Subject:

English Vantage (B2.1)

Teacher:

Teresa Casal (mcasal@campus.ul.pt)

Year / Semester:

2019-20/ 2

Class: Timetable: Office hours:

TP7
Tue. 14h00-16h00, Room 4; Thu. 14h00-16h00, Room 4 Tue. 16h00-17h00 @ Dept. of English Studies

Aims:

At the end of this course students will be able to understand the main ideas of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics; interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with fluent / proficient speakers quite possible without strain for either party; produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

Materials used will include a selection of short stories, essays, films and documentaries from different parts of the English-speaking world.

Assessment:

A communicative approach focusing on lexical, grammatical, semantic and phonological competences will be used. Fluency and argument construction will be developed through classroom debates, freeform discussions, and discursive writing, in which students will practice different strategies for presenting ideas and opinions clearly on a wide range of topics. The methodology, which aims to be creative and constructive, will target fluency, grammatical and lexical accuracy. Systematic errors will be analyzed and explained through grammatical exercises so that students may become aware of correct usage. Assessment will be continuous, and will consist of the following:

•   First written test (10 March): 30%

•   Second written test (21 April): 40%;

•   Oral presentation and classwork: 30% (respectively 20% +

  10%).

Selected Bibliography:

Monolingual dictionary (e.g. Oxford, Longman, CoBuild).
Vince, Michael. Advanced Language Practice. 3rd ed. Oxford: Macmillan, 2009.
http://www.myenglishpages.com/

Prerequisites:

Approval in B1.2 or Placement Test.

Lesson

Date

Contents

1

28 Jan.

1. Introduction. Aims and themes. Assessment: First written test: 30%; Second written test: 40%; Classwork and participation: 30%.
TEST 1: 10 MARCH; TEST 2: 21 APRIL.
Office hours: Tue., 16h00-17h00, Dept. English.

2. Semester planning.

2

30 Jan.

Growing up: Philip Larkin, “This Be the Verse”: listening; reading; discussion.

3

4 Feb.

Argumentative essay: “How We Need to Keep Growing Up”, The Book of Life, Chapter 1. Relationships: Mature Love, The School of Life.

4

6 Feb.

Summarising an essay (revision). Writing an argumentative essay.

5

11 Feb.

VIDEO SCREENING: Performed poem: Shane Koyczan, “To This Day... for the bullied and beautiful”, Ted Talk. Listening; summarising; discussing. Preparation of role play.

6

13 Feb.

Role play.

7

18 Feb.

Video screening and memoir: Matt Haig, Reasons to Stay Alive, 2015, Chapter 1.

8

20 Feb.

Writing a personal essay.

---

25 Feb.

CARNIVAL BREAK.

9

27 Feb.

Short story: Sally Rooney, “Colour and Light”, Being Various: New Irish Short Stories, ed. Lucy Caldwell, London: Faber and Faber, 2019.

10

3 March

Writing a short story review.

11

5 March

Writing workshop with Mary Fowke (session 1).

12

10 March

WRITTEN TEST 1.

13

12 March

Writing workshop with Mary Fowke (session 2).

Lesson

NDoa.te

Contents

14

17 March

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF ORAL PRESENTATIONS PROPOSALS.
Growing older
Music: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, “Growing Up (Soane’s Song)”, featuring Ed Sheeran.

15

19 March

Newspaper article: Christopher Mele, “Feeling Older? Here’s How to Embrace It”, The New York Times, Sept. 12, 2017.

16

24 March

Lecture by Dr. Lucy Collins (University College Dublin).

17

26 March

Summarising and discussing an academic lecture.

18

31 March

Personal essay: Sarah Polley, Preface to “The Bear Came Over the Mountain”, by Alice Munro.

19

2 April

Film screening: Sarah Polley, dir., Away from Her, based on Alice Munro’s story “The Bear Came Over the Mountain”, 2007.

20

7 April

Writing a film review.

---

9 April

EASTER BREAK.

---

14 April

EASTER BREAK.

21

16 April

Away from Her: retelling the story from different points of view.

22

21 April

WRITTEN TEST 2.

23

23 April

Students’ oral presentations.

24

28 April

Students’ oral presentations.

25

30 April

Students’ oral presentations.

26

5 May

Students’ oral presentations.

27

7 May

Feedback on the semester’s work.