TBD: 

Maintains Moodle and keeps attendance and grade records.

Class time will be devoted to activities that allow you to practice and interact in English. To successfully complete the course, you must prepare the assigned homework prior to class and, while in class actively participate in class discussions and pair/group work. Your final grades are determined by the following course components:

• Attendance: 20%


• Assignments, quizzes, etc.: 30%


• Midterm exam: 20%


• Final exam: 20%


• Final presentation project: 10%

Participation

Your participation grade will be based on your attendance, homework preparation, and the contribution you make to the learning experience of others. Contribution includes your in-class questions to the instructor, insights and comments regarding class content, answers to the instructor's questions, and reactions to other students' contributions.

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism: Copying and cheating will not be tolerated. This includes using AI apps, such as ChatGPT to create and compose your work. Appropriate use of such apps will be discussed in class. If cheating is detected, the student will, at minimum, receive “0” for that assignment or exam. Regarding plagiarism in writing assignments, the student will have the opportunity to rewrite the assignment. If there is a second infraction, the student will fail the class.

In-class exercises/quizzes

Periodically throughout the semester, writing/listening exercises and pop quizzes will be given in class. These exercises and quizzes can NOT be made up.

Oral presentations

You will give an individual oral report and a group presentation during the semester. For the individual report, you will tell a 3-minute personal anecdote. For the group presentation, you and three other students will report on a current event. The presentation should be approximately 20 minutes, followed by a 5-minute discussion. Each group should meet with the instructor two weeks prior to their presentation to discuss their topic and present their outline.

Written assignments

There will be three major written assignments in addition to in-class and take-home writing exercises. In each assignment, you will respond to writing prompts about a cultural issue using the writing skills you learned in class. Your paper should demonstrate that you have thought seriously and critically about the topic and made effective use of the resources provided. You are also encouraged to research the topic and cite your sources. The grading rubric for the written assignments is available on the class website.

Examinations

All materials, including the readings, handouts, and information provided in class will potentially be included on mid-term and final exams. The mid-term exam is a written test, and the final exam contains a written test and a speaking test. The written tests include vocabulary/grammar questions, a listening/reading section, and short writing tasks. The speaking test requires you to answer two or more questions, each question for two minutes. The instructor will evaluate your ability to respond to the questions appropriately and to speak for an extended period of time without hesitation, deviation or repetition. The grading rubric for the speaking test is available on the class website. Exams can NOT be made up or rescheduled unless you provide documentation of a true emergency.

Course materials

No required textbook to purchase. However, you will be asked to download articles and handouts from Moodle to be used in class. You may use hard copies or a tablet to complete them.

Books for reference:

• At a Glance: Writing Paragraphs and Beyond with Integrated Readings (6th Edition), 2015, ISBN-13: 978-1-285-44468-0


• Speaking of Speech New Edition, 2013, ISBN: 978-0-2307-15332-0

Resources

VoiceTube: https://tw.voicetube.com

BBC Learning English: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish

TED talks: https://www.ted.com/talks

LTTC BESTEP: https://bestep.tw/