ADVANCED ENGLISH SEMINAR

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

Single discipline educational activity

Course Sheet

Course code:

FLT002

Academic Year of enrolment:

2020

Year of supply:

2020/2021

Degree:

Course of 2nd Cycle Degree in PHILOLOGY, LINGUISTICS AND LITERARY TRADITIONS

Location:

CHIETI

Credits:

Programme Year:

Professor and Collaborators:

CANANI MARCO

Cycle:

Second semester

Hours of classroom activity:

Individual study hours:

Prerequisites:

Estimated entry level of English: B1

Objectives

Learning Objectives:
The learning objectives of the graduate programme in Philology, Linguistic, and Literary Traditions include independent language skills in a language spoken in the EU. To this end, the MA English Language Workshop aims to help students acquire CEFR B2 competences in English. At the end of the course, students will be expected to understand the main concepts of a discourse of a certain length and follow quite complex arguments; to understand narrative texts; to communicate in a sufficiently spontaneous and natural way so as to interact with native speakers; to express their opinions; to write clearly and articulately on a wide range of topics. The MA English Language Workshop will also prepare students for the Cambridge First (B2) exam tasks.

Abilities:
At the end of the MA English Language Workshop students will be expected to possess CEFR B2 (“Vantage”) competences in English.

Self-assessment:

Students are expected to acquire language skills that will enable them to express themselves clearly and correctly in English. They are also expected to develop sufficient metalinguistic skills.

Communicative skills:
Students will be expected to understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics; to interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible and without strain; to produce a clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue.

Contents

The MA English Language Workshop follows a communicative approach to train the students’ English language skills. To this end, the Workshop consists of interactive reading, listening, speaking, and writing activities. Classes will also focus on pronunciation, on vocabulary development, and on the consolidation of language structures and functions consistently with the B2 level (“Vantage”) descriptors of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Extended Syllabus

The syllabus includes activities aimed at revising/consolidating the main language structures (grammar, vocabulary, syntax, with a focus on pronunciation) of spoken English and the conventions of written English. The reading, listening, speaking and writing activities aim to broaden the students’ vocabulary according to the B2 level of the European framework of reference for languages.

Course Structure:
24 hours of class activities and 51 hours of self-study (3 credits).

Recommended Bibliography

ATTENDING STUDENTS (B1):
Ian Bell and Roger Gower, First Expert Coursebook. Third Edition (March 2015 Exam Specifications), edition with MyEnglishLab access code, Pearson 2015 (ISBN 9781447962014)

For the SPEAKING section - MA STUDENTS in PMW:
Geraldine Ludbrook, English for International Social Work, Cafoscarina 2011, ISBN 9788875433024 (See below for further information)

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS (already B2):
Non-attending students who already possess B2 language skills in English may refer to the following book:
Nick Kenny and Lucrecia Luque-Mortimer, Practice Tests Plus B2 First - New Edition, Volume 1 with Key, Pearson 2018 (ISBN 9781292208756)

Teaching Methods

Interactive, communicative, task-centred lessons integrated by instructor-led activities when needed. Classes will be taught using traditional and multimedia (AV) materials, as well as authentic texts. Interactive and constant participation is fundamental. To this end, students are required to come to class with their coursebook and learning material.

Evaluation methods

Verification of learning:

The final exam consists of a written and an oral test assessed with a pass mark (pass / fail). The written test consists of a Listening comprehension activity and a Reading comprehension activity based on the Cambridge First (B2) multiple-choices tasks. The oral exam consists of speaking activities connected with the language tasks and topics discussed in class. All exam sessions are available to both attending and non-attending students.

Contacts/More Information

During the first class of the MA English Language Workshop students will take a test to assess their entry level of English. All students whose graduate programme includes credits in English (“Laboratorio di Lingua inglese II”) are expected to take the entrance test. Students who already possess B2 competences (or higher) in English may opt for self-study activities (without attending classes) under Dr. Canani’s supervision. Constant attendance and class interaction are strongly recommended for students who possess B1 (or lower) competences in English.

MA STUDENTS IN PMW will only attend the first 18 hours of the course; for the speaking exam, they will prepare 4 reading texts (one per unit) from G. Ludbrook's book.

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

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