English Conversation Handout - 1

(Page Created - 9 April 2001 - Last Updated - 18 June 2001)

 

Introduction.

First, please allow me to welcome you to second year English Conversation.

The aims of this class are: 1) to improve your ability to speak English, 2) to improve your pronunciation, 3) to expand your vocabulary, 4) to increase your knowledge of English language culture and customs, and 5) to give you confidence in using English for your needs. To give you the best educational opportunity, the class will be taught in English.

This will be an active class for your speaking and practising English. You will be required to work in groups of between 2 and 5 students. These groups will perform role play in English conversation situations. In the role play situations you will be required to use spoken and non-spoken methods of communication. You will be required to change your voice to meet the needs of the conversation. Sometimes you will need to shout, sometimes tospeak softly, sometimes you will laugh, and sometimes speak with anger. You will need to act the conversation. This means that if in the conversation the two people shake hands, then you will need to shake hands. For example, this means that if student A asks student B for something, student A will need to give student B something. If you do this, the class will also be more enjoyable, and will be more educational.

Please note at this point, the grading for this class is continuous. During this year you will be asked to prepare and act out some conversation exercises. Your performances in these exercises will be assessed and graded. Your final grade will be produced from an average of the grades that you get in this year. If you work in this class, practice and perform the exercises and tests that are required of you will easily obtain a good grade. Your grade will depend on your efforts. (Please note: any student who asks me a question in the class in English, any student who speaks to me in class in English, will receive a bonus point. These bonus points will add to your final grade.)

What You Need for the Classes:

There is no text book for this class. The class material will be given as handouts. (Copies of all of the handouts for the class will be displayed on my homepage: http://www.kyushu-ns.ac.jp/~allan/) However, you will need to have the following items for the classes:

Equipment:

You will need to bring the following items to class with you:

  1. A notebook — I will write many instructions and explanations on the blackboard. Instructions for homework will also be written on the blackboard. It will be very useful for you to note carefully what I write on the blackboard. (Please note, if you have a notebook, and have taken notes you do not understand then I will help you. If you do not have a notebook and you have not been taking notes and you do not understand, that is your mistake that you will need to correct...)

  2. Collins Cobuild New Student’s Dictionary — You need to buy this dictionary and bring it with you to class.

  3. A Personal Dictionary — You will need to make your own personal dictionary. To make your personal dictionary you must uses a loose-leaf notebook, beginning with 26 pages Each page is to be marked with a letter of the alphabet on the front, from A to Z.

Each letter of the alphabet needs to have its own page, with the letter on the top right corner of the front, not one letter on the front and another letter on the back. In this personal dictionary you will write down any new word that you find in the conversation exercises on the page marked with its letter of the alphabet. Next to the word you need to write three things:

1) the meaning of the word in English;

2) the meaning of the word in Japanese;

3) a sample sentence in English using that word.

For example, nose:

    1. Nose, is the part of the face which sticks out above the mouth and which is used for smelling and breathing.
    2. Hanna — the meaning written in Japanese.
    3. Because she had a bad cold her nose was blocked and she could not smell the beautiful flowers.

Note: This dictionary will be a part of your grading for this class, if you have a good personal dictionary your grade will be better.
    4. Japanese-English/English-Japanese Dictionary — It is also a good idea to have a small Japanese — English dictionary. You will be asked to write conversations using the exercises that I give you. To write these it will help you to have a Japanese-English/English-Japanese dictionary.

Next time that you come to this class, please have a copy of the Collins English Dictionary, a personal dictionary, a notebook, and a Japanese-English/English Japanese dictionary with you.

Class Work:

The work for this class will be based on conversation exercises. You will be given handouts of the conversation exercise text. The conversation will be explained, and there will be a pronunciation drill. You will then make groups of between 2 and 5 students and practice the conversation exercise.. You will be required to practice each conversation exercise many times. There will also be extension exercises to add to your learning from the script. You will sometimes be asked to create your own conversation exercises based on the model of the handout text.

The conversation exercises will be based on the script for a film. The film’s title is Great Expectations, made in Britain in 1948.

Grading:

There will be no tests at the end of the year for this class. Your grade will be given as continuous assessment for this class. You will be given grades for, a) your personal dictionary, b) class exercises where you act out a conversation in a role play situation (Here effort will be very important. Students who put a lot of effort, energy into their conversation role play will be given higher grades. Students who make no effort will get a lower grade. Mistakes are less important in the conversation than effort and trying.), and c) attendance — for each class attended you will get an additional half point, for each class absent a half point will be deducted. Thus, you will receive grades for your conversation exercises — A + B+ + A- / 3 = A- + points for attendance = A.

(Please note: If any time you think that your grade is not as high as you hoped for an exercise, then you can always try to do the same exercise again; if the second time the work is better, you will receive the better grade, if your work is worse, the first grade will not be changed. Also, students who speak to me in English will receive bonus points for speaking in English. These bonus points will be added to your grades, and will also let me know that you are an excellent student.)

Conclusion

 

Thus, the class will be taught as group work, with students practising and writing and practising conversation exercises. The exercises will be based on the script of the film You will need to bring a notebook, a personal dictionary, copies of the 2. Collins Cobuild New Student’s Dictionary, and a Japanese-English/English-Japanese dictionary. Students who work hard at the exercises, will get the best grades.

My office number is 345, on the third floor. My email address:

allan01@kyushu-ns.ac.jp

Good luck.