English – Mastering the Spoken Language

Teacher(s)

Arblaster Paul; Collins Anne-Marie; Dickinson Tyler; Ochsenmeier Erwin; Trincaretto Marie;

Language

English

Learning outcomes

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

This Unit has several components: oral comprehension, oral expression and phonetics (practical or applied exercises). By following this course students learn to recognise and use syllabic stress, rhythm and intonation; to identify specific words, expressions, and information (numbers, names, etc.) ; and to understand and reformulate the gist of an authentic oral, i.e. spoken text. The Unit also provides students with an opportunity to hone their oral skills over the course of the year, with the goal of attaining the European Reference Framework level B1+ (minimum level required to pass the Unit). A range of specific skills are covered, including: making a presentation; understanding and using the cultural components of the English language (usage, polite forms, register, etc.).

Content

In this 2-hour course, students are provided with speaking and listening activities, aimed at helping them to develop their oral communication skills in English. The specific topics covered by each teacher vary, ranging from personal to more general ones.

Teaching methods

Students develop their listening comprehension skills through a variety of activities aimed at identifying both gist and detail; summarising and reformulating; recognising language features such as grammar, vocabulary, expressions, register, and pronunciation; understanding spoken English in a variety of contexts, situations, and accents; etc.
Speaking and oral interaction skills are developed through a range of practical exercises with personalised feedback, including, for example, role play, guided conversations, presentations, group work, games, etc.
The specific activities and methods used by each teacher vary.

Evaluation methods

In order to be awarded the credits associated with this course, students must take part in all the evaluations for the components (speaking and listening) that make up the course in both Q1 (BMHAN1121a) and Q2 (BMHAN1121b). An unjustified absence from any part of the exam or assessment will result in a mark of absence (0A) for the entire course at the relevant session.

• Q1 (30% of the year grade)
  • for speaking skills (50% of the Q1 grade): continuous evaluation comprising:
    • attendance and participation (20%) and
    • two speaking tasks (one task 30%, the other task 50%) 
  • for listening skills (50% of the Q1 grade): written examination
• Q2 (70% of the year grade)
  • for speaking skills (50% of the Q2 grade): continuous evaluation comprising:
    • attendance and participation (20%) and
    • three speaking tasks (two tasks 20% each, the other task 40%)
  • for listening skills (50% of the Q2 grade): written examination

Speaking (continuous assessment)
Attendance and participation
Students are expected to attend class regularly and participate actively in the lessons, and they will receive points for doing so. More than two unjustified absences will lead to a mark of 0A for participation. An absence is justified by the timely presentation of a medical attestation to the teacher.
Speaking tasks
The dates and content of the evaluated speaking tasks will be specified by the teacher at the start of each term and detailed in Moodle. The use of generative AI and similar technologies is not permitted in the preparation of any of the evaluated speaking tasks, unless explicitly permitted by the teacher. An unjustified absence from any of the evaluated speaking tasks will result in a score of 0A for the speaking component.
Speaking exam (resit)
If the term score for the speaking component (continuous assessment) is below 10/20, or if a student was absent without justification from one or more of the evaluated speaking tasks, the student will be required to resit a speaking exam during the resit exam period. The teacher will communicate the necessary details and form of the speaking exam in advance via Moodle.
Listening (written exam)
Listening comprehension will be evaluated by a written listening exam (watching/listening to one or more videos/audios and responding to questions) during the exam period. Resit exams will take the same form.

Other information

This course assumes students already possess an elementary (A2) level of English. Those who have not yet reached this level should expect to undertake independent efforts to attain it in order to succeed.

Online resources

Additional materials, resources, and instructions to be provided on Moodle. Students are required to register for the course in Moodle and to check it regularly.

Bibliography

Council of Europe (2020). CEFR Descriptors (Searchable). https://rm.coe.int/cefr-descriptors-2020-/16809ed2c7
Council of Europe (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Strasbourg, Language Policy Unit. https://rm.coe.int/1680459f97
Conseil de l’Europe (2001). Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues : apprendre, enseigner, évaluer. Strasbourg, Unité des Politiques linguistiques. https://rm.coe.int/16802fc3a8
Listening and speaking activities used in the course are drawn from a variety of sources, including, for example, the BBC, TED, NPR, The Open University, onestopenglish (Macmillan Education), English for Life (Collins), Headway 5th Edition (Oxford University Press), and various YouTube channels. Detailed citations for each activity are provided in the course syllabus.

Teaching materials

• Course syllabus in two parts (Q1 and Q2), available via Syllanet
• Syllabus du cours en deux parties (Q1 et Q2), disponible sur Syllanet

Faculty or entity

> TIMB