AESL085 Oral Communication Fundamentals for International Students

Department of Language & Literature: American English as a Second Language

I. Course Number and Title

AESL085 Oral Communication Fundamentals for International Students

II. Number of Credits

3 credits

III. Minimum Number of Instructional Minutes Per Semester

2250 minutes

IV. Prerequisites

Placement by the Department of Language and Literature only

Corequisites

None

V. Other Pertinent Information

This course will not satisfy the general elective category for students who entered their program or study in or after the 2007 Fall semester.

• To meet course objectives, students are expected to spend a minimum of six hours a week completing homework assignments. These six hours are in addition to the three hours of class time.
• Students are expected to visit the Tutoring Center as needed.
• Approximately eighty-to-ninety percent of the final grade for the course will be based upon a student’s performance on tests of oral proficiency, presentations, interviews, and other listening/speaking assignments. Class participation and attendance will account for the remaining ten-to-twenty percent of the student’s overall grade.
• The transfer institution determines transferability.

VI. Catalog Course Description

This course is designed for international students who need to learn the fundamentals of oral communication. Students develop their ability to understand spoken English and express themselves clearly in conversation and academic discourse. Individual and group work, as well as reading and writing assignments, build students’ American English vocabulary.

VII. Required Course Content and Direction

1. Learning Goals:

   Speaking: In this AESL course, students will be able to
   
   
   1. develop competence in communication by utilizing opportunities to practice oral American English skills and the use of idiomatic expressions;
   2. develop their overall language proficiency through practice in speaking, listening, reading, and writing;
   3. develop accurate pronunciation through the production of phrases and whole sentences;
   4. read phonetic script as an aid to the accurate pronunciation of unknown words;
   5. recognize common spelling patterns to produce words with similar pronunciations;
   6. speak American English clearly by listening carefully and imitating native speakers; and
   7. develop vocabulary that shows improvement in comprehension and self-expression.
   
   Academic Integrity:
   
   
   1. identify examples of plagiarism; and
   2. adhere to the principles of honesty and academic integrity in their own work.

2. Planned Sequence of Topics and/or Learning Activities:

   In order to learn the above skills, students will
   1. read selections from the textbook and other appropriate sources;
   2. effectively use American English to participate in class and group discussions;
   3. interview classmates in order to orally present responses to the class as a whole;
   4. write short expository paragraphs and playful dialogue for oral presentation;
   5. develop rhythm and stress patterns using chants, poetry, and songs;
   6. interpret the international phonetic alphabet for accurate word pronunciation;
   7. develop self-monitoring skills by listening for specific pronunciation features;
   8. take notes and summarize lectures to develop listening comprehension skills;
   9. complete out-of-class assignments that encourage students to effectively use American English outside the classroom;
   10. identify examples of plagiarism through teacher-prepared quizzes;
   and
   11. effectively utilize the Tutoring Center as needed.

3. Assessment Methods for Core Learning Goals:

   1. Core Learning Goals: Not applicable.
   
   
   
   2. Discipline-Specific Learning Goals as follows:
   Students will demonstrate what they have learned through tests of oral proficiency and listening comprehension; participation in class discussions and oral exercises; conferences with the instructor; and a final oral presentation.
   
   Students will complete numerous pronunciation and listening comprehension exercises on tape and in their textbooks and/or workbook. These exercises will be evaluated on a consistent basis.

4. Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Students:

   Choice of Departmentally-elected textbooks and/or workbooks. Students will also use other printed sources, such as newspapers, magazines, and journals. See Course Formats.

VIII. Teaching Methods Employed

Teaching methods will include but not be limited to the following:

Lecture, class discussions, class presentations, role playing, simulations, demonstrations, quizzes, collaborative learning activities, instructor/student tutoring and/or conferences, and audio-visual resources.

Review/Approval Date - 4/07