Last Day

Here is my hard working class on our last day of classes. You can see in the bottom-right corner a box of doughnuts and some napkins. They were for Koichi's farewell party. Koichi is the student in the bottom-left corner of the picture. He is leaving UW-La Crosse for Sacramento, California.

Behind Koichi is Kazuki, who looks ready to take some notes on his desk. Hiding behind Kazuki and reaching for a Pepsi is Angus. Straight in front of me in the blue is Badr who also is ready to take notes. Looking very relaxed with a big pile on his desk is Ibrahim. To our right and Ibrahim's left is Satomi, looking very nice. To the right of Satomi is Ji Su, looking quite calm. And to the far right is Alia with her books out ready to study. But instead we partied on Koichi's behalf.

Final Comments

What did you like the most about this class?

• Jeremy is a fun teacher.
• I like everything.
• My classmates are always funny.
• This class is sometimes serious and sometimes funny.
• The room is cold.
• The room has strong air conditioning.
• The room is bright.
• The clock is located in the best spot on the wall.
• Some desks are noisy.
• I like having class outside.
• Jeremy's "ping-pong" device is entertaining.

What will you remember the most?

• Koichi always eats M&Ms.
• Kazuki usually eats bananas.
• Jeremy loves cats a lot.
• Ibrahim sometimes comes to class 1 minute late.
• The chain drill activity with A-B-C-D-E-F students.
• Pictures on the blog.
• Jeremy's blog.
• Other languages--Russian, Arabic, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese.

What should change?

• the air conditioner or the room
• That's about all. Nothing more.

What improved the most concerning your English skills?

• The word "sarcasm"
• "Really?" and "Really."
• Word stress
• Grammar in questions and answers
• Stress on "can't"
• "wanna, gonna, hafta, luvta"

Thank you.

Next Semester

Everyone has passed the first level

Some students will go to the second level

• ESL 100 Speaking with Jeremy about role-plays and journalism at 8:50 everyday
• ESL 101 Reading with Kay at 1:10 everyday
• ESL 102 Writing with Liz at 2:15 everyday
• ESL 103 Listening with Patrick at 9:55 everyday

Some students will go to the third level

• ESL 110 Speaking with Kay at 2:15 Mondays and Wednesdays
• ESL 111 Reading with Jeremy about the 2008 US Presidential Elections at 11:00 Mondays and Wednesdays
• ESL 112 Writing with Patrick at 12:40 Tuesdays and Thursdays
• ESL 113 Listening with Beth at 11:00 Tuesdays and Thursdays

One student will go to Sacramento, CA

Homework for This Week

Study for the Final Pronunciation Test on Tuesday
Study for the Final Vocabulary Test on Wednesday
Study for the Final Grammar Test on Thursday

American Cities

Today students gave presentations on northern cities of the United States. They had to answer questions about the weather, certain activities, sights to see, and the hotel. Here are some examples by two students.

Badr gave a speech about Portland, Oregon and the Doubletree Hotel there. There's a famous rose garden and Japanese garden there, plus an interesting zoo. You can see a lot of nature in Portland--the Willamette River and many mountains. Portland is not as cold as La Crosse, but you can go snowboarding in the nearby Cascade Mountains. Rooms at the Doubletree Hotel start around $150 per night. It has an outdoor pool and WiFi.

Angus gave a speech about Buffalo, New York. The weather is similar to the weather in La Crosse. Buffalo gets very cold in winter and sometimes gets more snow than La Crosse. It's about 13 hours from La Crosse by car. There are many things to do there like taking part in the National Buffalo Wing Festival where many people eat chicken wings. There's also a lot of sports teams to watch, like the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres.

Homework for Monday

Research your American city and one hotel there.

• Satomi - Anchorage, AK
  
• Badr - Portland, OR
• Ji Su - Rapid City, SD
• Ibrahim - Detroit, MI
  
• Koichi - Cleveland, OH
• Angus - Buffalo, NY
• Alia - Burlington, VT
  
• Kazuki - Boston, MA

Be prepared to answer many questions about the city and the hotel.
Also be prepared to ask your classmates similar questions about their cities and hotels.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Here are my examples of answers from possible questions about Milwaukee.

When is the best time of the year to visit? - Summer is the best time of year to visit.
Is it nice in summer? - Yes, Milwaukee is very nice in summer.
Is it nice in winter? - Yes, Milwaukee looks nice especially around Christmas time. But Milwaukee feels very cold.
Is it nice in the spring? - Milwaukee is not really nice in the spring.
Is it nice in the fall? - Yes, the parks in Milwaukee are beautiful in the fall.

Questions about the weather

• What's the weather like? - The weather is similar to the weather in La Crosse.
• How often does it snow in Milwaukee? - It snows a lot in winter and sometimes in spring.
• How often does it rain in the summer? - It rains about once or twice a week in summer.
• How hot does it get in summer? - It can reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit sometimes.
• How cold does it get in winter? - It can get very, very cold in winter.

Questions about activities

• What can you do there? You can watch the Milwaukee Brewers play baseball and the Milwaukee Bucks play basketball. You can visit some breweries. You can visit many museums like the famous art museum. You can enjoy lots of music at Summerfest. You can go sailing, water skiing, or swimming in Lake Michigan. You can visit the zoo.
• Can you go shopping? Of course. There are many malls and other places to go shopping.
• Can you go skiing? Yes, but you can't go downhill skiing in the city.
  
• Can you stay in an ice hotel? I don't think so. Not yet.
• Can you watch American football there? Only on TV. You have to go to Green Bay or Chicago to see it in the stadium.
• Can you study English there? Yes, but it's better to study in La Crosse.
  

Questions about the sights to see

• What can you see there? You can see Lake Michigan, sports games, tall buildings, lots of beer, a big clock, and many other things.
• Can you see Harley-Davidson motorcycles? Yes, they are from Milwaukee.
• Can you see Chicago? No, it's too far.
• Can you see strange buildings? Yes, you can see domes.
• Can you see famous people? Yes, you can Bob Uecker and maybe Fonzi. Unfortunately most ESL students won't know famous Milwaukee people.
• Can you see UFOs? Yes, but only if you believe in them.

Questions about the hotel I chose (Pfister Hotel)

• How much does it cost for one night? It costs about $250.
• Does it have a swimming pool? No, but it has a spa.
• Does it have WiFi? Yes, it does.
• Does it have an art collection? Yes, it does.
• Does it have a casino? No, it doesn't
• How far is it from Miller Park? It's about 5 miles away from Miller Park.
• How far is it from downtown? It is downtown.
• How far is it from your home? It's about 3.5 hours away from my home.
  

Homework for Thursday

Grammar, pages 127-128

Do #2 as follows
A: Can you dance?
B: No, I can't. Can you dance?
A: Yes, I can. Can you (another verb)?
Repeat until each of you has used 5 verbs.

Do #3 as follows
Student A says something with "can" or "can't" and student B agrees.
Student A says something with "can" or "can't" and student B disagrees.
Student B says something with "can" or "can't" and student A agrees.
Student B says something with "can" or "can't" and student A disagrees.

New Words

campsite - Are there campsites near here? Did you ever camp at a campsite?
inn - Do people stay at inns in your hometown?
lodging - What kinds of lodging are popular in your country?
snowmobile - When can people go snowmobiling? How much do snowmobiles cost?
somewhat - Are you somewhat tired today? Who is somewhat hungry today?

Homework for Wednesday

Focus on Vocabulary, page 123
Take turns describing the items in #4.
Student A does #1, Student B does #2, and so on.

Croissants, Popcorn, and Brownies

Today students gave presentations on food from either breakfast or lunch. After they gave their presentations, the class shared their food together. Here are some examples of what two students presented.

Ibrahim presented croissants to the class. He usually eats them for lunch. The main ingredients of croissants are butter, flour, milk, sugar, and salt. Some croissants have too much sugar, so they are not good for you if you eat too much.

Alia presented popcorn and brownies to the class. She usually eats popcorn when she goes to the cinema. She makes brownies because they are easy to make. The main ingredient in popcorn is corn. The main ingredients in brownies are flour, butter, cocoa, eggs, milk, and sugar. Both popcorn and brownies are snacks or desserts, which are not usually good for you.

Homework for Tuesday

Focus on Vocabulary, pages 122-123
Write your answers to #1 and #2 on a separate sheet of paper.
Follow the directions carefully.

Milk

The drink I brought to class today is milk. These days I don't drink milk often. When I was a child, I drank milk everyday. That's why I'm so tall. I like milk because the taste is smooth and delicious. The main ingredient in milk is 100% milk from Wisconsin cows. Milk is good for you because it has a lot of calcium and vitamin D. Milk is best for babies and little children. Milk is also good for the economy of Wisconsin.

Homework for Monday

Speaking topics, page 112-113

The class is divided into three groups:

• The Breakfast Team - Kazuki, Satomi, Angus, & Badr
  
• The Lunch Team - Ji Su, Alia, Koichi, & Ibrahim
• The Drink Team - Jeremy
  

Each team must bring four dishes for their meal.
Each student must make a speech about one of the dishes.

• What's the dish's name?
• How often do you usually eat it?
• Why do you like it?
• What are the main ingredients?
• Is it good for you? Why or why not?
  

New Words

energetic - Are you energetic? What can you do to become energetic?
flour - Did you ever make something with flour?
miserable - Are you miserable? When was the last time you were miserable?
upbeat - Are you upbeat today? What makes you feel upbeat?
wheat - What kinds of food are made with wheat?

Homework for Thursday

Follow the directions for part 1 and part 2 on the handout.
Follow the directions for part 3 on page 112 in your textbook.
Take this quiz and report your score to the class tomorrow.

New Words

effort - Do you make a lot of effort to do you homework well?

regret - Do you regret coming to La Crosse?

responsibility - What are your responsibilities for this class?

sunburn - Did you get a sunburn this summer? Are you sunburned?

tan - Did you get a tan this summer? Are you tan?

Homework for Wednesday

Focus on Vocabulary, page 106
Write #1 on a separate piece of paper and bring it to class.
#2 - Discuss the words from #1 with your partner. Take turns making sentences using all the words and the verbs from the chart.
#3 - Follow the directions in the book for #3.

Homework for Tuesday

Follow the instructions on the handout about gerunds and infinitives.

Influential Women of 2007-08

Today students answered questions from their classmates about an influential women of this year or last year. Koichi answered questions about BoA.

• How old is she? She is 21 years old.
• Does she have a nickname in Japan? No, she doesn't.
• Is she an actress? Maybe she was a guest star in a TV drama.
• Where does she live now? She lives in both Japan and Korea now.
• Is she famous in Japan? Yes, of course.
• How about Korea? Yes, she's famous in Korea too.
• Why did you choose this picture? I don't know.
• Why does she wear glasses? She wears glasses because it's part of her style.
• Is she a singer? Yes, of course.
• How long has she been a singer? She's been a singer since 2000.

New Words

humid - It was very humid in La Crosse yesterday.
embarrassed - President Bush was embarrassed in this video.

Jenevieve Nelson

Here is an example of what Monday's presentations could be like. Imagine I am giving a speech on my wife.

My name is Jeremy and I would like to answer your questions about my wife. What questions do you have?

• What is her name? Her name is Jenevieve Nelson.
• What does she do? She listens to speaking tests online.
• Where is she from? She is from Westminster, Maryland.
• When did she marry you? She married me over 7 years ago.
• How did she meet you? She met me in college. We were both students in the same class.
  
• How long was she in college? She was in college for 4 years.
• How is she these days? She's very pregnant these days.
• What does she usually do in her free time? She usually writes her novel or makes crafts like embroidery, knitting, and beading. She also likes to watch movies with me.

That is all for today. I hope I could answer all of your questions. Thank you for letting me share what I know about Jenevieve.

Homework for Monday

Do some research about the woman you have chosen:

• Koichi - BoA
• Ibrahim - Sophia Coppola
• Alia - Guo Jianmei
• Badr - Padma Lakshmi
• Kazuki - Masako
• Angus - JK Rowling
• Satomi - Aung San Suu Kyi
• Ji Su - Oprah Winfrey

Email me a picture or bring the picture to class on Monday.
Be prepared to answer questions about the woman you have researched.
Also be prepared to ask questions about the women your classmates have researched.

Question Types
Is she...? Was she...? Does she...? Did she...?
What does/did she do?
Where is she from?
When did she...?
Why does/did she...?
How long was she...?
How is she these days?
How does/did she...?
What does/did she usually...?

Start your speech like this: My name is ______________ and I would like to answer your questions about _______________. What questions do you have?

End your speech like this: That is all for today. I hope I could answer all of your questions. Thank you for letting me share what I know about ____________.

Homework for Thursday

Do activity number 2 on page 97 of your textbook.
Please use a tape recorder to record your speech.
Use the blue box on page 96 to help you understand the grammar.

New Words

childcare - Who is responsible for childcare in your family?
chores - What were your chores at home?
hire - Where would you like to be hired?
role model - Who is your role model?
typical - What is a typical job for a woman in your country?

Homework for Wednesday

Complete everything in the handout with your partner by speaking on a tape.
Don't forget to the activity in your textbook, page 92 #2.

New Words

rent - My rent in Korea was about $1000 per month.

appointment - I had an appointment with Satomi yesterday.

freckles - The woman in this picture has freckles on her face.

to gain weight - My wife is gaining weight because she is pregnant.

overflowing - The bathroom sink was overflowing.

Homework for Monday

Speaking Topics, page 66
Please record your discussion on one tape for each group.

Group 1: Ji Su, Satomi, Koichi, and Badr

• Topic 1: Vegetarians and Vegans
• Topic 3: Animal Testing

Group 2: Kazuki, Alia, Angus, and Ibrahim

• Topic 2: Fur Coats
• Topic 4: Pets

There will be no speeches in class on Monday.

New Words

rescue - My father rescued someone in Lake Michigan.
barking - In Korea, I often heard my neighbor's dogs barking.
thunderstorm - We've had many thunderstorms this summer.
phrase - A phrase is different from a word and a sentence.

Homework for Thursday

Read the top of page 65: Canine Companions for Independence (CCI)
Then answer part 3 (#1-10) in your groups with a tape recorder.
Take turns asking and answering questions about CCI. To answer the questions, look at what you read.

New Words

Owners - How many dog owners are in this class?
Assist - How can cats assist people?
Deaf - Have you ever met a deaf person?
Alarms - On Monday, we heard the tornado alarms.
Attention - Did the tornado alarms get your attention?
Safe - What is the safest city in your country?
Safety - When do you worry about your safety?

Homework for Wednesday

Focus on Vocabulary, page 61
Part 2, #1-9
Work in groups. Take turns reading lines A and B in the conversations. Make sure you use some of the words and phrases in the blue box.

Comparison Shopping

Today students gave a speech about an item they were interested in. They had to go to a store and compare two different kinds of the same item. Or they could go to two different stores to compare the prices of the same item.

Kazuki compared two video game players, the Nintendo DS and the PlayStation Portable (PSP). The Nintendo DS is $119 and has two touch-screens. It is durable and small enough to carry in your hand. He doesn't really need a Nintendo DS, but he wants one. It's better than the PSP because it's more innovative.

Homework for Tuesday

Focus on Vocabulary, page 60
Part 1: #1-8
Work in groups. Look at the statements. The underlined words and phrases are used incorrectly. Student A, read a statement out loud. Student B, point out the incorrect word or phrase, why it is incorrect, and how to correct it. Use the words and phrases in the blue box. Take turns reading the statements.

My Tent

I wanted to buy a tent. I found the same tent at Farm & Fleet and online at Coleman.com. The tent I saw at Farm & Fleet was $120. It is blue, gray, and white. It is made very well because it is waterproof and it doesn't fall down in the wind. It is big enough for 7 people to sleep in. This tent was what I needed for camping with my wife and friends in Minnesota and Wisconsin. It is better than the other one because it's $100 cheaper.

Homework for Monday

Research topic, page 52
1. Choose an item that you would like to compare--a camera, a television, a new jacket, etc.
2. Go to a store and compare two different kinds of that item. Or go to 2 stores and compare the same kind. Or go to 2 websites (that use English only) and compare the same kind.
3. Answer the following questions.

• How much does it cost?
• What does it look like?
• How well is it made?
• How big is it?
• Is it what you need?
• Why is it better than the other one?

4. On Monday, you must give a speech on this topic. In your speech, you must do the following things:

• Tell us what item you compared.
• Tell us where you compared prices.
• Answer all 6 questions.
• Speak in complete sentences.
• Speak loudly.
• Speak clearly so all your classmates can understand you.

Homework for Thursday

Grammar on pages 49-51
#1 - Write alone. Answer a and b on a sheet of paper.
#2 - Speak in pairs into the tape recorder. Look at the ads for the cars. Take turns making sentences comparing two cars. Use the adjectives in the list on page 51. Then decide which are you would like to buy and say why.

New Words

provide - My parents provided me with food, clothing, and a home.

represent - This map represents Wisconsin.

thrift store - The two most popular thrift stores are the Salvation Army and Goodwill.

New Words

earn - How much money do you want to earn in your future job?
borrow - Where can you borrow books?
lend - Who can lend you money?
common - What are some common foods that Americans eat?
advantages - What are the advantages of studying at UWL?
disadvantages - What are the disadvantages of using credit cards?

Homework for Wednesday

Focus on Vocabulary #2, pages 45-46
Take turns asking and answering questions #1-9.
Please use the same tape recorder, but a different tape.

Homework for Tuesday

Focus on Vocabulary, pages 44-45
Part 1, #1-9
In groups, students will use the vocabulary in a dialog from the text.
All students must record their speech into a tape recorder given by the teacher.
One student reads part A, and another reads part B for #1-4.
For #5-9, students switch roles.
Students will hand in the tapes in class on Tuesday.

Students' Favorite Places

Today, all students gave a speech about their favorite place in nature. They had to send the teacher a picture of their favorite place and tell the class at least 5 things about it. Here is one example from the class paraphrased by me, the instructor.

Saad in Bali
Saad's favorite place is Bali, a famous small island of Indonesia. He went there in 2005 because he likes islands. He went jetskiing in the sea, and he saw a lot of people. His friends and family told him about Bali. The most interesting thing he saw there were people who were parasailing.

Homework for Monday

Speaking Topics, on page 34
Follow the directions for #1.
Also email a picture of your favorite place to me, so I can post it on the blog.

You will give a speech on Monday about your favorite place in nature. Please follow these guidlelines for your speech:

1. Answer all 6 questions from the textbook.
2. All the sentences you speak must be in complete sentences.
3. You must speak loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Devil's Lake State Park

My favorite place to enjoy nature is Devil's Lake State Park, which is in the country. I went there two summers ago in 2006 to go camping and swimming with my friends. I saw a deep clean lake with bluffs on both sides. There were trees everywhere. When I went camping, I saw many bugs. When I went hiking, I saw turkey vultures and big rocks. When I went swimming, I saw many other people swimming and having picnics. I found out about Devil's Lake when my father took our family to the state park many years ago. Devil's Lake is in Wisconsin between Madison, where my mother lives, and the Wisconsin Dells, a city famous for summer fun.

Homework for Thursday

Grammar on page 29 and 31.
On another piece of paper, answer a and b at the bottom of page 29. Also write the right form of the verb for the 12 blanks on page 31.
Page 30 can help you with the grammar.

New Words

grow - 1) to have flowers or vegetables in a garden, 2) to get bigger
plant - v) to put seeds in the ground to become flowers or vegetables, n) something that grows from the ground like trees, flowers, and vegetables
garbage - paper and other things people don't want anymore (rubbish in UK)
yard - an area of land next to or behind a house
nature - trees, flowers, mountains, and other things outside

Neighborhoods vs. Suburbs

What's the difference between suburbs and neighborhoods? I hope these different maps of Chicago will help you.

The first map shows the neighborhoods in Chicago.
The second map shows the suburbs around Chicago. There are neighborhoods in the city of Chicago and in the suburbs of Chicago.

New Words

crowded - Is La Crosse crowded?
neighborhoods - There are many different neighborhoods in Chicago.
suburbs - Neighborhoods are usually quiet in the suburbs.
traffic - What streets have heavy traffic in La Crosse?

Homework for Wednesday

Focus on Vocabulary #2, page 25
On a separate sheet of paper write the answer for all 7 blanks.

Students' Offbeat Jobs

Today, all students gave a speech on one offbeat job they would like to have or think is interesting. They had to do some research about the job, take notes, and present their report to the class. Here are 2 examples from the class paraphrased by me, the instructor.

Ji Su would like to be a curator. Curators work in museums and have to be knowledgeable about art and must appreciate the views of art critics. Curators have to like both art and history. Ji Su thinks being a curator is interesting because it's a very creative job and she likes art and history.

Satomi thinks that being a waitress at a themed Japanese cafe (a "maid cafe") is a good example of an offbeat job. Waitresses at themed cafes have to be creative and accommodating. They have to like costumes, manga, animation, and video games. Satomi thinks being a waitress is interesting because it is symbolic of Japanese otaku culture.

Homework for Tuesday

Focus on Vocabulary, page 24
#1, vocabulary 1-8

Central Park

Homework for Monday

Page 16 in your textbook.
Do the Research Topic (section E), #2.
Please write everything in complete sentences.
You will give a 30-60 second speech in class about your research on Monday.

Ice Cream

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

Sarcasm

Summary of Techniques

1. Rise-fall of voice
2. ... "Not!"
3. "Yeah, right."
   

New Words

Excited - I am excited to visit my father this weekend.
Calm - My father is a calm person.
Serious - I am serious when I teach grammar.
Funny - 1) Austin Powers is funny. 2) When I speak Korean, it sounds a little funny.
Fun - This 4th of July will be fun.
Sarcasm - American university students use a lot of sarcasm.

Homework for Friday

Read your partner's answer to part 2 of Focus on Vocabulary, pages 10-11.

• If your partner made mistakes, correct them.
• If your partner's answers were good, write "Great job!" or "I agree."
• If you don't know if your partner's answer is right or wrong, write "Maybe," or "I think so," or "I'm not sure."
• If you don't understand your partner's answers, write "I don't understand."

Homework for Thursday

Page 14
Grammar: Descriptive Adjectives
Part 1 - a, b, c
Part 2 - #1-7

Work together with your partner
Write your answers on one sheet of paper

New Words

Factory - a building where things are made
Taste - try food by eating a little bit
Creative - thinking of new ways of doing things
Flavor - particular taste of a food or drink
Spicy food - food with a strong flavor from spices

Homework for Wednesday

Focus on Vocabulary, pages 9-11

Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

Part 1 has 9 answers - words.

Part 2 has 10 answers - sentences.

Hand your answers in at the beginning of class on Wednesday, June 18th.

New Words

Offbeat: "Would you like to have an offbeat job in the future?"
Predict: "What do you predict about your English ability?"
Usual: "Is today's weather usual for La Crosse?"

First Day of Class

Offbeat Jobs

Animal Trainer



Astronomer - Carl Sagan



Mountain-Climbing Guide - in China



Private Detective - Inspector Clouseau



Cartoon Artists
Matt Groening
Miyazaki, Hayao

Professional Basketball Player - Yao Ming & Michael Jordan

New Words

Syllabus: "Today we read through the course syllabus."
Attendance: "Everyone was in attendance today."
Absence: "There were no absences today."
Pass: "All good students can pass my class."
Fail: "The worst thing you can do is fail my class."

Grades for Classroom Interactions (Lecture)

A+ You show leadership skills in class--you are successful with encouraging classmates to speak as much as you. Your pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and usage are always fluent and accurate.

A You voluntarily speak a lot in class. You always listen to your classmates. Your pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and usage are always or usually fluent and accurate.

A- You voluntarily speak a lot in class. You always listen to your classmates. Your pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and usage are usually or sometimes fluent and accurate.

B+ You speak when called upon. You usually listen to your classmates. Your pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and usage are usually or sometimes fluent and accurate.

B You speak when called upon. You usually listen to your classmates. Your pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and usage are sometimes fluent and accurate.

B- You don't always speak when called upon. You usually listen to your classmates. Your pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and usage are sometimes or occasionally fluent and accurate.

C You don't speak enough. You sometimes listen to your classmates. You rarely or never speak in complete sentences.

D You don't speak enough. You rarely listen to your classmates. You speak a lot in your native language.

F Absent. You refuse to speak English. (-1% of your final grade for each day)

Grades for Cooperative Learning (Group Work)

A+ You show leadership skills in your group--you are successful with getting your group members to speak as much as you. Your pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and usage are always fluent and accurate.

A You speak a lot in your group. Your pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and usage are always or usually fluent and accurate.

A- You speak a lot in your group. Your pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and usage are usually or sometimes fluent and accurate.

B+ You speak in your group most of the time. Your pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and usage are sometimes fluent and accurate.

B You speak in your group most of the time. Your pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and usage are sometimes fluent and accurate.

B- Your speak in your group most of the time. Your pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and usage are sometimes or occasionally fluent and accurate.

C You don't speak enough in your group. You rarely or never speak in complete sentences.

D You don't speak enough in your group. You speak a lot in your native language.

F Absent. You refuse to speak in English. (-1% of your final grade per day)

Syllabus

Course Goals:
By the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Classify information
• Interpret various graphic organizers
• Infer word meaning from context
• Propose solutions to a given problem
• Make predictions about listening content
• Identify the main idea and details of a listening exercise
• Interview and survey classmates
• Analyze the conducted surveys
• Express opinions
• Finish the course with better pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar skills

Attendance and Participation Policy

• Students must attend classes on time (9:00 Monday-Friday)
• Students are allowed 2 absences
• 1% of your final grade will be deducted for each absence after the first 2
• If a student is more than 5 minutes late to any class, he or she will be marked 1/2 day absent. If a student is more than 15 minutes late to class, he or she will be marked absent for that day.

Grading

• 5% for the discussion group
• 10% for Focus on Vocabulary assignments
• 10% for grammar assignments
• 25% for weekend assignments
• 25% for active involvement in cooperative learning activities
• 25% for active involvement in classroom interactions

Required textbook
North Star Listening and Speaking, Second Edition for Basic/Low Intermediate Students
By Robin Mills and Laurie Frazier, Longman, 2004

Additional Language Development
Discussion Group with Leah on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
Conversation Partners with Angie on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:45 to 3:30pm.