1BA Integrated Skills (General English)

COURSE DESCRIPTION
The Integrated Skills Course for year 1 BA is an advanced-level course which is aimed at bringing students up to a
higher level of lexical and grammatical accuracy. In the course students are to be taught a wide range of
advanced vocabulary, together with the development of communication skills to help them to express opinions
both logically and fluently. Specified topics are covered during the course which are set out at the beginning of
the year. These topics will form an integral part of the final oral exam in the June exam session. A wide variety of
materials from diversified sources (audio-visual and written materials) are used in the make up of the course.
Students are expected to give presentations on a topic from the course. By the end of the course it is expected
that students will have attained an advanced level of linguistic and communicative skills.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
 To provide students with opportunities to use the English language in a variety of contexts, with focus on
both, accuracy and fluency appropriate for B2 level,
 To provide opportunities for students to develop their speaking, reading and listening skills,
 To create contexts for developing and expanding vocabulary appropriate for upper-intermediate and
advanced levels,
 To help students develop appropriate speaking, reading and listening and vocabulary learning strategies,
 To help students expand their range of vocabulary, including collocations, idioms and phrasal verbs,
 To help students communicate successfully in a variety of everyday situations, and express opinions on a
variety of advanced and academic topics,
 To provide opportunities for students to prepare for their final oral exam.

COURSE CONTENTS (subject to change)

DATE IN CLASS HOMEWORK
21/2 Introduction to the course Be able to answer a set of questions related to city
CITIES and town life (Moodle).
what makes a friendly/attractive city | my favorite
town/city |urbanization | the future of cities
City and Town Life
28/2 How to Make an Attractive City 1. Prepare a short description of your favourite city.
2. Revise vocabulary from the following word lists:
CITY PLACES, TOWN collocations, CITY collocations,
URBAN collocations, "Location" from WORDBUILDER
by Guy Wellman (Moodle).
7/3 Tourists sleep in converted cabs to avoid pricey 1. Read ”Is it really worth going to university?" and
hotels be prepared to answer the questions related to the
Man living in car for a month article.
2. Prepare for test 1.
14/3 Test 1 1. Read "Wellness in the workplace: how health
Cities of the future initiatives can boost staff productivity".
Students’ presentation 1: The world’s favourite cities: 2. Complete "Motivation" from Best Practice;
Europe "Working life" from English Collocations In Use
Students’ presentation 2: The world’s favourite cities: Advanced, pp. 28-29; "Using collocations for work".
North America
Students’ presentation 3: The world’s favourite cities:
Asia
WORK
motivation | dream job | job interview | wellness at
work | working from home | rules for success
Is it really worth going to university?
Ideal job
21/3 Mock exam
28/3 Staff motivation 1. Revise JOB collocations and WORK collocations.
Wellness in the workplace: how health 2. Be able to answer a set of job interview questions
initiatives can boost staff productivity compiled by mgr Tomasz Szczegóła (Moodle).

4/4 Job interview 1. Prepare for test 2.

Steve Jobs rules for success 2. Read: National Stereotypes - Why Do They Exist
Students’ presentation 4: The top rules for success at
work
11/4 Test 2 1. Read: Do tourists live up to their national
NATIONAL STEREOTYPES stereotypes (The Telegraph)
 common national stereotypes | origins of 2. Read and complete the exercises: National
stereotypes | positive and negative stereotypes | Stereotypes (Taboos and Issues)
stereotype vs. national characteristic |challenging
stereotypes
National Stereotypes - Why Do They Exist
25/4 Tourists and National Stereotypes 1. Revise the vocabulary from STEREOTYPE
collocations; STEREOTYPE STEREOTYPICAL
STEREOTYPING definitions + example sentences
9/5 National Stereotypes - continued Prepare for test 3.
Students’ presentation 5: National stereotypes
about English speaking countries that might be
wrong.
Students’ presentation 6: National Stereotypes: Truth
or Myth? Where do they come from?
Students’ presentation 7: Challenging national
stereotypes and overcoming prejudice.
16/5 Test 3 1. Revise the vocabulary from EDUCATION
EDUCATION collocations.
an ideal education system | problems at school | 2. Read and complete the exercises: Student life
self-education | lifelong learning | qualities of a (Eng Coll In Use Advanced); Study (Eng Phrasal
good educator | is it worth going to university? | Verbs In Use Advanced); Studying and learning (Eng
education challenges Coll In Use Intermediate).
EDUCATION (listen a minute)
23/5 Education - speaking activities Prepare for test 4.
Why does Finland have the best education system
in the world
Group talk - is it worth going to university?
30/5 Test 4 Prepare for a mock exam practice.
Revision
6/6 Oral mock exam practice. Credits.
13/6 Retakes

CREDIT REQUIREMENTS
There are no unexcused absences allowed per semester. Any absences reaching the total of 30% of the classes
gives the teacher the right to refuse entering a grade in USOS. If this is the case, an entry is made in USOS with a
“2”, and the student then misses the first practical English Exam attempt (June). The student then has the right to a
make-up course over the summer break.

Class participation & preparation to classes

Preparation to classes and class participation include acquainting yourself with all the assigned materials as well
as completing all the classwork as well as short oral and written homework assignments. They also involve
preparing brief presentations or speeches pertaining to one of the topics covered during the semester and taking
part in class or group discussions based on the assigned reading.

Vocabulary tests
There will be four vocabulary tests which will test your knowledge on vocabulary items covered in the previously
discussed articles and exercises. Please note that there are only three retakes possible which should take place
within two weeks since the date of the test.

Presentation
For each covered topic in the course an approx 10 minute presentation should be prepared and delivered either
individually or in pairs. The list of topics is given in the course content, yet students are also welcome to propose a
topic of their own choice.
- it should be followed by a brief class debate with questions from the audience to the presenters
- its effectiveness will be evaluated first by the peers and then by the teacher
- students’ performance will assessed in terms of the language competences graded during the June final oral
exam: grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, and communicative effectiveness
- guidelines for improvement will be given to the presenters

Oral mock exam

At the end of the term you will take part in a short (approx a 5 minute) oral mock exam, which will aim to give you
some practice and test your language skills before the final examination. You will be asked a few questions based
on the content of the articles discussed in class. Students’ performance will be assessed in terms of the language
competences graded during the June final oral exam: grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, and communicative
effectiveness.

* Your final grade will be an average result of all the aforementioned components. However, you need at least
60% on each component to earn a credit. *

BOOKS RECOMMENDED for vocabulary expansion:

Harmer J. and R. Rossner. 1991. More than words. Longman
McCarthy, M. and F. O’Dell. 2002. English vocabulary in use. Advanced.CUP
Skipper, M.2002. Advanced grammar and vocabulary. Express Publishing
Watcyn-Jones, P. Test your vocabulary 3 & 4. Penguin
Wellman, G. 1989. The Heinemann English wordbuilder. Heinemann