Faculty of Sciences- Rabat Academic year 2020-21
Course Title : English Comprehension
Professor : Sanae EL Mellouki sanaeelmellouki@gmail.com
Course Description
A. Overall skill-based objectives
The course aims at the presentation and practice of English language at an upper-intermediate level to upgrade the English Language proficiency of students. A balanced development of the integrated skills of speaking, reading, and writing is emphasized to ensure an accurate and fluent communication. Students during the first semester were exposed to vocabulary pertaining to a variety of topics. Focus was on enhancing and refining the communication skills of students by discussing and expressing their views on different topics to enable them to communicate effectively, appropriately and confidently. Also students had the chance to acquire a considerable amount of context-specific vocabulary which they ultimately use to produce their own sentences ; thus moving from mere consumers to effective producers of knowledge. In the second semester emphasis will be placed on reading comprehension as well as writing, the students will be presented with comprehension passages and activities such as paraphrasing, summary writing, inferencing, comparing and contrasting, relating background knowledge, problem solving as well as drawing conclusions.
B. Course Content
• Weekly Breakdown of Syllabus Content for the second semester UNIT 1 : Management Week1 Component 1 : Comprehension
Reading passage : Management Styles Component 2 : Production
-Comparing old and recent styles of management & clarifying concepts pertaining to the topic
-Paraphrasing UNIT 2 : Personal
Development & Self- growth
Week 2 Component 1 : Comprehension Reading passage : The Power of Attitude
Component 2 : Production
Using clues, making inferences, summary writing
Week 3 Component 1 : Comprehension
Reading passage : The Power of Humility
Component 2 : Production
Clarifying concepts, paraphrasing and Drawing conclusions
WEEK 4 Component 1 : Comprehension Reading passage : Conversation Blunders and How to Avoid them Component 2 : Production
Mindmapping : the blunder and its social impact
Contextualising UNIT 3 : Successful
Business stories Week 5 Component 1 : Comprehension Reading passage :Guiness : More than Just a Beer
Component 2 : Production Asking and Answering questions Main idea
Paraphrasing
Week 6 Component 1 : Comprehension Reading passage : A tradition of Bicuit Making
Component 2 : Production Asking and Answering questions Main idea
paraphrasing
Week 7 Component 1 : Comprehension Reading passage : The Levis story Component 2 : Production Asking and Answering questions Main idea
paraphrasing
UNIT 4 : Recruitment Week 8 Component 1 : Comprehension Reading passage : JOB ADS : Reading Between the Lines
Component 2 : Production contextualising
Paraphrasing
Comparing contrasting
Week 9 Component 1 : Comprehension Reading passage : How to Write a CV
& Application Letter
Component 2 : Production
Writing one’s CV and applying for a job Week
10 Component 1 : Comprehension Reading passage : The Top 10 Job Interview Mistakes
Component 2 : Production Contextualising
Drawing conclusions Mini topics Politically Correct English
Tongue twisters Metaphors and Smiles Towns in Idioms Misprints
Miscellaneous Problem pairs
One word or two
How to Improve expression : Argument & Counter Arguments / Useful Phrases
Politeness Formulas
Appendix How to write a reflection paper
How to give a presentation
Hints on how to improve expression General hints on how to improve writing
C. Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, the students will be able to :
• Use strategies to retain content words and key information from the reading passages.
• Express opinions supporting or refuting a point.
• Take notes from written texts in preparation for a discussion /presentation.
• Express ideas and opinions clearly, concisely and effectively using appropriate lexis.
• Display a superior command of concepts pertaining to various issues as well as specialised vocabulary .
• Adopt the necessary social capacities that help them explore their full potential and blossom into professional adults .
D. EVALUATION
Assignments and active participation (online interaction) counts as 50% of the total grade Final test meets upon completion of the Units : students will be asked to write a reflection paper on one of the topics of the Personal Development and Self -Growth Unit ( 50% of the total grade)
A reflective essay on a course is a personal reflection on how the course affected the student.
Reflective essays analyze the course material theories, core concepts and ideas presented by the instructor and then summarizes the writer's feelings about the material. A reflective essay, like all essays, should include an introduction, a body and the conclusion.
Introduce the reader to the course with a summary of the material covered by the course.
Describe the method of instruction and the major topics covered. Tell the reader why you took the course and what educational benefits you expected from the course.
Identify the theories and core concepts that were presented during the course. Explain each theory or concept in your own words to demonstrate your understanding of the material.
Describe your feelings about the theories and concepts presented in the course and then analyze them by applying the concepts and theories to real life experiences, if possible. Tell the reader about your feelings on the subject of the course, and describe how and why (or
why not) your feelings about the subject, theories and core concepts changed or developed during the course.
Conclude the reflective paper with a summary of your feelings about the course material in the beginning of the course. Summarize your feelings after the course was completed. State how the course helped or did not help you.
By Dr Sanae EL MELLOUKI
