SIAS INTERNATIONAL

UNIVERSITY
School of Foreign
Languages
Course Syllabus

Course Name: Freshman Oral

English
Semester: Fall 2015
Instructor:
Contact Info:

1. Course Description
A course to develop English communication skills through the instruction and application of
English, as it is spoken.
The primary objective is to improve students' abilities to
communicate effectively in spoken English. The instruction and practice of communicative
strategies, functional skills, vocabulary and pronunciation within the contexts of a range of
relevant topics will give students many opportunities to use and improve their spoken English
for the purpose of meaningful communication.
2. General Curriculum Objectives: Students will
a. Improve their ability to successfully communicate in English through the
development of greater communicative competence in spoken English.
b. Develop critical thinking and speaking skills to be able to express creative and
independent thought.
c. Develop motivation and confidence to use spoken English through the exploration of
topics relevant to their academic and personal lives.
d. Gain an increased awareness, understanding, and appreciation of cultural systems
that will enable them to communicate in a more sociolinguistically appropriate
manner.
3. Specific Objectives: Students will also
a. Learn the manner of the Sias Oral English classroom and how to actively and
appropriately participate therein.
b. Learn to view mistakes and correction as a natural part of the process of language
acquisition and as opportunities for progress rather than as signs of failure.
c. Become aware of aspects of their pronunciation that may cause a breakdown in
communication and improve their control of those aspects in order to avoid
breakdowns in communication.
d. Be able to use language effectively and appropriately to carry out functions needed
to live and socialize on campus such as meeting and greeting, extending and
accepting/declining invitations, making appointments, describing locations on
campus, and having basic telephone conversations.
e. Be able to initiate, sustain, and close social conversations in a sociolinguistically
appropriate manner.
f. Be able to ask others about and to express their own basic likes, dislikes,
preferences, and indifference regarding interests, hobbies, and leisure activities in
order to sustain a social conversation.
g. Be aware of important cultural differences that will enable them to respond
appropriately to an offer of food or drink, engage in social conversation, and to ask
sensitive questions in a sociolinguistically appropriate manner when visiting a
foreign teacher and/or interacting with a Westerner.
4. Requirements:
a. Attendance: Students are required to attend all class periods.

Every week, all

b.

c.
d.

e.

students should be in the classroom on time and prepared. An unexcused absence

will result in a deduction of 2 points from the final grade; an excused absence will
result in a deduction of 1 point from the final grade (an official excuse note must be
provided). Any student missing 1/3 or more of the class hours will be disqualified
according to university policy.
Classroom behavior: No electronic devices (phones, mp3s, ipads etc.) are allowed
during class time.
Electronic dictionaries are strongly discouraged and are
permitted only at the discretion of the instructor. Disruptive behavior such as
speaking at inappropriate times, spitting in class, making fun of peers, and/or
regularly arriving late or leaving early will not be tolerated. Students are expected
to be attentive during instruction and engaged during pair, group, and class
activities. Sleeping in class will never be allowed.
Homework: Students are expected to complete homework on time, as assigned by
the teacher. Students are encouraged to practice their English outside of the
classroom.
Classwork: Students will be graded on a number of separate activities/tasks that
will be completed during class time. These assignments may require preparation
outside of class. The teacher will provide descriptions and specific criteria for these
activities/tasks when they are assigned.
Assessment:
Normal Score
50%
Attendance

10%

Homework

5%

Classwork

35%

Midterm Examination
25%
Final Examination
25%
Total
100%
5. Methods/Materials
a. Methods of Instruction
i. Brief Lecture-style Instruction
ii. Interactive Communicative Activities and Tasks (pair and group work)
b. Materials:
Pronunciation Pairs, notebook, pen
All students must bring these materials to class every week.
6. Class Schedule
Wee
Class Topic(s)/Assessment Dates
Date
k
4
Course Introduction, Unit 1 A & Diagnostic Lesson
Sept 21-25
5-6 Unit 1 A: Introductions and B Hanging out
Sept 29-30*
Oct 8-11**
7
Unit 2 A: Meet the Family
Oct 12-16
8
Assessment 1: Skit
&
Unit 2 B: A Happy
Oct 19-23
Childhood
9
Unit 10 A: Its a Date (Making appointments)
Oct 26-30
10
Midterm Review
Nov 2- 6
11
Midterm Exam
Nov 9-13
12
Unit 4 A: Lost in the City
Nov 16-20
13
14
15
16

Unit 4 B: Bad Traffic

Assessment 2: Skit & Unit 5 A: Home Sweet
Home
Unit 5 B: Lend a Hand
Final Exam Review

Nov 23-27***
Nov 30-Dec 4
Dec 7-11
Dec 14-18

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18

Final Exam
Grades Due

Dec 21-25 ****

Dec 28-31

* Mid-Autumn Festival- No Classes on Monday Sept. 28

** National Holiday Oct 1-7. No Classes on Monday Oct 5, Classes on Oct 6-7 will be made up on Oct
11-12
***November 26nd is Thanksgiving Day. Classes are optional for the Sias foreign faculty.
****Thursday, December 24th and Friday, December 25th are paid holidays for the Sias foreign faculty.

7. Other information
Other policies: All students are expected to do all of their own work.
plagiarism and cheating policies are in effect

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