Foreign Language 2018/2019

The course aims at providing first year international students with the language skills, critical thinking and learning strategies required to attend a University degree held in a foreign language, in this case English. 

COURSE CONTENTS:

The course will focus on the following core areas: 

• GRAMMAR:  1. Verb system; 2. Word order; 3. Articles; 4. Formal and informal language. 
• READING:  1. Identifying main and supporting ideas; 2. Identifying a sequence of events; 3. Categorizing; 4. Understanding purpose; 5. Inferring meaning; 6. Identifying pros and cons; 7. Understanding details; 8. Identifying arguments and counterarguments; 9. Understanding problems and solutions; 10. Understanding effects; 11. Understanding certainty; 12. Predicting and sequencing.   
• WRITING:   1. Summary; 2. Email writing; 3. Writing body paragraphs; 4. Writing introductory and concluding paragraphs;   
• SPEAKING:  1. Varying degrees of expressing your opinion; 2. Asking for clarification and reformulation; 3. Organizing ideas;  4. Presenting counterarguments.   
• CRITICAL THINKING:  1. Analysing Evidence: evaluating, reflecting, synthesizing; 2. Justifying your opinion; 3. Inferring meaning; 4. Evaluating arguments; 

A detailed description of the aims and contents of each lesson will be published at the end of every week. 

MATERIALS:

1. Pathways Second Edition, Reading, Writing and Critical Thinking, Student Book, Level 3, National Geographic, ISBN number: 9781337407793. (The book is available at Libreria Universitalia, Via di Passo Lombardo 421). 
2. Additional materials provided during the lessons

EXAM:

Written exam (60 minutes) on the topics dealt during the lessons. Further details on the exam structure will be given during the course. 

LESSON 1 - 27.09.2018

• International English
• 20 entry assessment 
• course presentation 

LESSON 2 - 04.10.2018

Coursebook pages 4-9

• Vocabulary - aggressive behaviour in workplace and motivations behind it
• Reading Comprehension: understaing the main purpose of a passage  
• Critical Thinking Skills: summarising, categorazing and evaluating evidence 

Optional assignment to submit via email on page 10, letters A, B and C

LESSON 3 - 11.10.2018

Coursebook pages 19-22

• Vocabulary - how to express similarities and differences
• Writing - what is an essay 
• Writing - how to write body paragraphs: thesis statement, topic sentence and supporting ideas

Optional written assignment on page 22. Submission deadline: Sunday 21st October.

LESSON 4 - 25.10.2018

Coursebook pages 29-34 and page 46

• Reading - understanding main ideas
• Identifying evidence
• Analysing certainty
• Writing - summary

Reading assignment on pages 37-42.

LESSON 5 - 08.11.2018

Coursebook pages 59-60 and page 67

• Video - understanding main ideas and details
• Analysing vocabulary in context
• Grammar - past simple and present perfect simple
• Grammar - articles 

LESSON 6 - 15.11.2018

Coursebook pages 68-70 and revision of pages 20-21

• Revision: how to write body paragraphs
• Introductory paragraphs: hook and thesis statement
• Concluding paragraph: summary statement and final thoughts
• writing task: p. 70 

Assignment: pages 71-72

LESSON 7 - 22.11.2018

Coursebook pages 77-82

• Extensive reading practice
• Summarizing
• Understanding process and details
• Inferring meaning
• Referencing and cohesion

Assignment: pages 85-92

LESSON 8 - 29.11.2018

• How to write a formal email to a professor
• Functions and style of subject lines
• Email structure
• Useful language
• How to express politeness 

LESSON 9 - 30.11.2018

Coursebook pages 102-108

• Understanding key terms
• Understanding purpose
• Identifying and evaluationg arguments
• Analyzing causes and effects 

Assignment - pp. 61-66

LESSON 10 - 06.12.2018

Coursebook pages 124-125 and pages 141-142

• Passives
• How to interpret good and bad infographics
• Describing visual information

Assignment - pp. 135-140

LESSON 11 - 13.12.2018

Coursebook pages 127-132

• Exam Practice 1: Reading comprehension and summary writing
• Identifying arguments and counterarguments
• Paraphrasing 

Assignment - pp. 111-116

LESSON 12 - 20.12.2018

Coursebook pages 133-134

• Exam Practice 2: Email correction and vocabulary practice
• Video Comprehension: understing main and detailed ideas

LESSON 13 - 10.01.2019

Coursebook pages 174-180

• Exam Practice 3: Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension and Summary writing 
• Revision on passives
• Reading comphrension: identifying main ideas, inferring meaning and sequencing 

Assignment pages 183-188

LESSON 14 - 17.01.2019

Coursebook pages 196-197; 205-206

• Exam Practice 4: Email correction
• Video: understanding main ideas and details

Assignment pages 198-204