The purposes of these courses are: (1) to improve English language skills overall
for ... Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to ...
English Language Centre Course Description Academic Year 2013/2014 EELC001/002 ENGLISH I: BASIC SKILLS 1 & 2 These courses meet six hours a week and are intended for students who need extra work in English. The purposes of these courses are: (1) to improve English language skills overall for communicative and academic purposes, and (2) to improve upon study skills and strategies so that they can better prepare for academic success at the undergraduate level. Students will be introduced to, and given abundant opportunities to practice basic academic speaking, listening, reading, writing and study skills. Students are frequently encouraged to use English in and outside of the classroom so that they will become more active learners of English. Students will engage in discussions, projects and presentations in addition to other learner-centered activities. Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to interact in English, when dealing with familiar topics and typical classroom language. Pre-requisite: Based on placement or admission assessments Note: These courses are equivalent to ENGL022/023 EELC011/012 ENGLISH I: BASIC SKILLS 3 & 4 These courses meet three hours a week. The purposes of these courses are two-fold: (1) to enhance learner confidence and fluency when using English for interactive and communicative purposes; (2) to improve upon study skills/strategies and critical and analytical thinking skills needed for successful academic work at the university level. Students will be provided with opportunities to develop academic speaking, listening, reading, and study skills while also enhancing their knowledge of English vocabulary, grammar, and writing through an integrated-skills approach. Coursework is likely to include pair- and small-group discussions, tasks and projects, team-building activities and multi-media use (in addition to traditional classroom activities). Language teaching and learning will also focus on the improvement of basic interpersonal skills in English. When possible, content- and theme-based materials will be utilized, especially for students enrolling in the same section from the same faculty. Sample skills taught in these classes include being able to: respond critically to readings, build academic vocabulary, paraphrase passages, understand academic essay structure, make academic presentations, and gain exposure to a variety of English accents. Pre-requisite: Based on placement or admission assessments Note: These courses are equivalent to EDEN 110/111, EELC101/102 EELC121/122 ENGLISH II: INTRODUCTION TO UNIVERSITY ENGLISH 1 & 2 121/122 is a two-semester course. Upper-intermediate-level students meet three hours a week to expand and improve upon English language skills developed in EELC101/102. An effort will be made to conduct needs analyses and work with learners to identify individual language learning needs and the types of language tasks expected in their academic work. When possible, theme-based approaches will be used to link English language improvement to other coursework. Language teaching and learning will focus on cognitive-academic language proficiency as well as the improvement of basic interpersonal and presentation skills in English. Pre-requisite: EELC002 or EELC012 or release from the above classes based on placement or admission assessments. Note: These courses are equivalent to EDEN 210/211, EELC201/202 EELC123/124 LISTENING AND SPEAKING IMPROVEMENT 1 & 2 These courses will develop oral proficiency of spoken English and listening comprehension at a low intermediate level. Listening will focus on note-taking and aural comprehension using thoughtprovoking material from texts, television, film and music. Speaking will focus on fluency, accuracy, and skills and strategies for effective communication and personal interaction. These courses will also place a large focus on vocabulary building and collocation for the purpose of improving spoken communication. A smaller focus on reading and writing will also be included in preparation for group presentations, role play and story telling. Group work involving discussion is an integral part of the course. In addition, the course will involve some contact assignments that will take place outside the classroom. Prerequisite: None Note: One semester of this course is equivalent to DPRE104. Students may enroll in one or both semesters of this course (i.e. not necessary to take EELC123 in order to enroll in EELC124).
EELC125/126 READING SKILLS & STRATEGIES 1 & 2 These one-semester 3-credit elective courses provide a foundation in reading comprehension, critical reading, and vocabulary development. Students will learn to locate main ideas and supporting details; make inferences, and understand common idioms and expressions. In addition, students will learn strategies which will help them to read faster and more effectively. Course activities include reading and vocabulary assignments, discussions, and presentations. Pre-requisite: none Note: Students may enroll in one or both semesters of this course (i.e. not necessary to take EELC125 in order to enroll in EELC126). EELC127/128 GRAMMAR & WRITING IMPROVEMENT 1 & 2 These one-semester three-credit courses will focus on basic sentence structure for simple and compound sentences, expanding to complex sentence structures as students become more proficient. Editing to recognize sentence- and paragraph-level errors such as subject-verb agreement, pronouns and plural forms, use of referents and transitions, and problems with sentence fragments will also be covered. Pre-requisite: EELC001/002 or release from EELC001/002 based on placement or admission assessments. Students may enroll in one or both semesters of this course (i.e. not necessary to take EELC 127 in order to enroll in EELC128). EELC131/132 ENGLISH III: ACADEMIC ENGLISH 1 & 2 EELC131/132 is a two-semester course. These classes build upon interaction and study skills/strategies taught at previous levels while focusing on improved use of English for academic purposes. An effort will be made to conduct needs analyses and work with learners to identify individual language learning needs and the types of language tasks expected in their academic work. When possible, content- or theme-based approaches will be used to link English language improvement to other coursework. Language teaching and learning will focus on cognitive-academic language proficiency while continuing to improve informal and formal use of English by students. Pre-requisite: EELC122 or release from EELC122 based on placement or admission assessments Note: These courses are equivalent to EDEN 310/311, EELC301/302 EELC141/142 ENGLISH IV: ACADEMIC ENGLISH 3 & 4 EELC141/142 is a two-semester course. These classes build upon communication and study skills/strategies taught at previous levels and focus on academic language proficiency, while continuing to improve informal and formal use of English by students. Instructors work with learners to identify individual language learning needs related to their academic work, and often use contentor theme-based approaches to link English to other coursework. Skills addressed in the course include, but are not limited to, using outlines to develop and write essays, drawing conclusions from texts, inferring meaning and authors’ opinions from texts, and giving effective presentations on a variety of topics in class. Students also will work with features of English such as idiom, inference, and appropriateness. Pre-requisite: EELC132 or release from EELC132 based on placement or admission assessments Note: These courses are equivalent to EDEN410/411, EELC401/402 EELC215/216 ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS MAJORS 1 & 2 These courses are designed for students majoring in business. Students will acquire skills and improve their ability in using English as an international language of business and for professional communication. Using authentic texts as well as digital resources, the content of the course focuses on knowledge and skills required in various business management contexts including finance, human resources, marketing, production and services management. Emphasis is on listening and speaking skills for meetings, negotiations, presentations, and social situations. Up-to-date texts are used to develop reading and writing skills needed in business correspondence such as emails, minutes of meeting, business letters, and reports through the medium of English. Pre-requisite: EELC011/012 or release from EELC011/012 based on placement or admission assessments. Note: These courses are equivalent to EELC121/122, EELC201/202 EELC227/228 INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING 1 & 2 These two courses cover the basic skills students need for academic writing. In addition to essential word processing skills, students will be taught writing techniques such as planning, drafting, and revising. In the second semester the main focus will be on the revision of papers using self- and peerevaluation. Students will also be taught the basic skills of how to locate, evaluate, and document sources. Students are expected to learn these skills through analyzing sample papers, engaging in
process writing, and responding to papers written by their peers. Upon completion of these courses, students are expected to have acquired the technical knowledge of how to write and organize a basic academic paper. Prerequisite: EELC012 or permission of instructor Note: Students may enroll in one or both semesters of this course. EELC227 is equivalent to ENGL294 and EELC210 EELC290/291 SPEAKING AND FLUENCY/PUBLIC SPEAKING These courses aim to help students improve their English language skills, especially in regard to fluency and accuracy in spoken English. Speaking and Fluency course topics include, but are not limited to, pronunciation, intonation, and word stress with students asked to practice English in a host of different language settings. Students will explore current theory and practice of how to be a more effective user of English when speaking for various purposes. In the Public Speaking course, a review of current theories and practices regarding effective presentation skills will lead to an application of those skills when speaking for various audiences and purposes. Students will be asked to engage in critical review of themselves and others with an aim toward setting and meeting individual goals as they work to improve their expressive and persuasive skills. Prerequisite: EELC122 or permission of instructor Note: These courses are equivalent to ENGL290/291 and EELC211/212 EELC327/328 ADVANCED ACADEMIC WRITING 1 & 2 These one-semester three-credit writing courses will enable students to express themselves coherently when engaged in written academic discourse. The courses offer intensive work and instruction in writing skills through the discussion and analysis of assigned readings. Students spend time responding to multiple drafts of peer academic papers to improve precision and clarity in the writing process. Other necessary skills addressed in these courses are identifying and making logical arguments as well as avoiding faulty reasoning. Upon completion of these courses, students are expected to have acquired the confidence and techniques to write academic papers in a professional writing style. Pre-requisite: EELC121/122 or permission of instructor Note: Students may enroll in one or both semesters of this course EELC331/332 SPEAKING 1 & 2 (ADVANCED) These courses emphasize elements of both verbal and non-verbal communication in public settings. Students will engage in a variety of public speaking activities, will critically evaluate their own and others’ performances, and will learn how to utilize presentation tools such as handouts and PowerPoint. Students should enhance their confidence in speaking and demonstrate effective oral presentation skills. Pre-requisite: EELC121/122 or permission of instructor Note: This course is equivalent to ENGL318/319 EELC341/342 ADVANCED INTEGRATED SKILLS These one-semester three-credit courses may use a content- or theme-based approach to engage students in critical thinking, logical analysis, persuasion/argumentation, and other high level language skills required in academic English. Needs analysis will help determine which skills to emphasize each semester. Students will be expected to work independently and in groups. Topics may address current events as well as participants’ major fields of study. Class materials will reflect the language level expected of high-intermediate to advanced level students whether they plan to enter the workforce or pursue graduate studies in English. Pre-requisite: EELC121/122 or or equivalent or permission of instructor
Special Topic Electives (Meet 80 minutes/week for one semester) EELC221/222 SPECIAL TOPIC ENGLISH LEVEL II A & B Pre-requisite: EELC011/012 or equivalent or permission of the instructor EELC321-324 SPECIAL TOPIC ENGLISH LEVEL III A, B, C, D Pre-requisite: EELC121/122 or equivalent or permission of the instructor EELC421-424 SPECIAL TOPIC ENGLISH LEVEL IV A, B, C, D Pre-requisite: EELC121/122 or equivalent or permission of the instructor Notes: Special Topic courses meet once a week (1.5 hours) and carry 1 credit. They are meant to encourage students to take an English class for enjoyment or self-improvement and to be intrinsically
motivated to sign up for and attend the class. At level II, one special topics class will be announced at each level each semester and at levels III and IV, two special topics classes will be announced at each level each semester. However, a minimum number of students will be required by the end of drop-and-add for the class to actually be offered.
