NCHU Course Outline
Course Name (中) 大一英文(0920)
(Eng.) Freshman English
Offering Dept Language Center
Course Type Required Credits 2 Teacher Ho, TAI-CHUN
Department General Language English Semester 2024-FALL
Course Description With a wide range of classroom activities and exercises, this one-year course is designed to enhance the English skills and proficiency of first-year NCHU undergraduates. The lecturer will guide participants through a wealth of English learning resources and authentic materials dealing with the following topics: 1) language learning, 2) technology, 3) gender, and 4) literature.
To facilitate learning and classroom discussion, students are required to complete listening and reading assignments before coming to class. Every week, participants will have to take quizzes, speak English both in small groups and in front of the class, and engage in a series of writing tasks.
A communicative approach that emphasizes teacher-student interaction is adopted, though attention is also paid to familiarize students with the complex sentence structure and grammar of the English language as well as common English expressions used in a variety of topics and daily life situations.

Prerequisites
self-directed learning in the course Y
Relevance of Course Objectives and Core Learning Outcomes(%) Teaching and Assessment Methods for Course Objectives
Course Objectives Competency Indicators Ratio(%) Teaching Methods Assessment Methods
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
1) Speaking: -speak more confidently and fluently about various topics
-speak with fewer simple grammar mistakes
2) Reading -improve reading skills
-become familiar with different genres of English materials
3) Vocabulary -increase vocabulary, especially vocabulary related to the topics in online English materials and selected readings
4) Grammar -improve usage of already-learned grammar in writing and speaking
5) Listening -improve listening for both main ideas and details on a variety of topics
6) Writing -learn to describe their daily life, events and stories in short paragraphs
1.
2.
3.
4.
50
30
10
10
topic Discussion/Production
Exercises
Discussion
Lecturing
Written Presentation
Attendance
Assignment
Quiz
Course Content and Homework/Schedule/Tests Schedule
Week Course Content
Week 1 9/9 (M) Meet and Greet
Self-Introduction
Week 2 9/16 (M) Language Learning
Reading Article 1:
Holly Young’s ‘Do young people care about learning Languages?
In-Class activity: Speak about your experience of learning languages
Quiz 1: ‘How Quickly Can you Learn English
Week 3 9/23(M) Language Learning
Reading Article 2:
Sarah Johnson’s ‘Learning a Language in Later life: are you ever too old?’
Quiz 2
‘Speak any language instantly
Week 4 9/30 (M) Freshman English Exam
Week 5 10/7 (M) Language Learning
Reading Article 3 ‘How Friends taught the world to speak English – from Jürgen Klopp to Korean pop megastars’
In-Class activity: Speak about your experience of learning English through watching TV series/Films
Week 6 10/14 (M) Film
Watching the 1938 film adaption ‘Pygmalion’ (available on YouTube with English subtitles)
Week 7 10/21 (M) Film
Group Presentation on ‘Pygmalion’
Week 8 10/28 (M)
Midterm
Week 9 11/4 (M)
Review of Mid-Term Exams
Teaching by TA
Quiz 3
‘Is Social Media a Distraction’?
Week 10 11/11 (M)Technology
Reading Article 4
Mark Boyle’s ‘Technology destroys people and places’
In-Class Activity: Speak about the impact of technology in your daily life
Week 11 11/18 (M) Technology
Reading Article 5
Eliana Dockerman’s ‘The Digital Parent Trap’
Quiz 4: ‘Are computers making us dumb’?
Week 12 11/25 (M) Technology
Reading Article 6
Emma Watson’s speech on Feminism
Quiz 5 ‘Women’s right to Vote’
In-Class Activity: Speak about the gender equality/problems in Taiwan
Week 13 12/2 (M) Gender
Reading Article 7
Obama’s article on Feminism
Quiz 6: ‘Men are the Weaker Sex’

Week 14 12/9 (M) Literature
Reading article 8
Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Happy Prince’
In-class activity:
Speak about your experience of reading literary works
Quiz 7 ‘Reading the Classics”
Week 15 12/16 (M) Literature
Reading article 8: Oscar Wilde’s ‘Happy Prince’
Quiz 8: ‘Literacy Heroes’
Week 16 12/23 (M)
Final Exam

Week 17 12/30 (M) Self-Learning Week
Submit a 150-word written response to the 1938 film ‘Pygmalion’ by 12/30
Week 18 1/6 (M)
Holiday

Note: all quizzes are held at the beginning of the class.
Evaluation
Grades

15% class participation (based on your speaking frequency)
10% in-class presentations (3 minute-talk 5% and group presentations 5%)
15% attendance
60% exams (quizzes 10%; 10% FEM ; 20% Midterm; 20% Final)

＞3 minute-talk: You will have to give an individual 3 minute-speech on any topic of your
choice. For each week, 2-3 students will take turns presenting.
＞Group presentation: Group presentations on the film ‘Pygmalion’.

＞debate: You will have to participate in one debate and help your team win.


20% class participation:
0-10 scale system is used.
1-4= didn’t speak but attended the classes
5-6= spoke only a few times
7-8= made a few comments
9-10=talked a lot


Absences


＞Sickness: If you can’t come to class because you’re sick, please apply for a leave of absence via the university’s online system and attach a document which shows your doctor’s notes or your visit to a clinic or hospital. On the day of a quiz, you will need to show me absent notes approved by the university; otherwise, your absence will be unexcused. Each class absence will drop 1 point off your final grade.
＞Tardiness: You should come to class on time. If you arrive late after I take attendance, you will be marked absent. If you arrive after the quiz is finished, you cannot retake it.
＞Other reasons: Please discuss them with me beforehand.
Textbook & other References
Textbooks
Selected Readings (See the details of the programme above)
Online English Resources:

BBC Six-Minute English; Learning English with News Report;
Voice of America; Ted talks; The Guardian’s Audio Long Reads
Teaching Aids & Teacher's Website
Study guides and reading questions sheets will be available via I-Learning
Office Hours
Monday 15:10:17:00 (by appointment)
Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs
05.Gender Equalityinclude experience courses：N
Please respect the intellectual property rights and use the materials legally.Please repsect gender equality.
Update Date, year/month/day：2024/09/02 22:10:37 Printed Date, year/month/day：2024 / 11 / 21
The second-hand book website：http://www.myub.com.tw/