Spoken English for Nonnative Speakers (380-0-22)
Topic
Integrated Academic Skills
Instructors
Jennifer Alexandra Alexander
847/491-5831
Swift 006
Office Hours: by appt
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-440: Tues, Thurs 4:15PM - 5:15PM
Overview of class
This course is a continuation of the fall quarter Integrated Academic Skills curriculum. The goal of the course is to give students the tools to improve their intelligibility and effectiveness when communicating in English, with an emphasis on communication in the American academic context. Students will discuss and practice strategies for making individual and group presentations, reporting on written information, narrating in the past and future timeframes, working with small groups, writing email, and networking at professional events. We will develop these skills through a quarter-long group project where students will set up, conduct, and report on an interview with a member of the Northwestern community. Along the way, we will review the sound structure of English with a goal of improved pronunciation and fluency. Students will have an opportunity to consider their own oral English proficiency in light of proficiency assessments used at Northwestern, and will receive feedback on the Versant test performance as well as practice Versant sessions.
Registration Requirements
Students must qualify for the Integrated Academic Skills curriculum to be eligible for the class. Students who qualify will be contacted by English Language Programs with registration details. Contact elp@northwestern.edu with questions.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Describe key features of the sound structure of English, including the articulation of consonants and vowels, word stress, linking, intonation, and prosody.
2. Describe key components of oral language proficiency as measured by the Versant English Test and specified in the ACTFL Can-Do Statements.
3. Compare and contrast academic norms across cultures.
4. Identify and execute strategies for effective communication in the American academic context, including small talk, email, reporting on visual information, and formal/informal presentations.
5. Identify their own specific strengths and weaknesses when using spoken English. Demonstrate progress toward achieving goals targeting improved proficiency.
Teaching Method
Lecture, discussion, small group activities, peer feedback, and homework
Evaluation Method
You are expected to complete regular readings and assignments each week. The concepts introduced in these readings and assignments will form the basis for classroom work, so it is important that you complete them in advance of the class for which they are assigned. You will also be assessed on attendance and participation.
Class Materials (Required)
The textbook for this course is Well Said, Fourth Edition, by Linda Grant (ISBN-10: 1305641361, ISBN-13: 9781305641365). Previous editions are not acceptable. New and used copies of the textbook are available for purchase at the Norris Center Bookstore, or you may purchase a copy of the same edition online or from another student.