English Proficiency Course (EPC)

Semester and Year Offered: First Semester / Monsoon 2018 onwards

Course Coordinator and Team: CELE Team

Email of course coordinator: amol@aud.ac.in

Pre-requisites: None

Aim:

This course is designed to enhance the four language skills viz. listening, speaking, reading and writing (LSRW) of learners to strengthen their overall proficiency in English. The main objective of this course is to provide a rich linguistic environment in class which will allow students to adequately practice a range of language functions simulating real life situations. This in turn is expected to help learners to function confidently in social spheres, both in familiar and unfamiliar environments. During the course learners will practice language items through interesting tasks, worksheets and activities around various language functions.

Course objectives:

1. Enable students to take part in simple everyday conversations in the university space in informal contexts
2. Encourage students to read and listen to simple texts and develop comprehension skills and basic vocabulary
3. Enable students to write short text messages, emails and descriptive paragraphs about everyday life and surroundings
4. Build confidence in students to begin communicating in English
5. Provide exposure to students in English language in a non-threatening and non-judgmental environment

Brief description of modules/ Main modules:

This course is not designed in a modular framework. It focuses on language functions which are practiced through different themes. The themes around which language will be practiced are as follows:

• Friends and family
• University life
• Food and Culture
• Travel and leisure

Material for this course will be drawn from a range of language teaching resources (such as New Interchange, Language in Use, Speak Well, More grammar games, Real reading etc.) which will be given at the beginning of the course.Additional worksheets will be given in class to practice various language skills (LSRW) through tasks and activities covering the above language functions. Interactive language activities such as role plays, pair work, group discussions, language games, poster presentations etc. will be an integral part of this course.

Assessment Details with weights:

• Role Play 10% (in groups) (Third week of September)
• Mid-Semester Exam 20% (Fourth week of September)
• Poster presentation (in pairs) 15% (Last week of October)
• Listening test 15 % (Second week of November)
• End-Semester Exam 20% (End of November)
• Writing Portfolio 20% (Students work with 'language buddies' throughout the semester) 40%.

Supplementary Readings:

1. Murphy, R. (2000) Essential English Grammar. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
2. Murphy, R. (2019) English Grammar in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
3. Stevenson, R. L. (1999) Treasure Island. New Delhi: Penguin.
4. Swan, D. K. (1999) (Ed.) Robin Hood. New Delhi: Penguin.