1、1Freshman English ProgramSeptember 2007-June 2008Language Center語言教學中心College of Foreign Languages and CulturesSoochow University(http:/www.scu.edu.tw/language/index.htm)Prepared by Cynthia YuRevised by Joyce Lee therefore, they are required to assign students written homework regularly (please see
2、below).f. They are required to proctor midterm and final exams of their own classes.g. They are expected to give presentations or workshops on ESL/EFL teaching at the request of the Center.C. Coordinators 1 Only freshmen who have already passed the 全民英檢中級複試 are allowed to study languages other than
3、English for the required two-year foreign language program. 3Chief coordinator: 李玉華 分機 6505 (jyhleescu.edu.tw)High level: 王海康分機 6461 or 6503 ()Mid level: 李玉華 分機 6505 (jyhleescu.edu.tw)Low level: 蘇雅如分機 6511 (f03scu.edu.tw) T.A.: 江宜穎 分機 6466 (openiyscu.edu.tw)III. Introduction to the curriculum design
4、Two components: (1) Reading/Writing (2 hours/2 credits) conducted in a language lab or regular classroom(2) Listening /Speaking (2 hours/1 credit) conducted in a language lab A. Listening/SpeakingGoals: (1) to increase students listening and speaking abilities by focusing on practical, real-life ski
5、lls. (2) to help students understand all kinds of verbal messages and to be able to respond to these messages. Text book for students: Top Notch 1 with CD-RomSupplementary materials for teachers:1. Teachers Edition and Lesson Planner 2. Class Audio CDs3. Top Notch TV (DVD)4. Activity Worksheets and
6、Teaching Notes5. Complete assessment package with audio CD6. Copy & Go: Ready-Made Interactive Activities for Busy Teachers 7. Workbook 8. Teachers Resource Disk (Audio CD)Units to be covered in the 07 fall semester Units 1 and 2 prior to MidtermUnits 3, 4, and 5 prior to FinalUnits to be covered in
7、 the 08 spring semester. Units 6 and 7 prior to MidtermUnits 8, 9 and 10 prior to FinalAll levels should use Top Notch TV (DVD) in addition to Top Notch 1 in class.High-level Classes:Since Top Notch 1 is quite easy for the students, teachers are encouraged to use outside but relevant materials (audi
8、o or video) to supplement in class. Possible listening/speaking assignments: Recording, Role-playing, Giving presentation, Giving speeches, Doing an interview, Debating etc.4B. Reading/WritingGoals: (1) to equip students with basic reading skills, such as skimming, scanning, reading for main idea, m
9、aking inference, and guessing vocabulary in context, through intensive reading and extensive reading. Extensive reading includes the use of simplified readers. (2) to enable students to apply these skills toward all kinds of readings in English. Textbook for students: Active Skills for Reading 3. Su
10、pplementary materials for teachers:1. Teachers Manual CDs 2. Exam View (CD-ROM)Teachers are encouraged to use the vocabulary questions and outside reading comprehension questions in the accompanying Exam View to give quizzes to students.Chapters to be covered in Midterm, 07 fall semester:Units Chapt
11、ers1 1. 1. Selling Indias Rainy Season2. Avoiding cultural Taboos2 1. Fashionable Decisions2. Tom Ford-Master DesignerChapters to be covered in Final, 07 Fall semesterUnits Chapters4 1. 1. What does a Million Dollars Buy?2. 2. Lottery WinnersRich, but 3. Happy?5 1. Wedding Customs6 1. Mystery ToursC
12、hapters to be covered in Midterm, 08 Spring semesterUnits Chapters7 1. Successful Dieting8 1. Human Adaptation to Space91. I 1. Is an Only Child a Lonely Child?2. Changing roles: Stay-at-Home DadsChapters to be covered in Final, 08 Spring semesterUnits Chapters10 1. 1. Homeschooling a Better Way to
13、Learn?5111. 1. How Good Is Your Memory?2. Words to Remember12 2. From Comic Books to Graphic NovelsHigh-level ClassesTeachers of High level classes should cover extra lessons or assign them for self-study and give students quizzes on these additional lessons to challenge them. The extra chapters to
14、be covered for the fall semester are:Prior to Midterm: Review Reading 1: Modern Fashion Trends p. 45Prior to Final: Review Reading 4: The Truth Behind The Da Vinci Code p.86The extra chapters to be covered for the spring semester are:Prior to Midterm: Review Reading 6: Single-Parent Families: Changi
15、ng Views p124Prior to Final: Unit 12 Chapter 1: Zorro: A Review p.83Extensive Reading: The Penguin series of simplified readers, available at our school library, can be recommended to students for their self-study or assigned as winter-break reading projects. Some possible writing assignments are1.
16、Making sentences using the taught phrases or expressions2. Writing short essay questions 3. Writing response/reaction paragraphs4. Writing summary paragraphs5. ParaphrasingNote: Teachers of low level classes are encouraged to have students make sentences with the phrases in the vocabulary list as th
17、eir homeworkTeachers of high levels are encouraged to use the last four.Homework Inspection1. At the beginning of each semester, all teachers are given a form to enter their students letter (A, B, C) /number (1100) grades for the homework. As teachers get extra pay for correcting students homework,
18、which varies in accordance with the number of students in their class, they are required to correct at least 4 assignments in each semester, and the total amount of assignments should be equivalent to making 50 sentences. 2. At the end of the semester, this form will be collected and reviewed by the
19、 Chief Coordinator and the Director of the Language Center. 3. Individual teachers may be required to submit their students homework for inspection. C. Testing and Gradinga. Placement 1. All students who enroll in the Freshman English course will be placed into one of three levels (High, Mid, and Lo
20、w) based on their scores from the English section of the JCEE. Those who did not take the JECC exam (transfer students or repeaters) will have to take a placement test administered on campus in the first week of the fall semester. 62. The test evaluates students reading skills and grammar knowledge.
21、 3. Students who feel that they are not properly placed can apply for a transfer to a higher or lower level as soon as possible, with their original instructors permission. The application will be handled by the Language Center.4. Instructors who feel a student has not been placed in the most approp
22、riate level can suggest that the student be transferred to a more suitable level. Such notifications should be made to the Language Center.b. GradingReading: 100%In each semester, unified testsreading midterm and final examsare prepared by the FENM committee. 30% - Unified midterm exam 30% - Unified
23、 final exam Mid and High levels: 40% - Homework, quizzes, attendance and participationLow level: 30% - Two-hour online-learning (線上補救教學：Http:/elearn.scu.edu.tw )10% - Classroom performance - Note: As a rule of thumb, 30% of the reading exams can be allocated to test students proficiency (the questio
24、ns still have to be relevant to the themes or topics of the target lessons), while 70% will be focused on their achievement (target lessons). Listening: 100%In each semester, unified testslistening midterm and final examsare prepared by the FENM committee. 30% - Midterm (80% Unified mid-term exam +
25、20% Individualized) 30% - Final (80% Unified final exam + 20% Individualized)Mid and High levels: 40% - Homework, quizzes, attendance and participation Low level: 30% - Two-hour online-learning (線上補救教學： Http:/elearn.scu.edu.tw) 10% - Classroom performance c. Preparation of the unified tests30-minute
26、 Listening Test: Listening tests on the units taught and corresponding units in Top Notch TV are to be administered during the mid-term and final exam weeks. Please see below for their format.Note: It is important that all classes finish their tests within the exam week to avoid students cheating in
27、 the exam. 100-minute Reading Test: Two unified exams on chapters covered are to be held on specific dates below. Please see belowfor their format.Midterm Exam: 13:30-15:10, November 10, Saturday, 2007 Final Exam: 13:30-15:10, January 12, Saturday, 2008. 7Notes:1. All teachers should contribute to t
28、he preparation of these unified tests. 2. It is extremely important that all teachers meet the deadlines listed on the test timetable. Many things need to be done to produce the midterm and final exams. If just one deadline is not met, the entire schedule is threatened and many people are inconvenie
29、nced. Problems arising from missed deadlines will put pressure on the coordinators and the TA. 3. Teachers should be aware that if the questions they make for the midterm and final exams are found to be unacceptable, they have to make another set of questions in lieu of the old ones.d. Format of the
30、 unified midterm and final exams1) Listening: 100%20% individualized (to be prepared by individual teachers based on students level)80% unified: 40 questions, 2% eachThree choices are provided for each question and the choices should be kept as short as possible.Suggested question types:Cloze, Writi
31、ng a dialog, Short answer questionsTypes of questions: Statement, Response, Short dialogue (2-3 exchanges, 1-2 questions per dialog).1. Please see Appendix for sample question types.2. The exam is digitally recorded.3. CD-ROMs must be played only once and the questions and answers will not be given
32、in written form. Teachers can ask for a copy of the script from the TA after the exam is given. Students can only listen to them and choose the best answer on the answer sheet. 2) Reading: 100%Types of questions Explanations1. 1.Vocabulary: 25% (25 questions)2. 15 active vocabulary questions In thes
33、e questions, students will be given the first and last letter and in most cases, the definition of the word. 10 passive vocabulary questions In these questions, students are given a list of 20 words and they have to choose a word from the list to complete each sentence. All teachers will be given a
34、vocabulary list from each taught lesson, including the new vocabulary introduced in the Vocabulary Comprehension and Vocabulary Skill Sections of each lesson (Its up to the teachers discretion whether this list shouldbe made available to their students.) Teachers who are responsible to make question
35、s for this part should choose only the words and phrases from this word list and test them in a different context from the original text. 2. 2. Sentence structures: 15% (15 questions)15 sentences taken directly from the original text.Multiple-choice with 3 choice items3. Sentence-making: 20% (10 que
36、stions)T There is also a list of important phrases from each covered lesson. 810 phrases will be taken from this list and students have to make a sentence with each phrase. 4. Short answer questions: 20% (4 questions) There will be one question from each target lesson.Two questions (facts) : based o
37、n the content of the lessonsTwo questions (opinions) that provide students a chance to express themselves.5. Reading Comprehension:10% (10 questions) Two passages from outside materials (relevant to the lessons taught), five questions from each passage. 6. Cloze: 10% (10 questions) A passage from ou
38、tside materials (relevant to the lessons taught) 10 multiple-choice questions. IV. Self-study resources1. http:/www2.scu.edu.tw/foreign/epowerA website designed especially for Freshman English and Sophomore English students. 2. http:/write.scu.edu.twA website to improve students writing skills. 3. L
39、ive ABC (互動英語): Available at the *Self-Access Lab (外語自學室)4. CNN News: Available at the *Self-Access Lab (外語自學室) 5. Teachers should encourage their students to use the Self-Access Lab. *Self-Access Lab: #G123, Language Center, Main Campus#5316, Language Center, Downtown Campusv. Important tips for ne
40、w teachers The TA for the Freshman English program will provide teachers with a list of the students in their classes. Students must attend the class for which they are registered. Teachers must call roll at the beginning of the semester to ensure that students are in the correct class. The Universi
41、ty may penalize students if they attend the wrong class. In order to understand how to use the equipment in classrooms, new teachers must attend a workshop. They will receive a notice from the Language Center about the workshop information, classroom policies and related regulations. Teachers have t
42、o list grading criteria and attendance policies clearly on the syllabus and upload their course syllabus to the university administration webpage before the deadline set by the University. Teachers should be careful in making test questions. If their questions are constantly rejected by the test rev
43、iewers, they might not be given the opportunity to teach the Freshman English course in the following academic year. If teachers dont correct students assignment, they will not be given classes to teach again. If teachers are often late for classes or simply dont show up for classes, they will not b
44、e given classes to teach again.9APPENDIX Listening Test samples:Statement1. I think aerobics is a piece of cake.a. Aerobics is easy.b. Aerobics is difficult.c. Aerobics is funny.aResponse1. Sorry to keep you waiting. Theres been an emergency and the doctor wont be available until three.a. Well, when
45、 can you return it?b. Whats wrong with the old one?c. Then Ill have to reschedule.cShort Dialogue1. M: Im going to go hiking. Do you want to join me?W: No, thanks. I think I am going to start a fire and begin preparing dinner.M: OK. Ill be back in an hour, and then Ill set up the tent.Q: Where does this conversation take place?a. At a fire station.b. At a campground.c. At a recreation center.
