PUSAT PENGAJIAN PENDIDIKAN JARAK JAUH

Academic Planner

JUE 100/2 PREPARATORY

ENGLISH

2013/2014 Academic Session

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JUE 100/2 – PREPARATORY ENGLISH LECTURER: SHAHRIER PAWANCHIK INTRODUCTION JUE 100 is meant for students who secured bands 1, 2 and 3 in MUET. It is a preparatory English proficiency course which is offered by the School of Distance Education (PPPJJ). This course adopts an integrated communicative approach and a mastery of English does not only involve knowledge of its linguistic forms but also on how, when and who these forms are appropriate. Thus this approach will help students make the transition from the linguistic structures to use of English in real life situations. It is hoped that this course will be a lively and stimulating learning experience. OBJECTIVES This is a pre-intermediate course designed to reinforce and supplement students’ skills in English. It will aid the students to acquire the necessary language skills which are useful for their future language development. The teaching of grammar will also be incorporated because it is important in accurate language use especially for everyday activities as well as in academic and job situations. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES At the end of this course, students should be able to:

(i) communicate in English with ease (ii) speak with some degree of clarity, fluency and accuracy (iii) read and comprehend a variety of texts (iv) listen to and comprehend different types of discourse (v) write with an appropriate degree of skill (with accuracy) (vi) use basic grammar structures correctly

METHOD OF STUDY We are using English Result (Pre-Intermediate Student’s Book) by Mark Hancock & Annie McDonald as our text. You are required to study and comprehend the linguistic forms and functions found in the book. Do the exercises on your own. I have placed some lecture notes on tenses, reading comprehension and writing (in the form of power point) in the PPPJJ portal (http://el.usm.my). Go through them and should you face difficulties, do not hesitate to get in touch. You are encouraged to refer to other English texts.

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COURSE ASSESSMENT A. Coursework (60%)

(i) Writing: Individual paragraph 10% Group assignment 10% 20%

(ii) Listening Comprehension & Grammar test 20%

(iii) Oral 20%

B. Final Exams 40% Total 100% Note: Writing (20%) Please refer to the instruction Group Written Assignment which is attached together with this academic planner. Send your group written assignment to the School of Distance Education, USM on or before Saturday 30 November, 2013. Listening Comprehension, Grammar & Oral Test (40%) This test will be conducted during the intensive course in January 2013. All the questions are objectives. The first section is on listening comprehension. You listen to two passages, and after each passage questions will be asked, you are required to identify the correct answers. The second section is on grammar and the third section is oral. Final Exams (40%) The exams will be based on reading comprehension, the linguistic forms and functions that you have learnt.

CONTACT You can reach me at the following address: JUE 100 Course Coordinator School of Distance Education Universiti Sains Malaysia 11800 Pulau Pinang. Tel: 04-6534572 e-mail: shahrier@usm.my I wish all the best in your studies, tests and examinations. Shahrier Pawanchik

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TIPS ON ESSAY WRITING: FINDING A THEME (1) A good essay has a theme or central idea on which the plan is based. If you choose your theme carefully, and make a good plan, the task of writing the essay will not be difficult. Your theme should be a single sentence which sums up the whole of your essay. Without a theme, it is impossible to make a good plan. TOPICS WITH A DEFINITE THEME Many topics contain a theme which needs to be a little more specific:

i. Describe a visit to an interesting place Theme: I will describe a visit to the aquarium (or to a floating restaurant, to Penang, etc.) ii. Is international sport a good thing or not?

Theme: I will explain that, although international sport can be harmful at times, it is a good thing on the whole.

FINDING ATHEME (2) Sometimes a topic may not contain a theme, as in the examples:

i. gambling ii. water iii. leisure iv. neighbours v. music vi. friendship

When this happens, you can use PC FAT (a fat policeman) to help you find a theme. PART CHRONOLOGY FACT ADVANTAGES TYPES P- Explain the PART which the topic plays in the life of man eg. its importance, influence etc. C- Show the CHRONOLOGICAL or historical development of your topic, explaining how it has developed through the years. F- Give a FACTUAL account of your topic, particularly when dealing with such topics as Glass or Radar.

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A. Consider the ADVANTAGES and DISADVANTAGES of your topic, or the good and the bad aspects of it.

T- Consider different TYPES of the topic, different ATTITUDES to it or different REASONS to it.

In addition to these five methods of finding a theme, there is one which we use when discussing a quotation or an argumentative topic; B- Discuss both side s of the statement and then give a conclusion or personal opinion if one is asked for.

Method i. Look at your topic ii. Try each of the five methods in PC FAT in turn. iii. Choose one method which will give you a clear theme. Then ignore the remaining

four methods. iv. Base your plan on your theme.

Example Topic: Success Theme: T – different types of attitudes Describe some of the different attitudes of people who are successful. Outline of plan:

Good attitudes i. To some people, it means service to the community. ii. To some, it means following the principles of a religion, and thus leading a good

life. iii. To some, it means building up a good family in security. Bad attitudes: i. To some, success means a search for money. ii. To some, it involves a search for power. iii. To some, it means fame and publicity. …… and so on. The plan is not fully developed here, but notice that it arises from

a theme. MAKING A PLAN i. Always allow at least 25% of the available time for making a plan. A professional

writer, preparing an article on gambling, the role of woman in society or a similar subject, spend more time collecting and arranging his facts than on the actual writing of the article. Planning is the most important stage in writing an essay.

ii. Base your plan on your theme. You then have two problems to deal with.

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iii. The first problem is to find facts. Remember that your brain is like a computer. You can get out of it only what you have already put in. If you

have read widely, watched television programmes, listened to radio, and discussed problems with your friends, you should have enough information stored in your brain.

When you are making plan, ask yourself such questions as ‘Why? And ‘How?’ and ‘What does this show us?’ and “Is there anything else?’

iv. When you have written your points down in rough, you must arrange them in a

suitable order. This is the second problem, and there are various way of solving them. Arranging your facts You can use one of these methods.

a. Put the most important point first, and then arrange the others in descending

order of importance. b. Give all the advantages (or good points) first. Then give the advantages (or

bad points). c. Use a time sequence, going from a past events to the present and then to the

future. You can use this method when writing about bridges for example. d. Pick out the most striking or significant point (especially in a descriptive

essay) and work outwards from it. e. When describing a person or a place, deal with the outside first and then

with the inside. For example, if you are describing your home, you could first give its general location, then describe its outside, and then deal with the inside of the building.

f. Arrange your facts in suitable groups in the same way as we arrange ‘like terms ‘in algebra. Then arrange the groups in descending order of importance or in any other logical sequence.

We could arrange these six points to make the mnemonics ITS OLD. I – important point first, then the others in descending order. T – time sequence S – striking or significant point first O – outside and then inside L – like terms D – disadvantages and advantages

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v. There are many topics in the newspapers such as:

a. sports news b. fashion news c. large advertisements d. photographs e. job vacancies f. government announcement g. wars, earthquakes, and disasters h. feature articles i. foreign news j. cinema advertisements k. letters from readers l. business news and comments m. accounts of trials n. activities of criminals

You can describe the contents of any daily newspaper which you sometimes read by using the guidelines given earlier.

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GROUP WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT (20%) You are required to work in a group (5-6 students in each group and not less) and the members can be from the same regional centre (Pusat Wilayah) or other states. Write an essay (using the guidelines that were taught earlier) on one of the topics that you have read in the local newspaper. The topic must be from the September, October or November 2013 newspaper.

i. Choose any ONE topic from your local newspaper:

Sports Education Crime Government announcements/policies Letters written to the editor on social issues

ii. State your theme clearly. iii. Arrange the points in any suitable order (paragraphs). iv. Conclusion

Your essay should be in about 500-550 words. You need to attach the newspaper cutting on the topic that you are writing about together with your group written assignment. You must identify the contribution of each member after every paragraph. A 10% mark is given for individual contribution. Say for example, there are twelve (12) paragraphs, specify his/her name for every paragraph that he/she has written.

All written assignments must be submitted to the School of Distance Education, USM on or before Saturday November 30, 2013. Failure to submit on time will cause you to lose marks. Try your level best. JUE100[PA+T]-2013/14 2/8/2013-SP/sari