• Schaller-Schwaner Iris

This course continues the advanced language work of the AS; it does not prepare for the CPE, though some relevant materials are used. Due to the design and purpose of this course, in particular its interactive aspects, you should attend and participate regularly, contribute actively, and ask questions.

The course aims for students with adequately high language competence to further develop their English speaking and presentation skills and develop knowledge about English. Interactive tasks allow participants to develop agency in using and creating learning opportunities. As a participant, you will:

1 develop descriptive grammar and related concepts as action-guiding principles or a specialist cognitive framework

2 use English orally aloud and demonstrate critical thinking and fluency in co-constructing discourse

3 explore your own specific topic within a shared theme using reliable published research to support your argument

4 draw on this literature explicitly in your oral presentations, showing refined oral delivery skills and academic ’voice’.

Course work combines descriptive and pedagogical grammar with accuracy and fluency work in academic speaking (e.g. high-level, abstract lexis or pronunciation). It develops an understanding of language and language competence (e.g. seeing words as objects to manipulate or analyse, monitoring of one’s actual speech production and correcting errors). Researching and planning an oral contribution to a programme of talks develops academic literacy skills. Participants should engage in autonomous self-study, e.g. revision of grammar and lexis or consultation of reference works. Meeting deadlines, evidence of engagement in course work, a successful written test and a successful oral presentation are required to pass this course.

Close attention will be paid to different types of written and spoken texts and their linguistic features and functions. Activities will focus on details of language, noticing and naming difficulties, and filling gaps or reframing knowledge. Texts and tasks will be based on sections of a course book (cf. below), academic publications, and materials from the web or articles from the press. Participants are expected to consult reference works (reliable dictionaries, grammars).

Learning objectives, course content

Specific aims of this course include expansion of participants’ general Academic English, awareness of stylistic differences, resourcefulness in oral production and interaction, honing listening and reading skills for sophisticated language use. In terms of grammar work, the SS will extend the area of complex sentence patterns and focus on the progressive aspect, passive voice and when and why it is used, speech act verbs and reported speech, conditional constructions and hypothetical meaning. Vocabulary to be revised includes the lexis of all texts used. The AWL will remain relevant together with the Academic Vocabulary List, Academic Collocations List, Academic Formulae List, and the Academic Phrasebank.

Learning outcomes of oral presentations
Participants will be able to give an effective presentation of 7 -10 minutes on a topic negotiated with the lecturer and researched individually but related to a shared area of inquiry, demonstrating ability to speak freely from notes, using an appropriate range of vocabulary, grammatical structures and sign-posting phrases, organizing and linking ideas and arguments logically, showing awareness of oral presentation conventions, and maintaining language quality with regard to lexis, structure, style and pronunciation. They will be able to establish audience rapport, manage the available time, answer questions in the discussion of their presentation and engage with other participants’ talks, e.g. by asking follow-up questions. Participants are expected to invest and engage in searching and using academic and popular sources of information as well as to select and summarize relevant points;  to draw on and acknowledge sources explicitly; to reflect complex arguments; to relate relevant personal insights and experiences; to attribute, connect and critically examine ideas; to account for their take on a topic, identify issues and stimulate or invite reactions from your audience. Participants avoid plagiarism, as well as the unacknowledged recycling of work done for other courses.

Requirements: attendance, commitment to first exam session, successful written test(s) as well as oral presentation
Course participants are expected to register for the first exam session. This means committing to taking any written test during the semester and giving one’s oral presentation before its end. Course requirements cannot be postponed to a subsequent exam session. The AS (PE I) and the SS (PE II) courses are to be taken in sequence. A pass mark (in all parts) of the AS PE I is required to proceed to the SS PE II course. Assessment of participants includes observation of active engagement, evidence of sufficient learning, a successful oral presentation on an agreed, researched topic and a successful written test based on all materials. Productive oral language use in contributions to whole class activities is encouraged in every lesson. Revising for the test during the semester enhances the learning experience. It forms part of the ongoing process as a means of pacing the learners’ investment in their skills development.

Individual work

Approx. three hours a week for self-study, revising grammar and checking and studying vocabulary. In heterogeneous groups, individual progress and what one needs to work on most will vary. Please assume responsibility for your own progress and contribute actively to the class sessions. Attend lessons prepared; contribute to activities; revise for the written test; prepare and rehearse an oral presentation. Outside your immediate coursework you should listen to and read English extensively, e.g. on http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/.

When working with written and spoken texts you should focus on noticing what is less familiar and make an effort to incorporate it into your active use of English. To enhance the language learning process, texts need to be mined for lexis and structure. In the process of expanding your language repertoire it will be helpful to ‘language’. This involves thinking aloud about what you notice, also developing a metalanguage. Metalinguistic awareness also arises from reading and comparing descriptive grammars, which will in turn result in new understanding and hopefully in a critical appreciation of teaching and learning resources available online. In the written test, you will demonstrate metalinguistic awareness as well as focused, form-oriented language skills in accurately completing written test tasks of vocabulary association, gap filling, sentence manipulation, rewriting, identifying structures, choosing linguistic forms, explaining language use, applying metalanguage.

Required material:

Gude, K.; Duckworth, M. & Rogers, L. 2012. Cambridge English Proficiency Masterclass. Student’s book with online skills & language practice. Oxford: OUP. All audios, the audio script and the answer key are available for free online at https://elt.oup.com/student/masterclass/?cc=ch&selLanguage=en 

Recommended descriptive reference grammars

Collins ⁴2017. COBUILD English Grammar 4^th ed. Collins. [somewhat more learner focussed]

Aarts, Bas 2011. Oxford Modern English Grammar. Oxford University Press.

Leech & Svartvik ³2004. A communicative grammar of English. 3^rd ed. Pearson Longman.

Biber & Conrad & Leech 2002. Longman student grammar of spoken and written English. Longman

Quirk; Green; Leech & Svartvik 1985. A comprehensive grammar of the English language. Longman

Biber; Johansson; Leech; Conrad & Finegan 1999. Longman grammar of written and spoken English.

Grammar workbooks, handbooks and apps etc.

Aarts, B. & Wallis, S.A. 2011. The interactive grammar of English. London: Survey of English Usage cf. the iGE app home page at  www.ucl.ac.uk/english-usage/apps/ige for download options

Carter, R.; Hughes, R. & McCarthy, M. 2000. Exploring grammar in context. CUP

Foley & Hall 2003. Longman advanced learner’s grammar. Self-study reference and practice book.

Foley & Hall 2012. MyGrammarLab Advanced with key and LabPack. Pearson Longman.

Leech, Geoffrey ³2004. Meaning and the English verb. 3^rd ed. Longman

Paterson, K. & Wedge, R. 2013. Oxford Grammar for EAP. [English for academic purposes]. OUP

Swan, M. &Walter, C. 2011 Oxford English Grammar Course. Advanced (+ Pronunciation CD-Rom)

Swan, Michael ⁴2017. Practical English usage. Fully revised 4th ed. OUP

Woods, E. & Coppieters, R. 2002. A Workbook to Communicative Grammar of English. PearsonESL.

Yule, George 1998. Explaining English grammar. OUP

Yule, George 2006. Oxford practice grammar with answers. Advanced. OUP (& 2009 Supplementary)

Recommended Dictionaries (available in pb with CD/DVD-ROMS, editions for mobile devices available)

OALD Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 10th ed. 2020 e.g. Paperback (with 1 year's access to both premium online including Oxford Speaking Tutor and Oxford Writing Tutor and app ISBN 978-0-19-479848-8)
Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English 2014

Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 4^th ed. 2013 (with CD ROM)

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 8^th ed. 2014

Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners 2^nd ed. 2007 (+ CD ROM)

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5^th ed. 2009 (with DVD-ROM)

Collins English Dictionary. Complete and Unabridged. 12^th rev. ed. 2014