WHAT IS A CURRICULUM AL YAMAMAH CURRICULUMeslus.com/yamamah/Curriculum Manual.pdf · what is a...

MANUAL (WHITE PAGES) PREFACE PAGE 1

HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL PAGE 1

WHAT IS A CURRICULUM? PAGE 1

THE INTERLINK/AL YAMAMAH CURRICULUM PAGE 2

PEDAGOGICAL PRINCIPLES PAGE 3

CURRICULAR COMPONENTS PAGE 5

A CLOSER LOOK AT CORE PROJECTS PAGE 6

THE INDEPENDENT LISTENING PROJECT PAGE 7

READING/WRITING ACTIVITIES PAGE 8

USING A SOURCEBOOK FOR READING PAGE 8

INDEPENDENT READING PAGE 9

TEACHING WRITING PAGE 10

ASSESSMENT PAGE 11

CONCLUSION PAGE 14

APPENDICES (BLUE PAGES) PAGE 1

COURSE OUTLINE FOR ENG 01 PAGE 2

COURSE OUTLINE FOR ENG 2C PAGE 4

COURSE OUTLINE FOR ENG 2R PAGE 7












COURSE OUTLINE FOR ENG 4R PAGE48

READINGS AND RESOURCES PAGE 51

Curriculum Manual INTERLINK/AL YAMAMAH P. I-1

PREFACE INTERLINK was selected to provide English training at Al Yamamah College because of its unique program and record of success. For more than 25 years, INTERLINK has been helping students achieve English proficiency. Very few students enter our program without previous English education – sometimes as much as six or eight years. But all those years of English study often fail to achieve the desired result. Providing more and more of what did not work in the first place would be self-defeating, and INTERLINK instead has devised its own educational model aimed at producing proficient, confident users of English. The US curriculum has been re-designed to meet the needs and circumstances of an academic preparation program in Saudi Arabia. This manual is intended to provide teachers with all the background and information needed to understand the principles and mechanisms of the curriculum in order to use them effectively. Apart from utilizing the curriculum, the teacher must recognize and meet the challenge of getting students to accept and participate in a style of education significantly different from what they are accustomed to. HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL: The purpose of this manual is to help teachers understand the underlying principles of the INTERLINK/Al Yamamah curriculum and provide practical assistance in using and implementing the curriculum in the classroom. The structure and content of the curriculum is based on a set of assumptions about the nature of language, learning and teaching which this manual will attempt to clarify to help teachers make the most effective use of the projects and activities designated for each class. This manual presents both the theoretical and practical aspects of the curriculum – rationale plus guidelines and examples for successfully implementing the curriculum in the classroom. For a proper orientation to this curriculum, which may be considerably different from what you have used in previous teaching experiences, it is recommended that you read through the entire manual and view the training modules on the accompanying CD. (If you do not have a CD, you can access the modules (#1.pps - #9.pps) online at http://www.mines.edu/Outreach/interlink/LESSONS/AY/#1.pps) There is a lot of information to take in and you will return to the manual and modules many times to prepare for classes or plan specific activities. WHAT IS A CURRICULUM? First and foremost, a curriculum is a tool for teachers to use to provide students with what they need. The term "need" encompasses factors influencing students' conceptions of themselves as successful learners as well as the skills they require to turn incipient ideas into communicative products others can appreciate and understand. To accommodate the varying needs of students, a curriculum must provide structure and a framework for achieving desired outcomes. It should NOT, however, be a recipe book demanding absolute adherence to a rigid set of instructions and ingredients.

Curriculum Manual SAUDI INTERLINK P. 2

This curriculum has been designed to give teachers the utmost freedom in shaping classes around their students’ needs and their own teaching styles. A curriculum which fails to foster such freedoms or actively impedes them is counterproductive and detrimental to learning. The needs of the student should not be subjugated to the demands of the curriculum. Teachers preoccupied with covering designated material on a set schedule are like engineers so intent on getting their trains to their destinations on time that they fail to notice if the passengers have managed to get on board. The goal is to get the passengers, not just the train, to the depot. This curriculum seeks to re-establish the student as the main focal point of the classroom. It does so by constructing the track on which classes travel from activities and projects which integrate skills and promote whole language development. Focus on the student rather than on what materials must be presented or what chapters of a designated textbook must be covered is a basic aspect of this curriculum. The orientation is humanistic rather than mechanistic and the primary interest is in what is received rather than in what is given. What the students are doing in class is more important than what information the teacher presents. In attuning ourselves to student needs, we try to avoid giving students more and more of what they do not need and attempt to identify what they do need and supply as much as possible of it. In order to accomplish this task, we rely on the expertise of our teachers rather than the off-the-shelf solutions provided by textbook publishers. Our teaching is customized around our students and not dictated by the materials we happen to use. The tail should not wag the dog. Before continuing in this manual, please view presentation #1 on the CD. THE SAUDI INTERLINK CURRICULUM The basic premise of the curriculum is that learning is done by the learner. Self-evident as this statement may seem, the concept is not supported by conventional curricula which focus on what information is to be presented by the teacher rather than how the teacher can facilitate learning. Some fundamental principles arising from the basic premise are:

• The student must be engaged for learning to take place • The student is central in the learning process and must participate actively • What is learned depends upon what the student is ready to learn

These principles re-define the role of the teacher as one who facilitates learning by creating an environment conducive to learning, identifying and breaking down obstacles to learning, and engineering appropriate learning opportunities. For the most part, such opportunities consist of activities which enable students to use language as an authentic medium of communication, to interact with others through the use of language, and to develop their language skills by using rather than learning about language. Conventional curricula, focusing on information rather than interaction, typically rely heavily on textbook use as a means of presenting information and supplying opportunities


to practice the concepts covered. This approach presumes that all students in a given class need the same information at the same time and that lecturing or direct presentation of information is the best means for students to absorb it. INTERLINK pedagogical philosophy disputes both of these contentions and the curriculum has been devised to allow a more individual, needs-based approach focusing on language use rather than the presentation of information. Due to this fundamental difference, the INTERLINK curriculum looks very different from a conventional curriculum. There is no list of structures or functions assigned to each level. Instead there are descriptions of projects and activities, which serve as vehicles for stimulating students to use language. When students participate in language use, the teacher monitors the discourse, diagnoses and prioritizes problems and designs further activities to help overcome those problems. It is worth noting that the word “problem” is not used here as an equivalent of “mistake” but rather as a term denoting deficiency. When, for example, a lower level student uses a simple past-tense verb in a sentence that would be better constructed with a present perfect, or when a higher level student uses a direct quote where reported speech would be more appropriate, we are dealing not with true errors in language use but rather instances of deficiency. These students might well be ready to improve their language proficiency by experimenting with more sophisticated structures, and it is the teacher’s responsibility to afford opportunities for such experimentation. Before continuing in this manual, please view presentation #2 on the CD. PEDAGOGICAL PRINCIPLES Stemming from the basic premise that learning is done by the learner are three tenets that underlie the instructional dynamics of the program, namely that classes should: ! strive to be student-centered and address student needs; ! use holistic and humanistic approaches to enhance learning; ! focus on learning rather than teaching.

A closer examination of these three tenets will demonstrate some of their implications for classroom instruction. Student-centered learning places the learner above every other concern and consideration. Factors such as students' needs, educational backgrounds, cultural conditioning, idiosyncratic learning styles, and personal circumstances all play a role in how (and how well) students learn, and therefore, are of consequence to how we teach. A program of teaching should not be a Procrustean bed to which students must conform regardless of their individual needs and predilections, but should be flexible and responsive. Instruction must focus more on students themselves than on the materials of instruction. Textbooks are tools and not the core of a class and should never be allowed to dominate the conduct of a class. We cannot truly “teach” students but only assist them in their learning. The responsibility for learning belongs to the learner. The teacher’s role is to be a diagnostician, facilitator and guide who provides “a nurturing context for learning”


(H. D. Brown, 1980) and fosters the "learner's feeling of primacy in a world of meaningful action" (Stevick, 1980). In a student-centered classroom:

• each individual is respected • the needs of the students come first • students are encouraged to become independent learners • individual learning styles and preferences are recognized, appreciated and

accommodated Holistic learning refers both to teaching to the whole person (the humanistic view discussed above), and the integration of skills and materials within a given activity. These two ideas complement each other. Just as we cannot ignore the whole character of the learner, neither can we ignore the unified nature of language itself and teach such skills as grammar or pronunciation in isolation and without regard to real communication. Aiming towards holistic learning requires us to recognize the complex human nature of the learner as well as the intricate, abstruse nature of language as a medium of communication. A communicative, experiential approach promotes interaction between whole learner and whole language. The utilization of theme-based tasks is one way to emphasize the communicative use of language and allows us to present the different threads of language and of culture in a unified, contextualized, integrated manner. Holistic, humanistic instruction means that:

• a caring relationship between student and teacher is established by treating each student as a “whole” person

• language is best learned as a “whole” system and not a collection of isolated skills • linguistic and cross-cultural growth are inter-related and interdependent • lessons integrate linguistic, cross-cultural, and academic skills • students are encouraged to examine their own strengths and weaknesses and their

own individual styles of learning A focus on learning rather than teaching emphasizes the importance of what happens inside the learner rather than what comes from the outside. The goal is to allow students to learn heuristically, through discovery, and to develop inner criteria of correctness, rather than to provide information. Heuristic learning tends to be inductive, experiential, creative, self-motivated, and dynamic. The paradigm of heuristic learning is represented by a student solving a problem rather than digesting information fed by a teacher. Gattegno’s Silent Way exemplifies this concept. Concentrating on the work of the learner rather than the performance of the teacher, and seeking to help the learner to develop criteria for language use instead of promulgating rules, this approach focuses on learning how to learn and not the accumulation of discrete facts and pieces of information. A student learning through discovery learns how to master a process which can be used over and over, inside and outside of the classroom, during and after attendance at INTERLINK. Role-plays, simulations, puzzles and information-gap exercises are types of activities that promote heuristic learning. Setting up situations from which a student can learn requires more skill and patience than dispensing information, but the rewards are proportionally great. The role of the teacher is to be a


guide and to devise effective opportunities for learning. When the focus is on learning rather than teaching:

• teachers help students “discover” principles and relationships, and develop “inner criteria” for correctness

• "teacher talk" is kept to a minimum • independent study is targeted towards individual needs and allows students to

learn at their own pace • students learn through "doing" (experiential learning) • success is measured by what students can “do” communicatively and cross-

culturally rather than by what they “know” cognitively • covering specified materials in a textbook does not constitute learning • learning takes place outside as well as inside of the classroom through continual

language practice and cross-cultural contact Before continuing in this manual, please view presentation #3 on the CD. CURRICULAR COMPONENTS Up to this point, the discussion has been about the underlying principles of the curriculum. Now it is time to explore how these principles are translated into procedures used in the classroom. In other words, we are moving from theory to practice. The organizing principle of Communication classes is the Core Project. Core Projects are the basic vehicles for making classes student-centered, holistic and learning-focused rather than information-based. In place of lists of items to be taught, there are projects designed to generate interaction and communication, which in turn promote the linguistic, academic and cross-cultural goals of the program. Because a solid understanding of Core Projects is essential to successful use of the curriculum, we are going to look at them in depth and explore samples and models of Core Project design. From the outset, however, it should be understood that Core Projects are large frameworks that contain a number of individual activities that utilize and integrate discrete skills, and that build a cohesive, coherent structure as the basis of the class. The term Core Project connotes that the projects are essential and also that they represent the core or center around which various activities are created in the way that a pearl is created around a grain of sand. Three key points should be kept in mind about Core Projects. They are:

• vehicles, not objectives or final destinations • minimum requirements, not the totality of what is done in class • large units that integrate skill use and contain many mini-activities that may be

done over the course of the entire semester Core Projects are more like templates than rubrics or blueprints because they afford the teacher great freedom in choosing and orchestrating the constituent activities and the way those activities are conducted. A Core Project might be thought of as a big empty box


that holds a number of smaller boxes (activities). While the curriculum provides the boxes, it is up to the teacher, considering the specific needs of the students in the class, to determine the contents of the boxes. The Core Projects serve as uniform packaging for the varying content of communication classes. Before continuing in this manual, please view presentation #4 on the CD. A CLOSER LOOK AT CORE PROJECTS A Core Project is a framework for managing an assortment of related activities. It is designed to keep the focus of the class on what students are doing rather than on what the teacher is delivering or presenting. The projects allow enormous freedom in developing and implementing activities. In presenting the Core Projects and activities, the teacher should explain to students what is expected of them, how the activities will benefit them, and how their performance will be graded. It is recommended that activities be modeled before students start working on them to assure that there is no confusion about what needs to be done. At the end of an activity and of the project as a whole, time should be reserved for reflection and discussion about was done and what was learned. There are three types of core projects designated for communication classes: team projects, presentation projects and independent listening projects. Because working on one project for an entire semester might be wearing, there are two different team and presentation projects to be worked on consecutively. Work on project-related activities and language-related issues generated by those activities will occupy much if not all of the class time and also provide opportunities to use language outside of class. For teachers new to this curriculum, the paramount question is how the Core Projects translate into class activities and how these activities occupy students in class. The sample project presented on the CD (presentation #5) is intended to provide guidance in this area and demonstrate that projects don’t just provide thematic continuity but also generate a great deal of language that determines the learning agenda. Instead of relying on a textbook or list of structures and functions to determine what linguistic elements should be worked on, the needs of the students, detected through the project activities, determine the direction of the class. So, there are some project activities directly associated with developing the culminating presentation and others devised to deal with the linguistic and academic needs that become apparent while working on the thematic activities. The team and presentation projects work in a similar way, but their focus is a bit different. The team projects emphasize collaboration and interaction among classmates while the presentation project requires more research and individual study. Having two different projects to work on in the same time frame provides an opportunity for variety in the class instead of everything being centered on a single theme. The listening project, which will be discussed separately, provides yet another strand in the fiber of the class. Both the team and presentation projects require students to do research, synthesize ideas, communicate with others, and make a presentation to the class. Skills used in the course


of doing a project vary with level and project type but typically include listening, speaking, reading, writing gathering information, organizing ideas, time management, cooperation, use of computer and AV equipment, note-taking and public speaking. Teachers utilize activities for individual needs analysis and to guide students to work on areas of deficiency. Before continuing in this manual, please view presentation #5 on the CD. THE INDEPENDENT LISTENING PROJECT Language skills, like other skills such as running and bodybuilding, require regular practice. Just as a jogger benefits from a regimen of daily running and can’t expect to make progress by running occasionally or without an established daily routine, so the language learner benefits from daily practice. The independent listening project is based on the need for students to work on their English skills outside of class and to establish the habit of using English outside of class. The designated listening materials are intended to be used as follows: Each day, students listen to one segment, transcribe what they hear and submit their transcript to the teacher by email. Upon receiving the transcript, the teacher sends the students the official transcript of the segment. The student then compares his version with the teacher’s and makes corrections. So each day, a student listens to a segment, writes a transcript, and corrects the previous day’s transcript. The segments are short and range from 100-300 words (or about 1-3 minutes) depending on level. Students may need to listen to a segment a number of times in order to write an accurate transcript and each assignment should take about 30 minutes to complete. Students should be advised to spend not more than 60 minutes per segment but to do the best they can within that time span. The teacher should advise students to listen to the whole segment once or twice to get a sense of the meaning of the whole piece. Then, when they begin to transcribe, they can listen to small bits at a time. Students should also be discouraged from using a dictionary or getting help from others for these exercises. That would defeat the purpose in the same way a jogger’s workout would be made worthless by accepting a ride from a passing car. A useful repetition of lexical items and regular syntactic patterns is part of the design of the listening materials and should make it progressively easier for students to do the assignments. The continuity also draws the students into the story and stimulates their interest. This project, like the others in the curriculum, is intended to make the student rather than the teacher, do most of the work. The reason students are asked to transcribe what they listen to is to have a mechanism for monitoring students’ work. If a student doesn’t do an assignment, it will be immediately apparent to the teacher. The teacher does not correct the transcripts – that is the student’s job. He doesn’t even necessarily have to read them, although skimming through them will provide insight into students’ abilities and specific needs and even indicate if students are copying each other’s work.


The use of the designated materials for the Independent Listening Project does not preclude the use of additional out-of-class listening assignments. Especially in higher levels, the use of additional extensive listening materials such as books on tape is recommended. Before continuing in this manual, please view presentation #6 on the CD. READING/WRITING ACTIVITIES The thematic continuity that makes projects such useful vehicles for communication classes may not be as practical for reading and writing classes. It is possible for a Reading and Writing class to be centered on specific themes and to have students’ reading and writing focus on those themes. A teacher, might, for example, wish to have students play the role of a company CEO and to read and write reports, letters and memos from the perspective of a CEO. But it might prove difficult and cumbersome to find appropriate readings and to assign suitable writing tasks to keep such thematic continuity alive and such constraints may be more of a hindrance than a benefit. Therefore, a different organizing principle is used for reading and writing classes, namely, categories of activities. The activity categories designated for Reading and Writing classes, such as Sourcebook readings, and the writing of business letters, memos and abstracts, do not require (but allow) thematic continuity. In the case of business letters, the focus is on improving writing technique and learning the conventions of formal letter writing by writing and revising numerous letters on different topics rather than on being consistent to a theme. The intensive reading category allows for the use of texts or passages on various topics to promote reading ability. Even though thematic continuity is not an aspect of the activity categories, the holistic integration of skills rather than presentation of discrete skills is emphatically encouraged. The writing of a letter, for example, entails the use of many writing skills including organization of ideas, word use, grammar knowledge, punctuation, etc. It is important that the student’s focus be on the whole production of the letter, an intrinsically relevant task, rather than on the learning of discrete items devoid of a meaningful context. USING A SOURCEBOOK FOR READING Note: If Sourcebooks are not available, conventional textbooks will be used. However, teachers are advised to use the texts as if they were sourcebooks, as described below, and not to adhere to such aspects of the book as exercises and order of presentation that do not address student needs. In other words, use only what is germane and useful. Reading and Writing classes include both extensive and intensive reading. Sourcebooks contain the intensive reading material for classes - texts that will be examined in depth and for the purpose of working on specific skills including reading speed, comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, skimming and scanning, making inferences, reading critically, organization, etc. The order of the readings and how they are used to practice different skills is up to the teacher.


The Sourcebook, a collection of reading materials, is intended to take the place of a conventional ESL/EFL reading textbook, in order to a) devote as much space as possible to actual reading materials, and b) afford the teacher the greatest amount of freedom in determining what activities best suit the specific needs of a particular group of students. The term Sourcebook is used to stress the idea that it is a collection of materials and tools rather than a systematic plan or regimen for students and teacher to follow. The selections are “jumping off points” rather than self-contained units. They constitute a base or substratum for the scaffolding that the teacher provides to improve students’ skills. While students work on their reading, the teacher monitors and gauges their reading speed and comprehension, lexical and grammatical proficiency, background knowledge of the topics covered, summarizing and paraphrasing skills, and such affective matters as motivation, confidence, capacity to take risks, and ability to work with others, and devises appropriate strategies and activities to help fill in deficiencies and overcome obstacles. Textbooks tend to utilize a formulaic approach to reading by presenting a set routine of activities such as pre-reading exercises and post-reading vocabulary and comprehension questions. Such exercises may very well be useful, but it should be up to the teacher to decide when to present exercises and which exercises to use. Sometimes the teacher may wish to prepare students for a reading by introducing the topic with a short lecture or discussion or by using pictures or videos and may want to provide a glossary of difficult terms. Sometimes the teacher may take an opposite approach and see how much students can figure out by themselves without additional support. Whatever approach or combination of approaches is adopted, the goal is to get students to gain as much as possible from each reading and do not just “get through” it. Each selection should be thoroughly exploited and not simply “covered.” The purpose of the Sourcebook is to save the teacher the labor and complication of finding and making accessible to students appropriate text material to exploit. Ancillary activities and ideas for using the reading selections can be found in texts in the teachers’ resource room. If a good activity is found in a textbook, it can be adapted to the reading at hand. In addition to using quizzes and games to check comprehension, vocabulary and grammar, the training module on the CD provides additional suggestions for activities. Before continuing in this manual, please view presentation #7 on the CD. INDEPENDENT READING Extensive reading, for the most part, is done outside of class, although discussions and questions stemming from the reading enrich the daily class routine. Like the independent listening discussed earlier, extensive reading assignments are meant to establish a routine of out-of-class English use. The readings should, therefore, be as interesting and stimulating as possible. Onerous assignments that detract from the pleasure of reading or slow down reading speed should be avoided. Students should read for meaning, for content - and for enjoyment.


Students need to develop the ability to read in chunks of words rather than reading each word separately and sounding out each word. Extensive reading focuses on reading quickly for meaning. The teacher may want to assign a certain number of pages for each day commensurate with the class level and also suggest a time period for the reading. Extensive reading improves students’ lexical and syntactical skills on an unconscious rather than conscious level. The teacher’s main concern is ensuring that students do their daily reading (perhaps through writing in-class summaries or having small group discussions). It is up to the teacher to decide if students read the same or different books - there are advantages and disadvantages to each. Appendix 2 provides some possible choices for business-related extensive reading. The most important criterion in book selection is the material’s ability to engage students and keep them reading. TEACHING WRITING The writing requirements for this class include production of business correspondence, abstracts, memos and a research paper. It is primarily through the writing, review and revision of one’s own writing that improvement of writing skills is achieved. Textbooks on writing tend to focus more on exercises than on actual, sustained writing. This piecemeal approach is analogous to learning to play an instrument by playing scales incessantly instead of actually playing music. While practicing scales may be useful and even necessary, nobody takes up an instrument just to play scales. Preoccupation with technique can make learning feel more like a chore than a pleasure, frustrating the learner and making him lose interest in his instrument. The same is true for writing. The best way for students to improve their writing is to write, and not to learn about writing or do endless exercises dealing with specific aspects of writing. Unlike reading, which requires an outside resource, namely a text, writing instruction requires only the student himself to generate writing samples to serve as content. The teacher can and should have students do exercises in specific areas where their writing needs improvement, whether it be spelling, punctuation or organization, but the primary focus should always be the student’s own writing. There are many areas of intersection between reading and writing. Skills such as paraphrasing require interplay between the two. Reading selections, of course, serve as models for all aspects of writing. Deconstruction of reading generates the building blocks for writing. When a student understands what information a graph or chart reveals, he has the knowledge to construct his own. When a student gains knowledge about how objective statistical information can be translated into sentences and paragraphs, his critical reading skills are enhanced. Through writing more than any other activity the teacher is able to gain insight into students’ language capabilities and deficiencies. Organization and expression of ideas, grammatical accuracy and sophistication, lexical development, and depth of understanding about content are readily apparent from writing samples. Writing is, therefore, one of the most important tools available to the teacher to diagnose and attempt to remedy problems. It is essential for the teacher to develop feedback strategies and


mechanisms that allow students to prioritize and effectively deal with writing errors. The most important principle to keep in mind regarding correction and feedback is that the goal is not for the student to correct all the errors in a given writing assignment but to learn from the mistakes of each assignment so that they are not repeated in subsequent writing. It is writing practice coupled with solid feedback and suggestions that will ultimately make a difference in a student’s capacity to express himself accurately and effectively in writing. It must be emphasized that in the holistic approach espoused by the INTRERLINK curriculum, skills are integrated and many different kinds of things are learned together rather than in isolation. Spelling, grammar and punctuation are learned in the course of reading and writing. The conventions of writing including paragraphing and punctuation are addressed in the actual writing of actual paragraphs. If there is one principle underlying the structure and content of this sourcebook and the curriculum for this class, it is that students learn to read by reading and to write by writing. It is the teacher’s profound and unending task to seek out ways to stimulate students’ interest, maximize their sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, and get them engaged in reading and writing activities. Before continuing in this manual, please view presentation #8 on the CD. ASSESSMENT The word assessment is usually equated with grading students for their achievement on the basis of tests and other objective criteria at the end of a lesson, unit or term of study. While this type of assessment is obviously important, there are other modes of assessment that are equally significant, especially in the context of the INTERLINK curriculum and philosophy. Instructional Assessment (self-assessment)

While the term assessment might be immediately associated with student performance, instructional assessment is no less important. Self-assessment includes evaluation of overall classroom dynamics, and management and evaluation of specific activities, materials and lessons. The key function of this assessment is to continually refine and improve instructional strategies and effectiveness. Continued professional growth requires careful scrutiny of one’s methods and pedagogical experiences. Ongoing assessment of what works and what doesn’t work, along with reflection about changing pedagogical perspectives, is one of the hallmarks of a good teacher. Needs assessment (ongoing assessment)

As already indicated, one of the fundamental principles of the curriculum is that it is needs-based, and therefore, needs assessment is crucial for effective instruction. Every student is different and in order for each student to achieve the best possible results,


particular needs, abilities and circumstances must be addressed. One of the primary obligations of the teacher is to diagnose and prioritize the language, culture and academic needs of each student and to develop strategies for meeting those needs. Student needs change continually and must, therefore, be continually monitored. The most serious shortcoming of achievement assessment is that it is a final evaluation, coming, as it were, at the end of a chapter. It is final and unchangeable. Needs assessment, by contrast, is ongoing and dynamic, and focuses not on assessing what has been done but on identifying and correcting problems. Needs assessment is more critical than achievement assessment because it represents the attempt to improve student skills rather than merely appraise them. Consider a writing class where a teacher collects and grades a paper, assigns and grades additional papers, and at the end of the semester awards a grade based on the cumulative grades. Such a system represents an achievement assessment-based class. By contrast, imagine that a teacher assigns a paper, identifies the most serious problems, prioritizes them, and attempts to make the student aware of them and help overcome them. Throughout the revision process and assignment of new papers, the teacher tracks the identified problems and sees to what extent they have been corrected. If they remain problems, the teacher employs new strategies to deal with them. Needs assessment focuses on helping students overcome obstacles and improve proficiency. Proficiency assessment (placement) Incoming students take placement tests to determine their starting level. While a variety of instruments may be used to determine placement, holistic assessment is preferred to mechanistic assessment. In a writing sample, for example, evaluation is not based on quantification of errors or even a hierarchical ordering of errors but on consideration of the writing as a whole and the abilities it reflects. Likewise, communication skills are rated not solely by grammatical accuracy, pronunciation or lexical development, but by the student’s overall ability to comprehend and express himself in English. Achievement assessment (grading)

Whether we like it or not, in life it is hard to escape the phenomenon of evaluation. The question, “How did I do?” always comes up. Sports competitions end with a final score, products and services are appraised, books, movies and other artistic productions are critiqued and rated, and inevitably, school performance is graded. While assessment carries much baggage, it is essentially a tool for maintaining standards. Achievement and good work are recognized and rewarded while shortcomings are pointed out so that future performance may improve. Proficiency (their ability to perform work appropriate to the level) is the most important and heavily weighted grading criterion, but other factors (preparation, progress, punctuality, performance, participation) also figure in. A student’s class grade should be based on the cumulative results of many tests, observations, and work submitted over the course of the term. Because they receive grades for their work throughout the term, students should never be surprised at the final grade at the end of the semester. For the purposes of fairness, consistency, and maintaining high standards of achievement, the following criteria for assigning final grades have been established. Teachers should provide students with all details of the grading process at the beginning of the semester.


! Proficiency (how good is the student’s ability?) The most important criterion for determining a student’s grade for a class is proficiency because it reflects language ability and the readiness of the student to undertake work at the next level. The mechanisms for assessing proficiency include formal and informal testing, grading of projects and assignments submitted, and observation of presentations and other communicative interactions. Proficiency should be the basis of 70% of the final grade, and the remaining 30% should be divided, according to the teacher’s discretion, on the remaining criteria.

! Progress (how much improvement did the student make?) Students do not enter a class with the same strengths and weaknesses, and progress, therefore, is measured on an individual basis. Progress measures the difference between starting point and ending point. In our needs-based program, the teacher should look at what linguistic and behavioral patterns are most in need of change for the student’s communicative and academic skills to improve. Improving skills beyond initial capabilities is the focus of this criterion, but progress cannot be the basis of promotion by itself without accompanying proof of proficiency.

! Preparation (how conscientious was the student about assignments?) Preparation refers to the student’s execution of all homework and assignments done outside of the classroom and the student’s readiness for class based on completion of such work. Observation of in-class activity based on out-of-class assignments, homework collection, tests and surprise quizzes are all useful strategies for measuring student preparation and motivating students to come to class focused and ready to work.

! Participation (how active a role did the student take in class?) Central to the curriculum is the idea that learning is accomplished by the learner, and active learning is key to the experiential learning process. If a student doesn’t actively participate, learning will be diminished. Participation in whole class activities as well as small group work is important. Asking questions, offering answers, sharing opinions and ideas, taking notes, and even looking attentive are all ways of showing participation. Observation is the primary way to gauge participation and can be done daily and in virtually every activity.

! Performance (how much effort did the student put into the work?) Performance refers to how much effort and dedication a student invests in the learning process. The degree of effort a student makes is central to how much is learned and how much satisfaction derived from class. A student who does what is necessary to get by and no more, does not profit fully from the class. This criterion does not refer to performance vs.


competence or the execution of a Core Project, but to the student’s investment in his/her own learning.

! Punctuality/Attendance (how many times was the student late or absent?) A teacher cannot help a student that is not in class and a student’s tardiness or absence affects the progress and conduct of the entire class. Because “being there” is a sine qua non for learning, a student’s grade also takes into account how much class time was missed.

Before continuing in this manual, please view presentation #9 on the CD. CONCLUSION Having studied the content of this manual and the training modules on the accompanying CD, you now have an overall picture of the instructional elements of the INTERLINK curriculum and a sense of how to devise activities and a classroom environment consistent with the pedagogical principles underlying the program. Of course, it is experience and actual teaching using the concepts and procedures discussed that will make you a confident practitioner and give you ownership of this teaching approach. Two basic aspects of the curriculum should be kept in mind: 1. The main goal of the curriculum is to allow students to generate the language and language problems that are to be dealt with in the course of the semester instead of imposing what is to be taught. The materials designated for classes are not meant to be taught per se but to be a substrate or medium to support and nourish the language learning that is to take place. 2. The teacher’s role is to organize activities that promote language use and communication; monitor progress and diagnose needs; devise strategies and activities to allow students to work on deficiencies and problem areas; and above all to stimulate and nurture the students’ interest and engagement. The curriculum should be a useful but transparent tool for bringing student and teacher closer together.

APPENDICES

Curriculum Manual SAUDI INTERLINK Appendix P. 2

Course Outline

Course Title: English Level I Code: ENG 01

Course Length: 8 weeks Hours per week Credits 20 0

Course Description This eight-week course is about students learning to understand and learning to be understood in basic English. In this course students will learn how to communicate in English with a teacher and classmates in a basic way. Students will learn greetings and classroom language. Students will learn language that will help them, for example, to ask for more information, to ask other students who are listening to speak more clearly so they can be understood. Students will be expected to learn, which means understand, speak, read and write language that occurs in the first 250-500 words of English. They also will be expected to do listening homework using a CD that will be provided. Students will learn strategies that will help them to take control of their learning and learn by themselves. Course Objectives In this course students will

1 Attend classes daily 2 Come to class with a notebook, a pencil/pen and other items needed for

the class. 3 Focus on tasks, complete homework, cooperate with classmates and

contribute to a productive learning environment. 4 Recognize and use simple greetings, farewells and classroom language

correctly, 5 Recognize, understand and produce accurate spoken and written

English from target subject matter. 6 Recognize and produce accurate letters, words, sentences and

information questions. 7 Tell a simple story, telling about an event, and describe a process. 8 Know English alphabetical order and use a dictionary to look up words.

Books and Materials Reading Sourcebook 1, Saudi INTERLINK A dictionary Laboratory Students are expected to work in the laboratory during the class both individually and in groups. The Lab provides an opportunity for students to


practice their listening skills and work on pronunciation improvement and accent reduction. Students are also expected to complete a certain amount of listening homework each week. The nature and quality of this daily assignment will be worked out between the learners and the teacher. Further Comments and Suggestions for this course One of the more complicated problems of foreign language learning and teaching has been to define and apply the construct of motivation in the classroom. Because this eight-week course is about students learning to understand and learning to be understood in basic English, the task for the teacher to make the language classes interesting is the most important issue in the whole learning process at this stage. Though posters, charts, and magazine and book pictures represent “old-fashioned” teaching aids, they can be used very effectively by a teacher at this level. They are live, interesting and closely connected with real situations. They help a teacher to create and use game-like activities for learning. Students feel more relaxed and enjoy the language in the class. Also, realia are especially useful and important for teaching beginners. Objects always add some significant reality to the classroom. Realia are probably the oldest form of classroom aid, but their effectiveness in helping students to connect language to reality cannot be underestimated. Resources for the teacher Oxford Picture Dictionary Book Oxford Picture Dictionary CD Practical English at Al-Yamamah – Listening CD Reading Source Book 1, Saudi INTERLINK English Through Pictures by Richards & Gibson Resources for students Reading Source Book 1, Saudi INTERLINK Oxford Arabic-English Dictionary Oxford Picture Dictionary (computer laboratory)


Course Outline

Course Title: English Communication Skills 2 Code: ENG 02-C

Course Length: 8 weeks (half a semester) Hours per week Credits

Class time Lab time

8 2

0 0

Requirements: In order to succeed in a Saudi INTERLINK classroom, the student is required to spend many hours of homework each week preparing his/her knowledge of English. The student is to be prepared to give linguistically accurate participation in the class (of target communicative themes)—contributing to and initiating discussions. The student must not wait for the teacher to 'teach' him/her. The student is required to: 1) identify what needs to be learned; 2) do the necessary homework and preparation; 3) put preparation to practice in the classroom. Course Description: English Level 02-C is designed to continue the process of helping students learn how to learn. Students are guided by the teacher to discover an intrinsic motivation for improving their English. In this way, the teacher and the student are partners in achieving the students' own personal goals. Teachers will propose learning strategies for the students so they can learn effectively and independently, and become less dependent on teachers for reaching their goals. The teacher will also provide continual feedback about the students' learning process and strategies. The students are assessed continuously based on their dedication to improving their English. The student is not passed or failed based on quizzes and exams, but for the quality of his/her English and the work done to make progress. Course Objectives

1 Student begins demonstrating intrinsic desire to improve English 2

Student demonstrates basic academics skills: homework completion, organization of information, time management, and personal initiative

3 Student can recognize and produce accurate English about the most commonly encountered themes and contexts, such as: daily routines; health and body; family and home; basic errands; forms of travel; states of mind; describing an object and person; giving directions.

4 Student recognizes and produces appropriate quantity and quality of English sounds (based on #3, above).

5 Student recognizes and writes dictations based on #3 (above). 6 Student can contribute to a plan and present an oral report based on

http://www.esl-lab.com/



a group project. 7 Student can give an individual presentation in front of group, with a

minimum of reading. 8 Student can relate a simple narrative. 9 Student can ask and answer basic questions accurately.

Required and Recommended Books/Materials: 1) A binder with separators: the student must be able to organize all the information that is required to learn a language. Organized information makes it easier to access, remember, and become a part of you. 2) Oxford WORDPOWER Dictionary: This is available in the college bookstore. Core Projects # Topics Description Objectives/Purpose 1 Team Projects:

(a) Prepare and develop an Assessment Rubric to evaluate presentations of peers. (b) Discuss with partners most common daily routines and situations. Resource: Action English

(a) to develop critical thinking and self-assessment skills (b) practice having conversations about common subjects

2 Presentation Projects:

(a) Individual presentations based on: - partner discussions (1b above), without reading. - routines (home and school) - family and friends (providing photos) - an important person

(a) practice speaking in front of a group about target themes, without reading

3 Independent Listening Project (ILP)

(a) Resource: Oxford English Picture Dictionary (OEPD) (b) Resource: Practical English (c) Resource: Internet based Listening exercises: www.esl-lab.com

Whatever the ILP, these projects are to show the students how to learn on their own, while increasing their comprehension of English


Laboratory Two hours per week of class time must be spent showing the students how to learn from listening comprehension exercises, so they can get maximum benefit from ILPs in INTERLINK curricula. This 'Lab Time' can be spent in the lab on OEPD or on Internet-based listening comprehension exercises i.e. www.esl-lab.com. This can also be spent in class, doing listening exercises in class. The primary focus of Lab Time should be to show students how to get maximum benefit from listening comprehension work, which is a major part of all subsequent Saudi INTERLINK English classes. Further Comments and Suggestions for this Courses One ENG 02-C teacher recorded videos of student presentations, which really helps students to identify the areas they need to work on. And watching themselves is also very interesting for the students. Another idea is having students take pictures of their family, friends, weekend activities, then present and discuss these pictures (using the projector). This can be done as an individual or group project. Resources for the Teacher Oxford English Picture Dictionary (OEPD)– this resource is installed on all Computer Lab computers (verify this). The teacher can reserve the lab and use the OEPD as part of guided Lab Time. Or the teacher can assign Independent Listening homework on specific exercises of the OEPD. There is also an Action English program (CD), which can help the students to discuss common life situations. As well, Practical English (CD) can be used for in-class comprehension activities and possibly Independent Listening. Resources for Students Resources for teachers are also resources for the student. If the student is serious about improving in English, the student will ask the teacher about resources for improving. Students should be aware of the Saudi INTERLINK Student Resource Center and make full use of it.



Course Outline

Course Title: English Reading & Writing 2 Code: ENG 02-R


Prerequisites and Requirements Successful completion of ENG 01 or exemption from it based on placement test results. Course Description English Reading and Writing Level 2 is an eight-week course designed to introduce learners to reading and writing in English and to prepare them for success in their future college career. Study habits and learning to learn strategies are emphasized while developing learners’ awareness of assessment practices as learners are encouraged to understand and value learning as a process. Students practice reading and develop proficiency by using the Dolch Sight Word List to focus on phonics, spelling and other literacy strategies that can help build reading skills. Learner’s writing proficiency is developed by focusing on creating accurate sentences. These sentences can stand alone or be part of a longer piece of writing. Reading comprehension is enhanced using writing tasks that are based on the reading materials already encountered. Vocabulary is met, developed and reinforced as it is found in the context of the reading and writing components. Students practice dictionary skills. Course Objectives

1 Demonstrate behavior that reflects an understanding of what is required to be a successful learner.

2 Read and understand a text of 250 – 300 headwords at 25wpm. 3 Recognize and understand the Dolch Sight Word List and its phonemes. 4 Recognize and produce accurate sentences and questions. 5 Demonstrate an ability to recognize and write rhyme.

6 Demonstrate an ability to write multiple sentences that describe something or support an idea or theme.

7 Demonstrate an ability to edit one’s writing—sentence structure and spelling

8 Use an English-English dictionary.


Required and Recommended Books/Materials

http://ogden.basic-english.org/abpr.html INTERLINK Reading Sourcebook I Oxford Wordpower Dictionary Graded readers beginning at 200 headwords.

Core Projects # Topics Description Objectives/Purpose

1 Intensive Reading

In-class short reading, mostly stories.

To find and develop vocabulary proficiency

2 Extensive Reading

Reading of an easy story book outside of class each week.

To develop reading skills To read for pleasure

Further Comments and Suggestions for this course The prime focus for learners in this course is how to construct a sentence. By using the Dolch list, broken up as it is into five separate lists, the teacher is able to prepare many learner-centered, focused activities. Learners are presented with an array of words, perhaps a table with, say, 12 words, three rows of four words/four columns of three words. Task: Select 2 or 3 words in each row and construct a sentence using the words selected in one sentence. So the learner is challenged to think about how these words can be arranged in an accurate sentence. Learners find this an engaging task. Task: Learners select or are given a reading passage. Locate the target Dolch words in the text and identify the sentence containing it. Ask the learner to create a similar sentence paralleling the usage of the Dolch words in the original text. The idea of this course is also to help the learners improve their reading proficiency. The concept that by raising awareness of the Dolch Sight Word list and by paying particular attention to the sounds of the relevant phonemes, learners will develop their proficiency in English word recognition and the accompanying meaning of the words both on the pages as well as in speech. In order for this course to be effective, learners must be focused on: 1) building accurate sentences using the Dolch list. 2) learning how these words actually work in sentences and what role they play in conveying meaning. 3) giving attention to the sound of the phonemes to help spelling and word recognition. Resources for the teacher

http://ogden.basic-english.org/abpr.html


Phonetics books Resources for students


Course Outline Course Title: English Communication Skills 3 Code: ENG 03-C


Prerequisites and Requirements Successful completion of ENG 02-C or exemption from it based on placement testresults. Course Description

ENG 03-C is required of students whose skills are below those required for the Preparatory Year English level 4C. Emphasis is on refining the ability to understand and accurately produce comprehensible speech, building significant basic vocabulary, and learning idioms and stock phrases to facilitate conversational interaction. Students continue learning to formulate and respond to questions in coherent, grammatically accurate phrases, rather than monosyllabic responses or strings of words. Students practice giving basic descriptions of objects and events, telling what happened or will happen, and following and giving directions. Inductive learning is promoted to motivate students and allow them to experiment with language. Students are exposed to a large amount of “comprehensible input” both in and out of class to familiarize them with English structure and vocabulary. Students become more proficient in responding to verbal and non-verbal cues with simple but appropriate and accurate language.

Course Objectives 1 Demonstrate the study and organization skills needed in a college context. 2 Demonstrate public speaking skills. 3 Demonstrate appropriate confidence in spoken English. 4 Demonstrate the ability to lead and prepare English language games.

5 Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly in past, present and future contexts.

6 Demonstrate the ability to clearly compare, describe, and tell stories. 7 Demonstrate the ability to self correct pronunciation.

8 Demonstrate the ability to converse using expressions and vocabulary that is appropriate for level.

9 Competently complete the process of creating and presenting presentations. 10 Demonstrate 1250 word comprehension and production capacity.



Oxford Word Power Dictionary Listening CD as chosen by the teacher


1

Team Project: Choose a career

Each team chooses or creates a career and describes the pros and cons, salaries, responsibilities and how to prepare for it, etc.

Students begin to use English for authentic communicative purposes as they collaborate with classmates and start to develop academic skills as they do research for their projects.

2

Presentation Project: Game Time

Each week, each student hosts a language-based class game such as Simon Says, 20 Questions, or Telephone.

Students work on organizing information and transforming their ideas into English sentences as they prepare short presentations to deliver to their classmates. Pronunciation and grammar are targeted along with non-linguistic aspects of public speaking.

3 Independent Listening Project

Students are assigned a specific listening task to be done outside of class each day and to transcribe or paraphrase and analyze what has been heard.

Independent, monitored listening tasks improve overall listening skills, develop vocabulary and syntax, and provide practice in transcription, note-taking, and paraphrasing.

Laboratory Students will be asked to use both the Computer Laboratories and Resource Room for various projects, listening exercises and additional work as recommended by the teacher. Further Comments and Suggestions for this course


Often a student will come in at a level lower than the others in the class. This can create a problem for his/her ability to participate in the class. The teacher should not hesitate to give him/her additional work to complete or to assign some time in the resource room in order to help in the achievement of satisfactory proficiency. Resources for the teacher

- Aesop’s listening CD - www.eslmonkeys.com - Preliminary Listening CD (03-C &04-C collection) - www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/index.shtml - http://eslus.com/esl/resource.htm

Resources for students - Student Resource Room - Suggestions by other students for sources of helpful listening input - www.onestopenglish.com - www.esl-lab.com - www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/index.shtml - http://eslus.com/esl/resource.htm Homework Learners are expected to complete daily, weekly, and term assignments. The nature and quantity of these assignments will be negotiated and determined collectively by the learners and the teacher.

http://www.eslmonkeys.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/index.shtml

http://eslus.com/esl/resource.htm

http://www.onestopenglish.com/


http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/index.shtml

http://eslus.com/esl/resource.htm


Course Outline

Course Title: English Reading & Writing 3 Code: Eng 03-R


Prerequisites and Requirements Successful completion of ENG 02-R or exemption from it based on placement test results. Course Description This basic reading and writing class is for students with no English language background or extremely rudimentary English language skills. Developing literacy skills, syntactical competence and a working vocabulary, is the focus of the class. Students practice reading and writing skills. In writing, students learn to form syntactically correct, complete, coherent sentences and punctuate them correctly and then learn how to connect sentences semantically, with good transitions and antecedents to make coherent paragraphs. Students read extensively outside of class using simple texts appropriate to their abilities. In class, intensive reading exercises will help students develop the ability to guess/infer meaning, read without relying on a dictionary, extract meaning from a text and improve reading speed. Course Objectives 1 Ability to write in, and recognize, English cursive letters.

2 Ability to write complete sentences with satisfactory syntax and word order.

3 Ability to write a cohesive paragraph with a clear main idea and support.

4 Development of vocabulary and its use in writing. 5 Ability to read and comprehend simple narrative and descriptive texts. 6 Developing good sentence structure and increasing writing fluency. 7 Ability to describe a process or tell a story using connected sentences. 8 Ability to edit and correct for basic spelling and punctuation.

9 Ability to know English alphabetical order and use an English-English dictionary to look up words.


Required and Recommended Books/Materials The students who take the course must prove they have read at least four (4) basic readers during the eight-week course. Learners must bring to class a Longman Basic Dictionary of American English or Oxford WordPower Dictionary. Electronic Dictionaries should not be allowed in class owing to the poor ability the students have in looking up words. Core Projects # Topics Description Objectives/Purpose

1 Intensive readings

Learners will do most of the reading of the course outside the class. Each student has to provide evidence of having read at least four (4) books during the term.

Using textbooks or sourcebooks, students practice basic reading skills including letter-to-sound correspondences, word recognition, basic sentence patterns and punctuation conventions, and most importantly, extracting meaning from the written word.

2

Extensive readings

Students read simple but engaging texts augmented with pictures in class to become accustomed to the written word.

Appropriate readings used to stimulate interest and increase reading pleasure while augmenting knowledge of vocabulary and grammatical structures.

3 Journal writing

All learners must keep a daily journal in which they describe what they have done in and outside the class.

Keeping a daily learning journal allows students to develop writing fluency and ease and also communicate their ideas and concerns through their writing. The journals will serve as lasting documentation of a key transitional period in the student’s development.

4

Paragraph writing

By writing and revising a series of topics, students learn to write simple but structurally accurate sentences and paragraphs.

Through this writing, students learn syntactic and lexical elements along with such writing conventions as paragraph form, capitalization, indentation,


punctuation, and letter format

Laboratory The class as a whole will have a minimum of one hour of laboratory activities per week during the eight-week course. Further Comments and Suggestions for this course The teacher can easily monitor what the student is writing in class. A bit more difficult will be to follow up on the reading done outside class. In order to do this, the teacher can either interview the students at reasonable periods of time or have the students describe the books they have been reading. These can be complemented by having the students write short texts which summarize what they have read during the week. Resources for the teacher Laptop computer Video projector Local newspapers Local magazines Resources for students English Dictionary Graded Readers Internet Magazines SILC Resource Center Library.


Course Outline


Course Length: 8 weeks (half a semester) Hours per week Credits 10 0


This class is required for all students who are not yet ready for the orientation-year English Courses. The objectives below are skills that students need to learn to be ready for the next level. These skills will give them a good foundation for the orientation-year classes. Without these skills they will not be successful. The students will determine the amount of English they learn by how much effort and initiative they put into the learning process.

Course Objectives 1 Be able to understand and use 1750 common words. 2 Be able to understand and use common expressions in conversations. 3 Be able to understand and use information in a listening format. 4 Be able to think in English (no translation from Arabic to English). 5 Have a suitable level of fluency to discuss common topics. 6 Learn good public-speaking skills. 7 Prepare presentations using Power Point. 8 Develop good study and organizational (academic) skills.

Required and Recommended Books/Materials 1. Students are expected to keep an organized binder of their ongoing work

in the class. The specific content of this binder will be discussed in class. The binder should reflect the effort students have put into the learning process. The binder should be available for review by the teacher during every class period.

2. A CD for the Independent Listening Project. 3. Any useful English language learning website which provides extra

listening material for practice inside and outside the classroom. Core Projects # Topics Description Objectives/Purpose

1 Team Projects One of the following:1. Comparing

Working cooperatively on challenging “hands-


Cultures: students choose some aspects of two different cultures in the world to compare and contrast. They can compare Saudi culture with any other culture in the world.

2. Services in Riyadh: students choose a service sector in Riyadh to conduct a research project on.

on” projects which integrate oral communication skills and research requiring academic skills prepare students for the linguistic and academic challenges of regular coursework.

2 Presentation Projects

Every week, each student has to give an individual presentation. The student can either choose his/her own topic (a free topic) or choose to do the topic which the whole class suggests and has agreed to work on for the given week. For example, possible topics include wars in history, major inventions, landmarks in Saudi Arabia, food around the world, etc.

Presentations based on personal research provide opportunities for students to use oral communication skills in a structured yet authentic way. Listening and speaking (including grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation), as well as academic and critical thinking skills are practiced in the performance of these Core Projects.

3 Independent Listening Project

Each student has to transcribe three tracks from the prescribed CD every week and send them by email to the teacher who replies with the original version. The student must print his/her version and use the original to correct his/her mistakes. Both copies must be available in the student’s binder for the teacher to review.

Independent, monitored listening tasks improve overall listening skills, develop vocabulary and syntax, and provide practice in transcription, note-taking, and paraphrasing.


Laboratory Regular sessions should be conducted in the computer laboratory to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their listening ability. Further Comments and Suggestions for this course Each DAY, students are expected to: 1. Speak only in English; insist that other students speak English; and

correct the English of other students. 2. Demonstrate active participation and listening by taking notes, asking

questions, making thoughtful comments to class discussions and student presentations.

3. Develop and use strategies for learning English independently and show this work in their course binder.

4. Keep a well-organized binder of all English skills development work (independent work should also be included).

5. Participate actively in all class activities. Each WEEK, students are expected to:

1. Perform all tasks required. 2. Research, prepare and give one (1) Individual Presentation per week. 3. Research, prepare and give one (1) Group Presentation Project

progress report (update) per week. 4. Bring topics of interest to class for discussion and/or debate and

present new vocabulary (‘key terms’) of the topic to teach class new words.

5. Complete three listening transcriptions and do the corrections. Resources for the teacher

1. The students’ own suggestions. 2. The INTERLINK website:

http://www.mines.edu/Outreach/interlink/ExternTeacRes.shtml 3. Any useful website which helps the students reach the course

objectives, such as: • http://www.eslflow.com/debateanddiscussionlessons.html • http://www.esl-lab.com/ • http://www.wilderdom.com/games/

Resources for students

4. The students’ own suggestions. 5. The INTERLINK website:

http://www.mines.edu/Outreach/interlink/ExternTeacRes.shtml 6. Any useful website which helps the students reach the course objectives,

such as: • http://www.eslflow.com/debateanddiscussionlessons.html • http://www.esl-lab.com/

http://www.wilderdom.com/games/

http://www.mines.edu/Outreach/interlink/ExternTeacRes.shtml

http://www.eslflow.com/debateanddiscussionlessons.html




http://www.eslflow.com/debateanddiscussionlessons.html




Course Outline

Course Title: English Reading &Writing Level 4 Code: ENG 04-R


Prerequisites and Requirements Successful completion of ENG 03-R or exemption from it based on placement test results. Course Description This high elementary reading and writing class is designed for students to develop their literacy skills, syntactical competence and their vocabulary. Students practice reading and writing skills and use the computer to write in English. In writing, students learn to form syntactically correct, complete, coherent sentences and punctuate them correctly and then learn how to connect sentences semantically, with good transitions and antecedents to make coherent paragraphs. Students read extensively outside of class using simple texts appropriate to their abilities. In class, intensive reading exercises will help students develop the ability to infer meaning from context, read without relying on a dictionary, extract meaning from a text and improve reading speed. Course Objectives 1 Ability to use pre-writing strategies.

2 Ability to write complete sentences with satisfactory syntax and word order.

3 Ability to write short essays that state an opinion and support it with ideas and arguments.

4 Ability to read/write/comprehend simple narrative and descriptive texts.

5 Ability to read and understand writing at a rate of 75 words per minute. 6 Ability to edit and correct for basic spelling and punctuation. 7 Ability to efficiently use an English-English dictionary to look up words.

Required and Recommended Books/Materials Reading Power Penguin Collected American Classics, Volume 1, Level 1&2 Longman Basic Dictionary of American English and/or Oxford Wordpower Dictionary Betty Azar, Basic English Grammar (Red Azar) Betty Azar, Fundamentals of English Grammar (Black Azar) The Essentials of English: A Writer’s Handbook Core Projects # Topics Description Objectives/Purpose

1 Outside Students will read three To expose students to


Reading of Selected Short Stories

short stories acceptable to their level and summarize the readings.

authentic English- language writings and to increase their vocabulary and use of idioms.

2 News Summaries

Students will find six news stories from print or internet sources and summarize them in paragraph form.

To expose students to authentic English- language materials, increase their vocabulary and use of idioms.

Further Comments and Suggestions for this course Considerable latitude should be given to the students to choose materials that are appealing and relevant to them and on which they will write.


Course Outline Course Title: English Communication Skills 5 Code: ENG 05-C

Course Length: 8 weeks (half a semester) Hours per week Credits 10

Prerequisites and Requirements: Successful completion of ENG 04-C or exemption from it based on placement test results. Course Description This intermediate class in English communication skills introduces students to essential structures and vocabulary and accustoms students to using English as a tool for communication. Students increase their oral comprehension skills by working with a variety of formal and informal, casual and academic language. English production skills, including grammatical accuracy, pronunciation, vocabulary and fluency, are enhanced through participation in a variety of communication-intensive Core Projects which also prepare students for future academic and professional demands. The format of the class is interactive and participatory. Course Objectives

1 An improvement of listening comprehension, pronunciation, knowledge of English structure and vocabulary through the INDEPENDENT LISTENING PROJECT

2 The development of advanced vocabulary use and fluency through research of a broad range of topics in the INDIVIDUAL and GROUP PRESENTATION PROJECTS. Demonstration of such vocabulary usage throughout a variety of course activities.

3 A satisfactory improvement in confidence and fluency in speaking English in front of a group of people on a variety of themes with due sensitivity to interest, relevance and knowledge level of audience.

4 The development and demonstration within and outside class of effective learning strategies and skills that assist with improving communicative, pronunciation and listening skills.

5 The development of the ability to think critically and express complex ideas through presentations and discussions.

6 Demonstration of knowledge of how to prepare and give oral presentations with visual aids, but balancing their use with the purely oral component of the presentation.

7 Demonstration of an ability to recount and synthesize information including the use of properly sourced and listed pre-presentation research.

8 The conducting of simple interviews in English, gathering information and presenting it in a coherent, logical manner in preparation of group presentations.


9 An ability to respond to presentations in a timely, relevant and logical manner issues.

10 The development of an ability to paraphrase and summarize through presentations and discussions.

Required and Recommended Books/Materials: Primarily, source resources with Internet or to be negotiated with students consistent to curriculum. A Listening CD to be chosen by the team and for use in the ILP. Core Projects # Topics Description Objectives

1

Team Project: Community Spotlight

Each team selects members of the campus and/or community to interview and presents a multimedia collage based on it.

Working cooperatively on challenging “hands-on” projects which integrate oral communication skills and research requiring academic skills prepare students for the linguistic and academic challenges of regular coursework.

2

Presentation Project: News Flash

Students choose one news item per week to summarize to the rest of the class.

Presentations based on personal research provide opportunities for students to use oral communication skills in a structured yet authentic way. Listening and speaking (including grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation), as well as academic skills are practiced in the performance of these Core Projects.

3

Independent Listening Project

Students are assigned a specific listening task to be done outside of class each day and to transcribe or paraphrase and analyze what has been heard.

Daily independent, monitored listening tasks improve overall listening skills, develop vocabulary and syntax, and provide practice in transcription, note-taking, and paraphrasing.

Pronunciation/Listening Lab Regular sessions should be conducted in the computer laboratory to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their listening ability. Further Comments and Suggestions for this course


Independent Listening Project: follow these three steps: first, students listen to a story separated into tracks and write down what they hear; second, they present this work to the teacher who will give them a copy of the original track; and third, the student compares his work with the original track, making corrections and developing structural and vocabulary knowledge. Each DAY, students are expected to: 1) Speak only in English; insist that other students speak English; and correct the English of other students. 2) Demonstrate active participation and listening by taking notes, asking questions, making thoughtful comments to class discussions and student presentations. 3) Develop and use strategies and skills for learning English independently and show this work in their course binder. 4) Keep a well-organized BINDER of all English skills development work (independent work should also be included). Each WEEK, students are expected to: 1) Complete all steps of Listening Track Project (see above) for a minimum of three (3) listening tracks per week. 2) Research, prepare and give one (1) Individual Presentation Project (see above) per week. 3) Research, prepare and give one (1) Group Presentation Project (see above) progress report (update) per week. 4) Bring topics of interest to class for discussion and/or debate and present new vocabulary (‘key terms’) of the topic to teach class new words. 5) Participate Resources for the teacher Resources for students


Course Outline

Course Title: English Reading &Writing 5 Code: ENG 05-R


Prerequisites and Requirements Successful completion of ENG 04-R or exemption from it based on placement test results. Course Description In this course students will learn how to present their ideas in a coherent five-paragraph essay. Particular emphasis will be put on pre-writing strategies and revision. Problems will be worked on to enable students to develop an inner sense of correctness. They will learn how to use reference and research tools. In addition, students will practice extensive and intensive reading with an objective to significantly improving reading speed and comprehension. They will gain confidence in their reading skills and become more adept at working out the meaning of unknown words from context, and learn how to develop schema for texts they are reading. They will become used to reading without the aid of a dictionary. Students will gain practice in recognizing the main ideas and organization of paragraphs in an essay and structural elements of passages will be stressed. Course Objectives

1 Ability to read/comprehend simple narrative and descriptive texts at 100 wpm.

2 Ability to identify main ideas and supporting details in text. 3 Ability to skim and scan a variety of texts for specific information.

4 Ability to obtain get and interpret information from charts, graphs and illustrations.

5 Ability to use context and word form clues for comprehension and evidence of expanded vocabulary.

6 Ability to write with improved sentence structure and increased writing fluency.

7 Ability to use pre-writing strategies. 8 Ability to edit and revise written work with minimal teacher guidance. 9 Ability to summarize text.

10 Ability to write a basically structured five-paragraph essay with satisfactory introduction, body and conclusion and proper transitions between paragraphs.

11 Ability to perform basic online research, including the accessing and downloading of suitable text for in-class reading activities and online resources such as a thesaurus.


12 Ability to use a computer for the writing and editing of text. Required and Recommended Books/Materials

Saudi INTERLINK Sourcebook III Oxford Readers Penguin Readers


1 Intensive reading

Reading short passages on a variety of topics

Improve general understanding and develop strategies for locating and extracting information. Focus on organization of text and recognition of different types and styles of writing.

2 Extensive reading

Reading for pleasure

increasing comfort with the written word, stimulating interest in reading, increasing reading speed, developing schemata, and becoming accustomed to reading without the help of a dictionary

3 Essay writing

Five-paragraph essays with a thesis statement, topic sentences, good transitions, and coherent overall structure.

Prepares students for formal, academic writing assignments.

Further Comments and Suggestions for this course 1) Students should have several intensive writing sessions. These sessions involve planning an essay, writing a rough copy, editing it and then writing a clean copy in one class meeting. 2) Students should be made accountable each week for their reading outside of class. Methods for accountability include book reports, essays and book conferences.


Resources for the teacher INTERLINK online resources http://www.mines.edu/Outreach/interlink/ExternTeacRes.shtml Essay Topics http://kazuo.fc2web.com/English/TOEFL-essay.htm Mickulecky, Beatrice. More Reading Power Resources for students INTERLINK Resource Center Purdue Online Writing Lab http://owl.english.purdue.edu/oldindex.html


http://kazuo.fc2web.com/English/TOEFL-essay.htm

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/oldindex.html


Course Outline



Prerequisites and Requirements Successful completion of ENG 05-C or exemption from it based on placement test results. Course Description This is an intermediate English communication skills class. Its purpose is to reinforce and refine students’ oral comprehension and speaking fluency. More specifically, students use English in developing academic skills such as ‘active listening,’ discussions which demonstrate critical thinking, summarizing, and giving prepared oral presentations. Such skills are honed through Core Projects, which integrate the skills of listening, making comments, asking questions, researching, making notes for public speaking, and giving formal and informal presentations. The format of this class is interactive and participatory and requires a high level of consistent participation by students for successful completion. Course Objectives

1 An Improvement in listening comprehension, pronunciation, knowledge of English structure and vocabulary through the INDEPENDENT LISTENING PROJECT.

2 The development of advanced vocabulary use and fluency through research of a broad range of topics in the INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP PRESENTATION PROJECTS.

3 An improvement in confidence and fluency in speaking English in front of groups of people on a variety of themes.

4 The development of an inner sense of correctness and a knowledge and consistent application (in everyday life) of strategies for learning English independently.

5 An improvement in ability to critically think, discuss formally and informally, evaluate opinion and express complex ideas using appropriate vocabulary. This includes the ability to examine and explain both sides of the issues and to be able to support their ideas.

6 Demonstration of creativity during the “Ad campaign” group presentation. In the individual presentations “Product Review” the students will have to research a product, present their own opinion as well as the opinions of other people. The students will be expected to mention both the pros and cons of the product.

7 Demonstration of how to prepare and give PowerPoint presentations that showcase original research using resources that primarily involve communication such as interviews and surveys, with some


Internet content. Students will produce original research and interviews to support their ideas. The students will also examine and explain BOTH sides of the issues.

8 An ability to collate data and present it in a logical, coherent manner.

Required and Recommended Books/Materials Binder Listening CD Core Projects # Topics Description Objectives/Purpose 1 Team Projects:

In small groups, students create a new product or improve upon an existing product and present a variety of promotional materials, advertising, marketing strategies, surveys etc. about the product. The students are expected to focus on the ad campaign rather than the actual product and need to think of the process that takes a product from concept to the store

Working cooperatively on challenging “hands-on” projects which integrate oral communication skills and research requiring academic skills prepare students for the linguistic and academic challenges of regular coursework.

2 Presentation Projects:

Students choose a book, movie, song or other product to research and critique orally using both their and others’ opinions in a formal, weekly class presentation. Students are also expected to mention the pros and cons of the product and are expected to look at the larger issues surrounding products – societal impact, etc.

Presentations based on personal research provide opportunities for students to use oral communication skills in a structured yet authentic way. Listening and speaking (including grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation), as well as academic and critical thinking skills, are practiced in the performance of these Core Projects.

3

Independent Listening Project:

Students are assigned a number of specific listening tasks to be

Independent, monitored listening tasks improve overall listening skills,


done outside of class and to transcribe or paraphrase and analyze what has been heard.

develop vocabulary and syntax, and provide practice in transcription, note-taking, and paraphrasing.

Laboratory Regular sessions should be conducted in the computer laboratory to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their listening ability. Further Comments and Suggestions for this course Independent Listening Project: follow these three steps: first, students listen to a story separated into tracks and write down what they hear; second, they present this work to the teacher who will give them a copy of the original track; and third, the student compares his work with the original track, making corrections and developing structural and vocabulary knowledge. Each DAY, students are expected to: 1) Speak only in English; insist that other students speak English; and correct the English of other students. 2) Demonstrate active participation and listening by taking notes, asking questions, making thoughtful comments to class discussions and student presentations. 3) Develop and use strategies for learning English independently and show this work in their course binder. 4) Keep a well-organized BINDER of all English skills development work (independent work should also be included). Each WEEK, students are expected to: 1) Complete all steps of the Listening Track Project (see above) for a minimum of three (3) listening tracks per week. 2) Research, prepare and give one (1) Individual Presentation Project (see above) per week. 3) Research, prepare and give one (1) Group Presentation Project (see above) progress report (update) per week. 4) Bring topics of interest to class for discussion and/or debate and present new vocabulary (‘key terms’) of the topic to teach class new words. 5) Participate Resources for the teacher Resources for students


Course Outline

Course Title: English Reading &Writing 6 Code: ENG 06-R


Prerequisites and Requirements Successful completion of ENG 05-R or exemption from it based on placement test results. Course Description In this course students will learn how to present their ideas in a coherent multi-paragraph essay. Particular emphasis will be put on pre-writing strategies and revision. Students will learn various patterns of organization, also. Further, this level will require students to be able to support arguments with credible text-based materials. Problems will be worked on to enable students to develop an inner sense of correctness. They will learn how to use reference and research tools. In addition, students will practice extensive and intensive reading with an objective to significantly improving reading speed and comprehension. They will gain confidence in their reading skills and become more adept at working out the meaning of unknown words from context, and learn how to develop schema for texts they are reading. They will become proficient at reading without the aid of a dictionary. Students will gain practice in recognizing the main ideas and organization of paragraphs in an essay and structural elements of passages will be stressed. Course Objectives

1 Ability to read/comprehend narrative and descriptive texts at 125wpm.

2 Ability to identify main ideas and supporting details and to recognize the organization of an essay.

3 Ability to skim and scan a variety of texts for specific information.

4 Ability to obtain and interpret information from charts, graphs and illustrations.

5 Ability to use context and word form clues for comprehension and evidence of expanded vocabulary.

6 Ability to write with improved sentence structure and increased writing fluency.

7 Ability to use pre-writing strategies. 8 Ability to edit and revise written work with minimal teacher guidance.

9 Ability to summarize and draw conclusions from texts and use such texts as the basis for supporting arguments in an essay.

10 Ability to write differently structured multi-paragraph essays which contain a satisfactory introduction, body and conclusion and proper transitions between paragraphs.


11 Use of reference works, including a thesaurus and computer-based resources.

12 Ability to use citations within an essay. 13 Ability to discern the credibility of written materials.

14 Ability to write a 1,000 word report showing evidence of simple research based on a single resource (such as a textbook), using examples to explain ideas.


Saudi INTERLINK Sourcebook III Business text chosen by the student


1 Intensive reading

Reading short passages on a variety of topics.

Improve general understanding and develop strategies for locating and extracting information. Focus on organization of text and recognition of different types and styles of writing.

2 Extensive Reading

Reading a business text. Increasing comfort with business-related reading, stimulating interest in reading, increasing reading speed, developing schemata, and continuing to read without the help of a dictionary.

3 Research Project

Research using business texts and the writing of a short report based on this research.

Prepares students for formal research assignments.

4 Essay Writing

Writing formal essays with different patterns of organization and citations.

Prepares students for formal, academic writing assignments.

Further Comments and Suggestions for this course 1) Students should have several intensive writing sessions. These sessions involve planning an essay, writing a rough copy, editing it and then writing a clean copy in one class meeting.


http://kazuo.fc2web.com/English/TOEFL-essay.htm

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/oldindex.html


2) Students should be made accountable each week for their reading outside of class. Methods for accountability include book reports, essays and book conferences. Resources for the teacher INTERLINK online resources http://www.mines.edu/Outreach/interlink/ExternTeacRes.shtml Essay Topics http://kazuo.fc2web.com/English/TOEFL-essay.htm Mickulecky, Beatrice. More Reading Power Resources for students Saudi INTERLINK Resource Center Purdue Online Writing Lab http://owl.english.purdue.edu/oldindex.html


Course Outline


Course Length: 8 weeks Hours per week Credits 10


This higher-level English language communication class develops students’ abilities in listening and speaking. It provides practice in academic tasks such as listening to interviews and discussions, taking notes and making presentations. Students also work on Core Projects which help develop their skills in listening, speaking, research, note-taking and presentations. The class is interactive and requires participation. The course focuses on research skills. Course Objectives

1 Demonstrate an ability to communicate comfortably in a broad range of informal and formal situations.

2 Demonstrate effective use of complex syntactical structures, allowing them to communicate with precision.

3 Be able to demonstrate a reasonable level of formal spoken discourse suited to both academic and business environments.

4 Demonstrate time management skills, meet teacher expectations, and work independently.

5 Demonstrate an ability to summarize verbally. 6 Be able to function effectively in the English language academic

environment including: • Thoroughly researching presentations on topics that have depth

and substance. (Research should be based on a wide variety of sources including texts, the internet, interviews/questionnaires and surveys.)

• Communicating information in a variety of ways including the use graphs and tables.

• Constructive participation in informal and formal discussions.

7 Be able to manage time, meet teachers’ expectations and deadlines, and work independently. This includes the ability to implement pre-planning strategies, planning schedules and timelines.


8 Be able to both understand and communicate to the class a basic level of business vocabulary and idioms.

9 Be able to demonstrate comprehension by interacting with and responding to class members in both formal and informal situations.

10 Be able to demonstrate comprehension through the completion of activities designed around the Independent Listening Projects.

11 Be able to exhibit a high level of teamwork and cooperation throughout the semester.


Grammar in Use – advanced. A good English/English dictionary, such as the Oxford Wordpower Dictionary or the Longman Advanced Dictionary of American English Flash memory and access to a printer


1 Individual presentation

Students prepare for a presentation on an academic topic involving critical thinking for the end of the semester. Students focus on the process of developing a presentation with updates carried out throughout the semester on the work they have done.

The aim is to develop academic skills such as time management, independent research, critical thinking, note-taking, presentations skills and academic speaking skills sufficient for participation in a college-level course.

2 Group presentation

The same as an individual presentation except the updates and presentation are carried out as a group. Focus is also on working as a team.

The aims are the same as above but with the additional aim of developing teamwork skills.

3 Formal listening presentation

(a) Podcast ProjectThis is a group project. The group together selects and downloads a podcast they feel is

The aims of this project are to develop students’ skills in academic listening through improving


useful and interesting. As a group they transcribe two pages from the podcast. The transcription is then compared to a correct transcription prepared by the teacher and corrected for errors. The group then prepares to present the podcast to the class along with comprehension and discussion questions to be answered. Finally other class members individually transcribe two pages of the podcast. OR (b) CD Transcription (as for previous levels)

comprehension of gist and details, note-taking skills and critical listening skills.

Laboratory Further Comments and Suggestions for this course See below Resources for the teacher For the teacher to teach this course well it is essential the teacher develops an understanding of critical thinking, academic speaking and academic listening. Background reading and research on this topic is required. http://www.criticalthinking.net/ may be a good place to start. Resources for students Al Yamamah electronic database, subject textbooks, Internet, magazines and newspapers. Comments Speaking projects: The individual and group presentation.


Both presentations follow the same process with similar objectives except that the group project should also demonstrate teamwork. Process for presentations: Wk1-2. Students produce presentation topic, structure and timeline. At both 07 and 08 presentation topics must demonstrate critical thinking. The suggested difference is that the 07 presentation is at an explanatory level, 08 is at a persuasive level. Students make an update on their topic and receive feedback. The group project should also indicate which member is responsible for which section. This is in case one member fails to complete the course, then other members can still complete their parts of the presentation. Wk3-4. Students conduct research including internet, newspapers/magazines, interviews and surveys. It is recommended that internet research includes the Al Yamamah electronic database (Proquest), which also provides magazine and journal articles. Google Scholar is also useful. Surveys are not necessarily reliably carried out by students so check for evidence. Evidence of research is placed in binder, so websites are printed, interviews are transcribed. Students must take notes from sources on a separate page to indicate how they have organized the information. Their research process can be presented in the second update. In this update the student can critically analyse the usefulness of their sources, for example in terms of reliability, or author’s purpose. This skill is crucial. Following weeks: In another update, students can present their slides for editing by fellow students for accuracy and also correct structure. A student can also meet fellow students to practice presentations. Fellow students can record and correct students’ speaking mistakes. An interesting final update is a review whereby students present on what they have learnt, their mistakes and recommendations for the class. Final presentation. 20 minutes for the individual, 40 minutes for the group presentation. Process for Listening project. Students in a group download a podcast on a topic that is interesting for them. A good source is www.podcastingnews.com. A search on Google will provide other sites. In a group students transcribe the listening – two pages’ worth, size 12 font. Students also create detailed questions on the listening and also discussion questions. Then in class the listening is presented and fellow students answer detailed questions and discuss the discussion questions.

http://www.podcastingnews.com/


Finally, individual students get a copy of the listening file, transcribe it and place the transcript in their binders. The teacher provides a correct transcript for students to check their mistakes against. Activities in class: Listening: Students individually bring listening files for fellow students to listen to and take notes. The notes will be evaluated on whether they correctly show the main idea and important sub-points and details. Students may need instruction on how to take notes in order for this activity to be done well. This activity provides useful information for evaluation of listening ability. Speaking: Try to move away from newsflashes. Level 07-08C is academic. It is better if a student finds some academic topic s/he wishes to present to the class for discussion. Discussion. Students can generate discussion topics. However, these need to be academic and so brainstorming and research is required. Meetings: Especially at level 08C these are useful to show students’ ability to manage a variety of registers. Students in groups create a company with a specific business problem. They then create roles for themselves with background information (especially statistics) that they bring to the meeting. The meeting is held in front of the class, with fellow students providing feedback. Classroom issues: Time management. Writing classes have clear expectations on homework and deadlines. However, communication classes traditionally have differed. As a consequence the quality of work has suffered. Teachers need to set tasks such as research and follow up on whether these have been done. What is academic? Students often claim they do not understand the term. (It’s in the dictionary.) An academic subject is one found at university. If a student thinks a presentation about cars is academic then ask him/her what subject it is at university. If s/he doesn’t know then s/he hasn’t thought deeply enough. Insufficient speaking in class. Students’ speaking ability has to be demonstrated in order to be evaluated. That means if they don’t speak so the teacher can hear they cannot pass. This problem needs to be focused on in the first few weeks since it will affect other class members. Critical thinking. One-liners usually don’t demonstrate critical thinking. A student can demonstrate critical thinking by thinking deeply about something and by speaking in depth about it. S/he could make important comparisons, explain technical issues, analyze a problem, discuss issues, assess the validity of an argument, give his/her opinion or make hypotheses.


A teacher can help students progress by emphasising these skills in class and helping students identify their weaknesses in these areas and working to improve on them. The binder: The binder provides a useful way to collect evidence of work. It is not a total assessment device. It should contain the following sections: Diary: The diary should be kept up-to-date. It’s not a record of what happened in each class. The teacher should already be aware of what happened. The diary should be a means to help students reflect on events and ideas. This is to enhance critical thinking. It also provides insight for the teacher on the student’s learning process. For example, a student might reflect on some problems with his/her group project. By reflecting, s/he is better able to solve these problems. Vocabulary: New vocabulary encountered during research and other activities should be recorded in this section. The new word needs an explanation in English and an example of its correct usage. Expressions, idioms and new sentence patterns could also be included here. Individual presentation: Needs to include the topic, structure, timeline. Then research with evidence of note-taking and organizing of ideas. For 07C one or two websites for each subtopic (as well as interview/survey) is acceptable. For 08C the sources should be predominantly articles and books. Group presentation: As for the individual presentation, but including also teamwork planning. The research section includes only the individual team member’s research, not other members’ research. The amount of research is the same for the individual presentation, but combined with other members of the group should be much more. Listening project: This should include the transcript from the group’s listening project, plus a number of other transcripts made from other groups’ listenings. All transcripts should show corrections in ink based on the correct transcript provided by the teacher.


Course Outline



Prerequisites and Requirements: ENG 06-R or appropriate placement test scores. Students receiving a failing grade will be required to repeat the class. Course Description This class is intended to promote development of reading and writing skills; provide practice in negotiating technical materials; encourage formation of beneficial study habits; enhance academic and research capabilities; and advanced critical thinking skills. Extensive reading is required to help improve reading speed and comprehension and to foster greater awareness of structural and stylistic aspects of written English. Reading activities will improve grammatical accuracy and increase vocabulary. In this course, a variety of genres of writing will be used to stimulate interest in different content areas and to assure reading competence across academic boundaries. Note-taking and summarizing will be emphasized throughout the course because of their importance to academic success. Familiarity with library facilities, research techniques and academic conventions will also be required. Students will be expected to write clear, concise, well-organized prose adapted to the varying needs of different types of audiences. Pre-writing strategies will be reviewed and proofreading/revision techniques will be continually reinforced. One of the primary aims of this course is to enable the student to acquire the necessary skills to engage in a research project in ENG 08-R. Course Objectives

1 Demonstrate accuracy and efficiency in reading texts of varying lengths and genres.

2 Ability to identify main ideas and pick out details from text-based and internet sources.

3 Ability to analyze text for style, tone and purpose. 4 Establishment of a routine of reading designated business news

sources and demonstration of understanding of that news. 5 Ability to writing clear, concise, well-organized, multi-paragraph

prose in class. 6 Ability to use citations in written work. 7 Ability to write on a computer. 8 Ability to read and comprehend texts at 150 wpm.

Required and Recommended Books/Materials:


The Essentials of English: A Writer’s Handbook, Longman Advanced American Dictionary Core Projects # Activities Description Objectives/Purpose 1 Intensive

Reading

Practicing intensive reading skills by using content-based, business related texts from a variety of genres, or a choice of challenging texts arising from content negotiated by the class.

To develop skills of comprehension and critical thought. To identify, analyze and evaluate the main idea/claim that each author makes.

2 Extensive Reading

Extended independent reading from a variety of texts including unabridged works of fiction, and business-related books and periodicals.

To reinforce good reading practices. To extend students' vocabulary. To develop students' critical thinking skills and their knowledge of different content areas.

3 Small Research Paper

Students learn research techniques and other elements involved in writing a research paper and use all their writing and academic skills to compose a small research paper. The content and task of this paper will arise out of class-based reading, and will be an extension of content covered in class.

To develop research techniques. To develop note-taking skills. To develop referencing and citation skills. To locate credible and relevant sources. To make claims based on information read.

4 Writing essays and summaries

Students are to write, draft and edit a number of written pieces on a regular basis throughout the eight weeks. These pieces will be largely summaries and essays. The essays will be argument-based, with the students learning how to present a claim and support it. Essays will also incorporate

To develop and extend the basic multi-paragraph essay structure previously learnt. To make a claim and support it with relevant and logical ideas. To use other sources to support claims made. To provide counter-arguments of other texts as a means of


texts read in class. strengthening argumentation.


Course Outline


Course Length: 8 weeks Hours per week Credits 10

Prerequisites and Requirements Successful completion of ENG 07-C or exemption from it based on placement testresults. Course Description This higher-level English language communication class develops students’ abilities in listening and speaking. It provides practice in academic tasks such as listening to interviews and discussions, taking notes and making presentations. Students also work on Core Projects which help develop their skills in listening, speaking, research, note-taking and presentations. The class is interactive and requires participation. The course focuses on research skills. Course Objectives

1 Demonstrate well-developed critical thinking. 2 Demonstrate an ability to communicate comfortably in a broad range of

informal and formal situations. 3 Demonstrate effective use of complex syntactical structures, allowing

them to communicate with precision. 4 Be able to demonstrate a reasonable level of formal spoken discourse

suited to both academic and business environments. 5 Be able to manage time, meet teachers’ expectations and deadlines,

and work independently. This includes the ability to implement pre-planning strategies, planning schedules and timelines.

6 Demonstrate an ability to verbally summarize a variety of academic texts and prose.

7 Demonstrate well-developed academic English skills including:

• Explicitly thinking through problems and topics that have a high level of depth, substance and relevance and offering conclusions through thoroughly researched presentations. (Research should be based on a wide variety of sources including texts, questionnaires/surveys, the Internet and interviews with people considered to be experts in their field.)

• Communicating information in a variety of ways including the use

graphs and tables.

• Constructive and informed participation in both informal and formal discussions.


8 Be able to both understand and communicate to the class a high level of business vocabulary and idioms.

9 Demonstrate comprehension by effective communication in formal and informal situations.

10 Demonstrate a high level of comprehension through Independent Listening Projects.

11 Exhibit a high level of teamwork skills. Required and Recommended Books/Materials

Grammar in Use – advanced. A good English/English dictionary, such as the Oxford Wordpower Dictionary or the Longman Advanced Dictionary of American English Flash memory and access to a printer


1 Individual presentation

Students prepare for a presentation on an academic topic involving critical thinking for the end of the semester. Students focus on the process of developing a presentation with updates carried out throughout the semester on the work they have done.

The aim is to develop academic skills such as time management, independent research, critical thinking, note-taking, presentations skills and academic speaking skills sufficient for participation in a college-level course.

2 Group presentation

The same as an individual presentation except the updates and presentation is carried out as a group. Focus is also on working as a team.

The aims are the same as above but with the additional aim of developing teamwork skills.

3 Formal listening presentation

(a) Podcast Project This is a group project. The group together selects and downloads a podcast they feel is useful and interesting. As a group they transcribe two pages from the podcast. The transcription is then compared to a correct transcription prepared by

The aims of this project are to develop students’ skills in academic listening through improving comprehension of gist and details, note-taking skills and critical listening skills.


the teacher and corrected for errors. The group then prepares to present the podcast to the class along with comprehension and discussion questions to be answered. Finally other class members individually transcribe two pages of the podcast. OR (b) CD Transcription (as for earlier courses)

Laboratory Further Comments and Suggestions for this course See below. Resources for the teacher For the teacher to teach this course well it is essential the teacher develop an understanding of critical thinking, academic speaking and academic listening. Background reading and research on this topic is required. http://www.criticalthinking.net/ may be a good place to start. Resources for students Al Yamamah electronic database, subject textbooks, Internet, magazines and newspapers. Comments Speaking projects: The individual and group presentation. Both presentations follow the same process with similar objectives except that the group project should also demonstrate teamwork. Process for presentations Wk1-2. Students produce presentation topic, structure and timeline. At both 07 and 08 presentation topics must demonstrate critical thinking. The suggested difference is that the 07 presentation is at an explanatory level, 08 is at a persuasive level. Students make an update on their topic and receive feedback. The group project should also indicate which member is responsible for which section. This is in case one member fails to complete the course, then other members can still complete their parts of the presentation.


Wk3-4. Students conduct research including internet, newspapers/magazines, interviews and surveys. It is recommended that internet research includes the Al Yamamah electronic database (Proquest), which also provides magazine and journal articles. Google Scholar is also useful. Surveys are not necessarily reliably carried out by students so check for evidence. Evidence of research is placed in binder, so websites are printed, interviews are transcribed. Students must take notes from sources on a separate page to indicate how they have organized the information. Their research process can be presented in the second update. In this update the student can critically analyse the usefulness of their sources, for example in terms of reliability, or author’s purpose. This skill is crucial. Following weeks: In another update, students can present their slides for editing by fellow students for accuracy and also correct structure. Student can also meet fellow students to practice presentations. Fellow students can record and correct students speaking mistakes. An interesting final update is a review whereby students present on what they have learnt, their mistakes and recommendations for the class. Final presentation. 20 minutes for the individual, 40 minutes for the group presentation. Process for Listening project. Students in a group download a podcast on a topic that is interesting for them. A good source is www.podcastingnews.com. A search on Google will provide other sites. In a group students transcribe the listening – two pages worth, size 12 font. Students also create detailed questions on the listening and also discussion questions. Then in class the listening is presented and fellow students answer detailed questions and discuss the discussion questions. Finally, individual students get a copy of the listening file, transcribe it and place the transcript in their binders. The teacher provides a correct transcript for students to check their mistakes against. Activities in class: Listening: Students individually bring listening files for fellow students to listen to and take notes. The notes will be evaluated on whether they correctly show the main idea and important sub-points and details. Students may need instruction on how to take notes in order for this activity to be done well. This activity provides useful information for evaluation of listening ability.

http://www.podcastingnews.com/


Speaking: Try to move away from newsflashes. Level 07-08-C is academic. It is better if a student finds some academic topic s/he wishes to present to the class for discussion. Discussion. Students can generate discussion topics. However, these need to be academic and so brainstorming and research is required. Meetings: Especially at level 08-C these are useful to show students’ ability to manage a variety of registers. Students in groups create a company with a specific business problem. They then create roles for themselves with background information (especially statistics) that they bring to the meeting. The meeting is held in front of the class, with fellow students providing feedback. Classroom issues: Time management. Writing classes have clear expectations on homework and deadlines. However, communication classes traditionally have differed. As a consequence the quality of work has suffered. Teachers need to set tasks such as research and follow up on whether these have been done. What is academic? Students often claim they do not understand the term. (It’s in the dictionary.) An academic subject is one found at university. If a student thinks a presentation about cars is academic then ask him/her what subject it is at university. If s/he doesn’t know then s/he hasn’t thought deeply enough. Insufficient speaking in class. Students’ speaking ability has to be demonstrated in order to be evaluated. That means if they don’t speak so the teacher can hear they cannot pass. This problem needs to be focused on in the first few weeks since it will affect other class members. Critical thinking. One-liners usually don’t demonstrate critical thinking. A student can demonstrate critical thinking by thinking deeply about something and for speaking in depth about it. S/he could make important comparisons, explain technical issues, analyse a problem, discuss issues, assess the validity of an argument, give his/her opinion or make hypotheses. A teacher can help students progress by emphasising these skills in class and helping students identify their weaknesses in these areas and working to improve on them. The binder The binder provides a useful way to collect evidence of work. It is not a total assessment device. It should contain the following sections: Diary: The diary should be kept up-to-date. It’s not a record of what happened in each class. The teacher should already be aware of what happened. The diary should be a means to help students reflect on events and ideas. This is to enhance critical thinking. It also provides insight for the teacher on the student’s learning process. For example, a student might


reflect on some problems with his/her group project. By reflecting, s/he is better able to solve these problems. Vocabulary: New vocabulary encountered during research and other activities should be recorded in this section. The new word needs an explanation in English and an example of its correct usage. Expressions, idioms and new sentence patterns could also be included here. Individual presentation: Needs to include the topic, structure, timeline. Then research with evidence of note-taking and organizing of ideas. For 07C one or two websites for each subtopic (as well as interview/survey) is acceptable. For 08C the sources should be predominantly articles and books. Group presentation: As for the individual presentation, but including also teamwork planning. The research section includes only the individual team member’s research, not other members’ research. The amount of research is the same for the individual presentation, but combined with other members of the group should be much more. Listening project: This should include the transcript from the group’s listening project, plus a number of other transcripts made from other groups’ listenings. All transcripts should show corrections in ink based on the correct transcript provided by the teacher.


Course Outline



Prerequisites and Requirements: ENG 07-R or appropriate placement test scores. Course Description This class builds on the skills learned in ENG 07-R and is intended to promote development of reading and writing skills, provide practice in negotiating technical materials, encourage formation of beneficial study habits, enhance academic and research capabilities, and advance critical thinking skills. Extensive reading is required to help improve reading speed and comprehension and to foster greater awareness of structural and stylistic aspects of written English. Reading activities will improve grammatical accuracy and increase vocabulary. While the focus of most readings will be business-related, a variety of genres of writing will be used to stimulate interest in different content areas and to assure reading competence across academic boundaries. Note-taking and summarizing will be emphasized throughout the course because of their importance to academic success. Familiarity with library facilities, research techniques and academic conventions will also be required. Students will be expected to write clear, concise, well-organized prose adapted to the varying needs of different types of audiences. Pre-writing strategies will be reviewed and proofreading/revision techniques will be continually reinforced. Course Objectives

1 Demonstrate accuracy and efficiency in reading texts of varying lengths and genres.

2 Ability to make inferences from text-based and internet sources 3 Establishment of a routine of reading a variety of sources and

demonstration of understanding of them. 4 Ability to think critically by analyzing and evaluating the main ideas

in a variety of texts. 5 Ability to write clear, concise, well organized, argument-based,

multi-paragraph prose in class. 6 Ability to use a variety of sources to develop and support a claim in

their prose. 7 Ability to produce prose with errors in no more than 10% of

sentences 8 Ability to proofread and correct the majority of errors in written

work.


9 Ability to cite sources and make attributions following MLA or APA style, avoiding plagiarism.

10 Ability to write on a computer. 11 Ability to synthesize information from a variety of sources, without

plagiarizing. 12 Ability to research and locate sources.

Required and Recommended Books/Materials: Oxford Wordpower Dictionary or Longman Advanced Dictionary of American English Core Projects # Topics Description Objectives/Purpose 1 Independent

Research Project

Students are to write an extended piece of prose, based on independent research and driven by a claim. They are to choose their own topic and question, and are to base their paper on credible and relevant sources that they have located.

To foster independent research techniques To develop referencing and citation skills. To locate credible and relevant sources. To make claims based on information read. To develop note-taking skills.

2 Intensive Reading

Students are to practice intensive reading skills, using sources from content areas that they are researching. 08-R requires each student to take greater ownership of the skills of intensive reading by taking turns in presiding over reading lessons, composing relevant questions and challenging activities for the class.

To develop skills of comprehension and critical thought. To identify, analyse and evaluate the main idea/claim that each author makes.

3 Extensive Reading

Extended independent reading from a variety of texts including unabridged works of fiction, and business related books and periodicals.

To reinforce good reading practices. To extend the students' vocabulary. To develop students' critical thinking skills and their knowledge of different content areas.

4 Writing essays Students are to write, To develop and extend


and summaries draft and edit a number of essays and summaries on a regular basis. The essays will be argument-based and will incorporate readings that individual students have presented to the class.

the basic multi-paragraph essay structure previously learnt. To make a claim and support it with relevant and logical ideas. To use other sources to support claims made. To provide counter-arguments of other texts as a means of strengthening argumentation.


Readings and Resources Blair, R. W. (Ed.). (1982). Innovative approaches to language teaching. Rowley, MA: Newbury House. Bowen, J. D., Madsen, H. & Hilferty, A. (1985). TESOL techniques and procedures. Rowley, MA: Newbury House. Brown, H. (1980). Principles of language learning and teaching. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D.M. and Goodurin, J.M. (1996). Teaching pronunciation. New York: Cambridge University Press. Celce-Murcia, M. & Larsen-Freeman, D. (1983). The grammar book: An ESL/EFL teacher's course. Rowley, MA: Newbury House. Celce-Murcia, M., & McIntosh, L. (1979). Teaching English as a second or foreign language. New York: Newbury House. Cohen, A. (1990). Language learning: Insights for learners, teachers and researchers. Rowley, MA: Newbury House. Fantini, A. (Ed.)(1997). New ways in teaching culture. Alexandria, VA: TESOL. Gattegno, C. (1976). Common sense in language teaching. New York: Educational Solutions. Harmer, J. (1983). The practice of English language teaching. London: Longman. Johns, A. (1997). Text, role and context: Developing academic literacies. New York: Cambridge University Press. Klippel, F. (1984). Keep talking. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Krashen, S. & Terrell, T. (1983). The natural approach. Hayward, CA.: Alemany Press. Larsen-Freeman, D. (1986). Techniques and principles in language teaching. New York: Oxford University Press. Long, M. H. & Richards, J. C. (Eds.). (1987). Methodology in TESOL: a book of readings. New York: Newbury House. Maley, A. & Duff, A. Drama techniques in language learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Nation, I. (1990). Teaching and learning vocabulary. Rowley, MA: Newbury House. Nuttall, C. (1996). Teaching reading skills in a foreign language. (2nd ed.) Oxford: Heinemann


Oller, J. & Richard-Amato, P. (Eds.). (1983). Methods that work. Rowley, MA: Newbury House. Omaggio, A. (1986). Teaching language in context: Proficiency-oriented instruction. Heinle & Heinle. Richard-Amato, P. A. (1988). Making it happen: Interaction in the second language classroom. New York: Longman. Richards, J. C. & Rodgers, T. S. (1986). Approaches and methods in language teaching: a description and analysis. New York: Cambridge University Press. Rinvolucri, M. (1984). Grammar games. New York: Cambridge University Press. Rivers, W. (1981). Teaching foreign-language skills. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Smith, F. (1979). Reading without nonsense. New York: Columbia University. Snow, D. (1996). More than a native speaker. Alexandria, VA: TESOL, Sperling, D. (1997). The internet guide for English language teachers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents. Stern, H. (1983). Fundamental concepts of language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Stevick, E. (1980). Teaching languages: A way and ways. New York: Newbury House. Stevick, E. (1982). Teaching and learning languages. New York: Cambridge University Press. Ur, P. (1981). Discussions that work. New York: Cambridge University Press. Ur, P. (1988). Grammar practice activities. New York: Cambridge University Press. Williams, M. & Burden, R. (1997). Psychology for language teachers. New York: Cambridge University Press.

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