 1/3 of the classes will automatically receive a final score of ‘0’.

There is no required text for this class, but a good electronic dictionary is highly recommended.

This is a practical conversation course with a focus on developing communicative fluency.

Tuesday and Thursday 16:10-17:50