Listening comprehension and specialised (business) English oral exercises

Teacher(s)

Knorr Sabrina; Starrs Colleen (coordinator);

Language

English

Main themes

The main aim of this course is to improve students' listening comprehension skills and  to develop their knowledge of (specialised) vocabulary. The course also aims to improve students' oral skills in addition to revising certain grammatical points.

Aims

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	Listening Comprehension At the end of this course students can follow recordings of interviews, discussions, presentations, documentaries etc. featuring both native and non-native speakers with various accents and are able to take notes, select relevant information, understand specialised terminology and answer questions based on the recordings. Level C1 of the "Common European Framework for Languages "
2	Speaking Skills - Individual: At the end of this course students can give their opinion on the topics in the recordings and texts covered in class. make a presentation based on a subject related to one of the themes covered in class (group presentations).
3	Speaking Skills - Interactive: At the end of this course students can participate fluently and effectively in discussions in class. Emphasis is on: content management spoken fluency coherence and cohesion vocabulary range grammatical accuracy phonological control presentation techniques Level B2+ of the "Common European Framework for Languages "
4	Reading Comprehension At the end of this course students can read texts related to their field of studies and are able to select what is important or relevant for a specific task or to answer a specific question. understand specialised terminology in texts e.g. business vocabulary, idiomatic expressions etc. Level C1 of the "Common European Framework for Languages "

Content

The course covers listening comprehension, reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar and oral skills. All of the material covered relates to a specialised field (business).

Teaching methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

Class time is used for activities to develop students’ language skills.

Evaluation methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

These modalities are subject to modification depending on the sanitary measures in place.
Continuous assessment – 45%
Le Répétiteur files – 15%
Students have a written test in class on the following files from Le Répétiteur: 'Expressions idiomatiques de base', 'Fautes de grammaire les plus fréquentes' et 'Fautes de vocabulaire les plus fréquentes'. This material is considered to be self-tuition material.
Group presentations – 30%
Students have to make a group presentation based on a subject related to one of the themes covered in class. Each group is allocated 20 minutes for their presentation (15 minutes presentation + 5 minutes question time). The speaking time should be divided equally between the members of the group and everyone has to do a part of the presentation proper. Students have to use visual aids during their presentation. As part of the presentation, students have to prepare a presentation portfolio.
Students are assessed on the basis of the following criteria:
- accuracy (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, stress, etc.)
- fluency (communication skills, building up an argument, interaction, etc.)
- presentation techniques (structure, body language, eye contact, visuals, etc.)
- presentation portfolio (structure, clarity, accuracy, etc.)
The dates for the test on Le Répétiteur and the group presentations are scheduled in advance. All students are expected to be present. Students who are absent will get zero, unless they can provide a valid official document to justify their absence, e.g. a medical certificate.
Written exam in January – 55%
The exam consists of the following parts:
-  Listening comprehension questions based on all of the material covered in class and at home and other unseen material.
-  Vocabulary questions based on all of the material covered in class and at home,  i.e. all listening comprehension material, reading comprehension material, vocabulary exercises, other exercises, etc.
-  Grammar questions based on the material covered in class and at home.
The written exam takes place during the exam session in January. Once the date has been fixed, it cannot be changed. Students who are absent for the written exam will be considered as absent for the January session, unless they can provide a valid official document to justify their absence, e.g. a medical certificate.
September session
The exam consists of the following parts:
Oral exam – 30%
This part has the same format as the presentations during the term, i.e. a presentation based on a subject related to one of the themes covered in class. In September students have to make an individual presentation and it should last 15 minutes per student (10 minutes presentation + 5 minutes question time). Students have to use visual aids during their presentation. As part of the presentation, students have to prepare a presentation portfolio. The portfolio should be handed in at least one week before the exam.
Students are assessed on the basis of the following criteria:
- accuracy (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, stress, etc.)
- fluency (communication skills, building up an argument, interaction, etc.)
- presentation techniques (structure, body language, eye contact, visuals, etc.)
- presentation portfolio (structure, clarity, accuracy, etc.)
Written exam – 70%
This part consists of the material covered in the January exam and the files from Le Répétiteur:
- Listening comprehension questions based on all of the material covered in class and at home and other unseen material.
- Vocabulary questions based on all of the material covered in class and at home, i.e. all listening comprehension material, reading comprehension material, vocabulary exercises, other exercises, etc.
- Grammar questions based on the material covered in class and at home.
- Le Répétiteur - 'Expressions idiomatiques de base', 'Fautes de grammaire les plus fréquentes' et 'Fautes de vocabulaire les plus fréquentes'.  
Both the oral component and written component are compulsory. Students who are absent for one part of the exam will be considered as absent for the September session, unless they can provide a valid official document to justify their absence, e.g. a medical certificate.

Online resources

http://moodleucl.uclouvain.be

Bibliography

• Manuel - Keynote Advanced – Student’s Book – Lewis Lansford, Paul Dummett, Helen Stephenson - © 2016 National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Learning Company (Print Year: 2018)

Teaching materials

• Notes de cours
• Le Répétiteur
• Moodle UCL

Faculty or entity

ILV