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Advanced Graduate English Course 328013
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328013: The Advanced Graduate English course is geared for graduate students |
| The objectives of the course are:
– Development of greater competence in reading scientific and technical literature – Systematic expansion of vocabulary – Increased knowledge of English grammar, in particular that of written discourse. – Practice in listening comprehension – Improvement of oral and written skills |
| Since the major goal of the course is effective reading, its emphasis is on text analysis. Students are exposed to texts that deal with a variety of topics ranging from ecology to economics, astronomy and information technologies. They practice skimming, scanning and extensive reading techniques, all of which are essential for effective academic reading.
Vocabulary is taught on a regular basis, with the focus on the building of word families, meanings of stems and affixes of words, rules of affixation, synonymy and polysemy (the use of words with multiple meanings). |
| The course aims at consciousness-raising in learning grammar. Essential structures are presented, explained, and practiced in exercises that aim to improve students’ receptive and productive skills. Grammar instruction is discourse- and context-based. Although these are the immediate goals of the Advanced English course in the process of preparing graduate students for the English Proficiency Examination, the essential concern is much broader: it is aimed at the student’s improved reading ability for his/her professional purposes as well as improved English communication skills. |
| The course book used during the semester contains rules for review and language exercises enabling students to activate previously learned terminology and grammar structures. Texts, reading comprehension and vocabulary exercises can be found on the Moodle site of the course. |
| An additional source of practice and information is the Computer Language Learning facilities in the Department of Humanities and Arts. Its computerized materials aid the student in consolidating and reinforcing knowledge acquired in the classroom. |
| Classes are held twice a week and begin during the first week of winter and spring semesters. Several evaluations are conducted during the semester: three quizzes and a simulation exam. The latter is a full-length exam having the same format as the English Proficiency Examination. It is administered only to the students in the course about one month before the end of the semester, thus enabling the student to assess his/her progress. In addition, the grade accumulated during the course of the semester is added, if necessary, to the student’s final examination grade. This arrangement is applicable only to students who attend class and do homework regularly. |
| Recommended Dictionaries
1. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English. Seventh edition, 2010. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2. Webster’s College Dictionary. 1997, New York: Random House. 3. Collins Cobuild English Dictionary for Advanced Learners. Third edition, 2001. Glasgow: Harper Collins Publishers. |
| N.B. All of the above are English-English dictionaries.
This is the only type of dictionary permitted for use during the exam. It is thus highly recommended that students use such a dictionary throughout the course. Journals recommended for supplementary reading: |