Listening comprehension and specialised (business) English oral exercises

langl2710  2021-2022  Louvain-la-Neuve

Listening comprehension and specialised (business) English oral exercises
3.00 credits
30.0 h
Q1
Teacher(s)
Knorr Sabrina; Starrs Colleen (coordinator);
Language
English
Prerequisites
B2 level of the 'Common European Framework for Languages'.
Main themes
The main aim of this course is to improve students' listening comprehension skills and  to develop their knowledge of (specialised) vocabulary. The course also aims to improve students' oral skills in addition to revising certain grammatical points.
Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

1 Listening Comprehension

At the end of this course students can follow recordings of interviews, discussions, presentations, documentaries etc. featuring both native and non-native speakers with various accents talking about complex business topics (e.g. training, finance and banking, strategy etc.) and are able to take notes, select relevant information, understand specialised terminology and answer questions based on the recordings.
Level C1 of the "Common European Framework for Languages "
Speaking Skills - Individual:
At the end of this course students can
  • give their opinion on the topics in the recordings and texts covered in class.
  • make a presentation based on a subject related to one of the themes covered in class (group presentations).
Speaking Skills - Interactive:
At the end of this course students can participate fluently and effectively in discussions in class.

Emphasis is on:
  • content management
  • spoken fluency
  • coherence and cohesion
  • vocabulary range
  • grammatical accuracy
  • phonological control
  • presentation techniques
Level B2+ of the "Common European Framework for Languages "
Reading Comprehension

At the end of this course students can
  • read specialised business texts and are able to select what is important or relevant for a specific task or to answer a specific question.
  • understand specialised terminology in texts e.g. business vocabulary, idiomatic expressions etc.
Level C1 of the "Common European Framework for Languages "
 
Content
The course covers listening comprehension, reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar and oral skills. The material covered relates to a specialised field (business).
Teaching methods
Class time is used for activities to develop students’ language skills.
Evaluation methods
Continuous assessment – 40%
Mini-presentation - 5%
Students have to make a short mini-presentation (3 minutes or less, one slide, no notes) based on a topic related to their field of study. The aim of the presentation is to give students the opportunity to make a presentation and to receive feedback (peer reviewing) on their presentation (structure, presentation techniques, language skills, etc.) before the group presentation at the end of the term.
Le Répétiteur files – 10%
Students have a written test in class on the following files from Le Répétiteur: 'Expressions idiomatiques de base', 'Fautes de grammaire les plus fréquentes' et 'Fautes de vocabulaire les plus fréquentes'. This material is considered to be self-tuition material.
Group presentations – 25%
Students have to make a group presentation based on a subject related to one of the themes covered in class. Each group is allocated 20 minutes for their presentation (15 minutes presentation + 5 minutes question time). The speaking time should be divided equally between the members of the group and everyone has to do a part of the presentation proper. Students have to use visual aids during their presentation. 
Students are assessed on the basis of the following criteria:
- presentation skills/techniques (structure, body language, eye contact, visuals, etc.)
- content (argumentation, vocabulary range, use of grammatical constructions, presentation language, etc.)
- accuracy (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, stress, etc.)
- fluency (communication skills, interaction, etc.)
The dates for the mini-presentations, the test on Le Répétiteur and the group presentations are scheduled in advance. All students are expected to be present. Students who are absent will get zero, unless they can provide a valid official document to justify their absence, e.g. a medical certificate.
Written exam in January – 60%
The exam consists of the following parts:
-  Listening comprehension questions based on all of the material covered in class and at home and other unseen material.
-  Vocabulary questions based on all of the material covered in class and at home,  i.e. all listening comprehension material, reading comprehension material, vocabulary exercises, other exercises, etc.
-  Grammar questions based on the material covered in class and at home.
The written exam takes place during the exam session in January. Once the date has been fixed, it cannot be changed. Students who are absent for the written exam will be considered as absent for the January session, unless they can provide a valid official document to justify their absence, e.g. a medical certificate.
September session
The exam consists of the following parts:
Oral exam – 30%
This part has the same format as the presentations during the term, i.e. a presentation based on a subject related to one of the themes covered in class. In September students have to make an individual presentation and it should last 15 minutes per student (10 minutes presentation + 5 minutes question time). Students have to use visual aids during their presentation. 
Students are assessed on the basis of the following criteria:
- presentation skills/techniques (structure, body language, eye contact, visuals, etc.)
- content (argumentation, vocabulary range, use of grammatical constructions, presentation language, etc.)
- accuracy (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, stress, etc.)
- fluency (communication skills, interaction, etc.)
Written exam – 70%
This part consists of the material covered in the January exam and the files from Le Répétiteur:
- Listening comprehension questions based on all of the material covered in class and at home and other unseen material.
- Vocabulary questions based on all of the material covered in class and at home, i.e. all listening comprehension material, reading comprehension material, vocabulary exercises, other exercises, etc.
- Grammar questions based on the material covered in class and at home.
- Le Répétiteur - 'Expressions idiomatiques de base', 'Fautes de grammaire les plus fréquentes' et 'Fautes de vocabulaire les plus fréquentes'.  
Both the oral component and written component are compulsory. Students who are absent for one part of the exam will be considered as absent for the September session, unless they can provide a valid official document to justify their absence, e.g. a medical certificate.
Online resources
Bibliography
  • Manuel - Keynote Advanced – Student’s Book – Lewis Lansford, Paul Dummett, Helen Stephenson - © 2016 National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Learning Company (Print Year: 2018)
Teaching materials
  • Notes de cours
  • Le Répétiteur
  • Moodle UCL
Faculty or entity
ILV


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Master [120] in Multilingual Communication