English C1.2

Objectives

The student should be able to: a) perform at a higher level C1 of the CEFR
b) have a strong increased intercultural awareness and a well developed knowledge of the culture/language relationship
c) begin to make a complex written text more accessible by writing it in a different genre and register
d) begin to clearly and fluently summarise a complex line of thought/ ideas in both written texts and listening texts
e) express him/herself fluently and spontaneously, with a very good degree of accuracy, contributing without major difficulty to any discussion with few restrictions
f) begin to critically evaluate an online discussion / comments, expressing disagreement diplomatically, appropriately deal with communication problems and cultural issues, contributing effectively by expressing own ideas and opinions with precision
g) understand extended spoken discourse with few difficulties
h) know how to analyze and control the grammatical system of English
i) show increased autonomy

General characterization

Code

711121064

Credits

6.0

Responsible teacher

Zoe Jayne Taylor, Richard Denman Sidaway, Raquel Campos Ferreira da Silva, Bernard Adrian L'Estrange

Hours

Weekly - 4

Total - 168

Teaching language

Portuguese

Prerequisites

Pass at Inglês C1.1

Bibliography

Learning Resources Portfolio: A portfolio of learning resources provided by the teacher, entailing a wide range of reading texts that reflect current events, themes of common interest to students, and offer a range of text types¸Carter, R. & McCarthy, M. (2006) Cambridge Grammar of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press¸Crowther, J. (2005) The Oxford Guide to British and American Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press¸Foley, M. & Hill, D. (2003) Advanced Learner´s Grammar. Harlow: Longman.¸McCarthy, M., & O´Dell, F. (2002) English Vocabulary in Use. Advanced. Cambridge: Cambridge University Pres¸Vince, M. & French, A. (2011) IELTS Language Practice: English Grammar and Vocabulary. Oxford: Macmillan

Teaching method

The course revolves around topics of a social, cultural and historical nature, but with flexibility built in to cater to different student needs/interests. The main topics covered are relevant to the type of student, their course and the learning outcomes and include a focus on the media (especially online and TV news for decoding local and cultural references). The topics lead into analysis and development of the following specific skills: Writing – summaries; narrative/descriptive texts; discursive texts, Speaking – pronunciation; conversational strategies; discussion skills, Intercultural competence - identification, decoding & discussion of cultural references, Lexis – noun formation; multi-word verbs; collocation; word families, Grammar – verb phrase review; punctuation; prepositions; cohesion and discourse markers, Editing/revising - identifying and correcting linguistic errors. 

Evaluation method

1 oral(20%), 3 written(60%), engagement with learning (20%)

Subject matter

The course addresses current social and cultural topics of interest. A portfolio of learning resources, dictionaries, a grammar reference and online sources provide the course basis. This allows for the analysis of a range of literary, cultural and journalistic texts. TV and online programmes and films are used to focus on style, content, use of language and intercultural competence. Learning and assessment tasks provide regular opportunities for written and spoken expression and development of language skills and knowledge, including:Writing - formal letters, essays and narratives, Speaking - presentation skills, pronunciation, Intercultural competence - discussion of cultural references, Lexis - collocations, cohesive devices, idiomatic expressions, noun phrases, rhetorical devices, Grammar - articles, verb patterns, dependent prepositions, Editing/reviewing - identifying and correcting errors.