AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-BANGLADESH Dhaka, Bangladesh

Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Undergraduate Program

1. COURSE OUTLINE Academic Term: Summer2011-2012 Course Title: English Reading Skills and Public Speaking Sections: All Credit Point Value: 3 Pre-requisites: Nil Nature of the Course: Core Course

Course Instructor: Farhat Tasannum Farah, Campus 7, Level 9. 2. Course Description:

The course is aimed at strengthen students reading comprehension skills and enrich their vocabulary by reading and reacting to a variety of adapted and authentic texts. Students also improve oral communication skills for professional and social interactions through extensive conversational practice. Practice includes forming and communicating opinions on contemporary issues, developing formal and informal oral presentations, giving and following directions, and narrating and giving explanations. 3. Objectives: The students are expected to learn a wide variety of techniques to support the enhancement of their reading, speaking and presentation skills for all sorts of academic and practical purposes that would help them face challenging real life situations confidently and enhance their personal and organizational functions effectively.
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4. Topics (Major and subtopics) to be covered

TOPICS

Specific Time Objective(s Fram ) per Topic e

Suggest ed Activitie s

Teaching Strategy (s)

Pre Mid Term

Mission, Vision and Goals of AIUB Reading Techniques: Skimming, Scanning Intensive reading Predicting and inferring Understanding writers purpose Understanding Meaning from context Signal words Public speaking as communication Stage fear: ways to overcome it. Speaker commitment/audience involvement, etc. Selecting your topic and determining your purpose. Structuring your speech: body/using transitions/preparing an effective introduction/ Developing an effective conclusion. Types of presentation: Informative and persuasive. * To get overall idea of the text *To Extract specific information from the text * To follow the text carefully to extract all the ideas precisely

1 Week

2 Weeks

Reading different types texts to comprehend them

Studentoriented throughout the semester: Students are expected to participate enthusiastical ly in the classroom activities. Students make multimedia presentation using MS PowerPoint Slides in class group wise. Aural Oral approach

* To overcome the stage fright * To understand the audience dynamics in Pubic Speaking

1 Week

2 Weeks
* To organize the ideas

Discussion and presentation inside the classrooms and occasionally in the auditorium

* To learn informative presentation

Students listen to different sample speeches in

Board work

The informative presentation: speeches of description/ demonstration/ explanation. Subject Verb Agreement exercises

1 Week

the Language Lab. Practical exercises

Documentary analysis

1 Week Post Mid Term Reading: Fact and Opinion Inference and interpreting Identifying main ideas Identifying supporting ideas Preparing Outline Evaluating texts; reacting to texts Critical Reading Preparing outline Speaking: Types of presentation: persuasive and argumentative. Persuasive/argumentativ e presentation: speeches addressing attitudes/speeches urging action/ speeches of contention.
Exercises on Tense/Aspect * To comprehend arguments embedded in the text * To critically evaluate the text

2 Weeks

Reading persuasive/ argumentativ e texts to comprehend them

Students are expected to critically evaluate writers opinion in the classroom.

2 Weeks
* To distinguish argumentative and persuasive speaking * To learn to argument/ persuade

1 Week

1 Week

Discussion and presentation inside the classrooms and occasionally in the auditorium. Students listen to famous persuasive/ argumentativ e speeches in the Language Lab.

Students make multimedia presentation in class group wise Language Lab Presentation

5. Course Requirements
Class attendance: At least 80%. Failure to do so will bring an automatic UW. Class performance: Student-centered. Each student has to participate on a regular basis. Assignments: Must be submitted within stipulated time frame. No late submissions will be entertained. Quizzes: Will be both written and verbal. No make-up will be taken for missed quizzes. Multimedia presentation: At least one before mid term and one after mid term. Dress code: Strictly formal on the days of multimedia presentation.

6. Evaluation Term Exam - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 40% Quizzes - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20% Presentation of the assigned Topic(s) - - - - - - 20% iv. Attendance- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10% v. Class Participation and Performance ------10% Total - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 100%
i. ii. iii.

7. Textbook/ Reference Materials

The Art of Public Speaking/ Stephen Lucas, McGraw-Hill Education, NY, 2004. Public Speaking/ M Osborn and S Osborn, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 2000. Reading and Study Skills, 7e / John Langan, Mcgraw-Hill College, NY, 2002. Quest Reading and Writing in the academic world Pamela Hartmann & Laurie Blass Different reading materials given by the teachers Different CDs and Tapes

THE USE OF DICTIONARY INSIDE CLASSROOMS

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COMPULSORY:

Suggested dictionaries: (1) Easy Learning English Dictionary Edited by Peter Collin (price 95/-) Available in Friends Book Corner, Nilkhet OR (2) Oxford Pocket English Dictionary Available in Friends Book Corner, Nilkhet