B2473 - Language with Oral and Written Practical Exercises (Second Language English) I

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module, the student is able to understand and produce written texts of a medium difficulty and has a sufficient language skill in order to manage communicative situations of a medium complexity.

Course contents

Topics: Chosen among Food and Nutrition, Art, ICT, Biology, History, Economics, Economics and Management, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, Music, Neurology and Psychology, Economic History, Philosophy, media and communication, education, physics, tourism, architecture, geology. 

Speaking Micro-skills: Giving a formal presentation, Expressing an opinion, Introducing new ideas, Asking conditional questions, Talking about what you used to do, Using linkers when speaking, Turn-taking in conversation, Evaluating ideas and situations, adding emphasis, speculating about present and past. Making hypothesis about the future.

Writing Micro-skills: Starting and ending a presentation, Deciding on register – formal, neutral or informal, formal vs informal writing, Taking notes - getting the important points down, Making written recommendations, Giving written advice and recommendations.

Readings/Bibliography

The reader will be uploaded to virtuale.

Teaching methods

Each lesson will deal with a theme (topic), will be completed within the standard time of a class and will be especially based on practical exercises in the areas of speaking and listening,on vocabulary and idioms taken extended from the proposed topic.

Students will be provided with resources in speaking micro-skills entirely dedicated to the development of particular productive oral skills. Grammar will be addressed following 'noticing' technique.

The approach will be communicative, lessons will be interactive in a student-centred classroom where everyone is encouraged to participate actively through pair work and group work.

Lessons will be held in English.

Attendance of at least 70% of the lessons is required.

Assessment methods

The exam consists of an oral presentation on a chosen topic.

Teaching tools

PC, video projector or IWB, web resources, multimedia materials, e-learning platform.

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Montanari