NummerT016aLeitungAndrew Brown, andrew.brown@fhnw.chECTS3.0UnterrichtsspracheEnglischLernziele/KompetenzenStudents can:
- understand talks given by native English speakers, even when speaking rapidly.
- discuss a presentation critically and summarise key ideas
- plan & deliver clear, effective, audience-focused presentations
- express themselves fluently, spontaneously and accurately using a wide range of vocabulary
- use language flexibly and effectively for academic and professional purposes.
InhaltFocus on speaking and oral comprehension. Students improve their ability to speak fluently and with clear, natural pronunciation, in both a formal and informal register; they learn elements of phonetics and the concept of English as a stressed-timed language. Oral comprehension is tested and developed with audio and video material from native speakers in academic and scientific contexts. Students are evaluated with listening comprehension exercises and a course-related scientific presentation in front of their peers.
Functions
- Expressing concepts precisely
- Synthesizing and evaluating information
- Hypothesising about causes, consequences etc.
- Expressing shades of opinion and certainty
- Criticising and reviewing
- Developing an systematic argument
- Emphasis
- Defending a point of view persuasively
- Responding to counterarguments
- Discourse markers
Grammar structures
- Revision of all tenses
- Phrasal Verbs
- Passive forms
- Adverbs
- Inversion
Vocabulary
- Collocations
- Approximating
- Differentiated use of vocabulary
- Formal and informal registers
- Idiomatic expressions
Erforderliche VorkenntnisseStudents must have:
- successfully completed Basic English or
- achieved a B2 level qualification in the previous two years or
- achieved at least B2 level on the HLS English placement test
Students are expected to have a solid knowledge of:
- all tenses (present/past/perfect/future)
- Connecting words for cause and effect, contrast etc.
- Passive forms
- Reported speech
- Relative clauses
- Modals
- Adjectives and adverbs
- Vocabulary for summarising ideas and giving opinions
Students are expected to be able to:
- understand the main ideas of complex texts from life-science fields
- discuss relevant topics with peers fluently and spontaneously
- justify their opinion on the advantages and disadvantages of ideas
- follow talks given by native English speakers and grasp complex arguments in a subject related to their studies.
Bibliographie/LiteraturModule Preparation
- Listening to factual/scientific radio programmes such as In Our Time on the BBC, e.g. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0435jyv#play
- Watching scientific presentations e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdEGkJXE6QU&feature=youtu.be
Course Material
- Lecture materials & homework given out in class and available on Moodle
- Authentic audio and video material as basis for class activities
- Additional materials and exercises as necessary
Lehr- und Lernmethoden- Interactive lectures with focus on listening & speaking activities.
- Significant out of class preparation for group exercises.
- Significant homework practice for listening exam.
Leistungsbewertungaccording to the module index in the current StuPOAnschlussmodule/-kurseIELTS (International English Language Testing System)Bemerkungen3 Lektionen / Woche
KW 8 bis 22 (14 Wochen im Frühjahr-Semester)
3 Lektionen / Woche
KW 38 bis 51 (14 Wochen im Herbst- Semester)
1 x 4 Lektionen / Woche
KW 8 bis 18 (10 Wochen im Frühjahr-Semester)
1 x 4 Lektionen / Woche
KW 38 bis 47 (10 Wochen im Herbst-Semester)
3 Lektionen / Woche
KW 8 bis 22 (14 Wochen im Frühjahr-Semester)
3 Lektionen / Woche
KW 38 bis 51 (14 Wochen im Herbst- Semester)