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Use of English Spring 2022

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  Use of English 1 Spring 2022 Course Description The aim of this course is to provide practice in various fields of the English language: to practice grammar phenomena especially difficult for a Hungarian speaker, to practice the areas of language competence needed in the academic environment, to help students perform better at language competence tests, to familiarize the students with the various types of tests and tasks used for the assessment of English competence, to initialize and/or enhance systematic vocabulary building, and to make students aware of different options made possible by the economy of the language. Course Outcomes Students will be able to identify and accurately solve question types on the Academic English Exam: keyword transformation, phrasal verb, proofreading, open cloze, and word form Students will be able to recognize and apply rules regarding English grammar and syntax. Students will be able to define and use words related to grammar and linguistics: n...
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Preparing for Mid-terms

 I recently received this message from a student on CooSpace that articulates a question that may be on the minds of many of my Use of English students these days: Dear Teacher, Please forgive me but something is not so clear to me. So... We have your slides here in CooSpace from the lessons. It's obvious that we have to know everything which is on them. But... This Vince book thing is not clear to me. Do I have to know the explanations of Vince book for the AE exam and for the mid term exam as well? For example... Here is pp 1-24. Past and present tenses, etc. And I have to know how to and when to use these? So we have these Vince book stuffs for independent learning? Thank you so much for your answer in advance! Here is my answer.  The mid-term exam is an opportunity for me as a professor to see how close we are to meeting the course goals.  To remind students about what those goals are,  I have uploaded the slides for our lessons in CooSpace so that they can revie...
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Web Resources about Grammar

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Yesterday, an astute student asked me about reputable websites that explain English grammar. Of the three Use of English classes, about a dozen students have chosen to do research the web for sources of grammar exercises and explanations. I am grateful for their help in finding these websites. When evaluating the websites, I looked for those that were appropriate for advanced English language students. I further divided them into categories of reliable explantions, challenging and accurate exercises, and exercises that resemble the First Certificate English exams.  This is a source that describes the parts of speech, parsing, and syntax:  Nesbitt, M. L. (1885). Grammar-Land or Grammar in fun for the children of Schoolroomshire. New York: Holt. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/66712/pg66712-images.html Here is a source for learning about the parts of speech and syntax.  Use of English 1 students will need to sign up for UE Spring 2022 on Khan Academy to receive credi...
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Writing

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Homework: Reader Response Journal 1 ( Due Wednesday, September 15) Template and instructions for reading journal: Reading Journal Template 1. Read and summarize the article in one sentence. Shortage of Hungarian Teachers 2- Identify the keywords and their definitions 3. Write yout answer to  this question either as a comment to this post or in the Coospace forum:   Does this article inspire you to be a teacher?  Why or why not? The full syllabus is available on CooSpace, but I have pasted the resources, graded tasks, and schedule for a quick reference. Resources Arizona State University & Crash Course (2020, Mar 31). The Writing Process: Study Hall Composition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McgOfJoQ4_I&list=PLNrrxHpJhC8mNXjrAL3Ey1Q6iI35cymz Australian National Institute of Management & Commerce (2019). Academic Writing: Library Guides. https://top-au.libguides.com/c.php?g=438320&p=3386772 BBC. (20) Go the Distance: Academic Writing. https://www....
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Communication Skills

Schedule for Communication Skills Spring 2022 MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS Two speeches/ forum discussion (15%, 25%) One presentation (20%) Digital Notebook (15%) 12 YouTube video commentaries (10%) Improvisational Speeches and Class Participation (15%) MODULE 1 Focus: Self-Management, Discourse Management, & Interaction Topic Preparation: 1-3 Session 1: Introductions & Getting Acquainted Homework 1: Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPLIw64rLJc Write about how the king deals with nervousness Session 2: Anxiety Management Homework 2: Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAnw168huqA List and describe the four steps that Abrahams suggests for successful impromptu speaking Outline two ways that you can organize an impromptu speech? Session 3: Confidence Homework 3: Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2MR5XbJtXU According to Carol Goyder, what can you do to speak with confidence? Which techniques does she apply from last week’s tips? What else does she do to make her speech intere...
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