Course+Information

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General Course Description
// **Type of course**: // compulsory **// Duration: //**: 2 semesters; 2 hours/ week;**// Target group //**: 1st year students of the Department of Human Resources (Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj, Romania) (see groups on Student Groups page).**// Prerequisites //**: entry level A2-B1 (according to the Common European Framework for Languages (see Self-Assessment Checklists here)**// Credits //**: 3/semester.**//Objectives//**: Students will develop For a Romanian detailed version of the objectives, see the Course Rationale page on English for Academic Purposes Wiki.
 * ** language competences and skills necessary for study and communication in their academic life and further for their respective profession **
 * ** independent study skills **: **being aware** of the present state of their language competences and skills, **setting realistic goals**, **selecting** adequate materials from the recommended resources and, last but not least, **self-assess** with the help of the instruments provided by the Common European Framework for Languages.

Topics

 * ** Reading: ** Text genres : textbooks, scientific articles, research reports, prefaces and introductions to specialist books, book reviews. Reading strategies: partial reading strategies (skimming, scanning, intensive reading), understanding the topic, main and secondary ideas, understanding text organisation, critical reading, understanding visuals (graphs, tables, charts, pictures); introduction to hypertext. Enriching general academic and specialist vocabulary by using Internet resources, context, glossaries, dictionaries etc.
 * **Speaking:** **Interaction**: pair, group (class), teacher– asking and answering questions to obtain information, identifying a communication context, arguing. **The interview**: preparing an interview for getting a scholarship/ job. **Presentation**: presenting the results of a research project or an individual/group task in front of the class; presenting a topic previously chosen (seminar), etc.
 * **Listening:** Effective listening strategies (listening for **gist**; listening for **detail**); note-taking.
 * **Writing:** **The essay**: types (argumentative, cause and effect, comparative), structure and organisation, the writing process; **research reports**: structure and organisation; **formal letters**; **CV**; **surveys** and **questionnaires**.

General Competences

 * **First Semester**: Developing and consolidating **receptive** strategies - reading and listening comprehension - of authentic general English/specialist texts in printed and electronic formats.Communicating by means of individual projects and group oral presentations.
 * **Second Semester**: Developing and consolidating **production** strategies - oral and written expression - of specialist texts. Communicating in academic settings by means of individual and group projects.

Methods
The course is delivered in a **blended learning** format, that is it will consist of **(a) face-to-face in-class meetings** and (**b) online activities on the wiki platform**.
 * Methods** used: lecture, demonstration, pair and group work, individual and group inquiry based and project based activities on the Internet using Web 2.0 tools.

Attendance
** (a) check on course material and teacher's posts and (b) do their assignments on a regular basis **
 * Students are required to __**attend a minimum of 7 in-class meetings**__ and __**access/use the wiki platform at least once a week**__ to
 * ** You are expected to participate to the wiki activities by __posting messages__, __commenting__ on your classmates' pages and __participating in forum discussions__. This will be reflected in your grades as well (see evaluation). **

Course Timeline and Timetable
EAP Wiki Management_Human Resources || editing assigned units ||  || https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEZzU0xmOUxvTHVPV0RPcV8xYnc3WXc6MQ#gid=0 || **COMPULSORY for ALL STUDENTS** - 20 EXTRA POINTS FOR FINAL GRADE (see below for evaluation) ||
 * **Weeks** || Dates || Activities Due || Deadlines for collaborative work ||
 * * **weeks 1-3** || 27.02 - 16.03. 2012 || Moving to new wiki; organising groups; assigning collaborative tasks || **see below for more detailed data**
 * * **weeks 4-7** || 19.03 - 13.04. 2012 || **In-class activities** (**Units 1 through 3**); **collaborative work** : finish
 * Easter Holiday || 13.04 - 22.04.2012 ||  ||   ||
 * Mid-term online test/ questionnaire || 23.04 - 29.04.2012 || **PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE FEEDBACK QUESTIONNAIRE**
 * * **weeks 8-13** || 23.04 - 2.06.2012 || **In-class activities** (**Units 4 through 7)**; ** collaborative work **: building up the general glossary ||  ||
 * * **week 14** || ** 10.06.2012 ** || Wiki locked for evaluation; In class examination ||  ||

Homework (Self-paced Learning)
Weekly activities are complementary to in-class lectures and activities. There are three types of activities. Follow them throughout all the weekly units. Use your LEARNING GOALS and BRAINS to __**select**__ and, most of all, **HAVE FUN LEARNING!!!** Good luck and ENJOY! **Post questions and communicate with me and each other by using WIKI MAIL and DISCUSSION TABS!**

** STRONGLY RECOMMENDED **ACTIVITIES
are activities that represent your __**minimum contribution**__ //for the points allocated for your wiki activity//.
 * 1) ** Individual work :** **These are activities meant to prepare you for the mid-term and final exam.** Generally, they will be **word handouts or interactive exercises** designed to guide you through tasks and authentic resources in order to develop your English language and study skills (reading, listening, writing, and speaking).
 * 2) **Collaborative work**
 * **PARTICIPATING IN FORUM DISCUSSIONS**: see **Guidelines** on this activity on the page Forum Discussion Gateway.
 * **STUDENT GENERATED CONTENT: collaborative writing of pages** : each of you will be part of a team that is going to build up resources on this wiki.

**BONUS** ACTIVITIES
are activities that earn you **extra points**. They are targeted at personal development and will ensure the improvement of your "soft skills": interpersonal and team work skills, develop bonding among team mates and teacher, basic proficiency in communicative English and IT skills.
 * 1) **Organizing and monitoring collaborative activities: organizing team work, seminar presentations;**
 * 2) **Monitoring forum discussions and collaborative tasks**
 * 3) **Quizzes** – interactive forms with activities related to the course topic. Results will be collected in Google spreadsheets.

Evaluation
The final grade for this semester is composed of:
 * **100 points: 20 for attendance** **for a minimum of 7 in-class meetings + 60 points** wiki activities (see above, Collaborative work) +** 20 EXTRA POINTS FOR MID-TERM FEEDBACK QUESTIONNAIRE!!! Click HERE to access. **
 * **100 points: Final Exam consisting of READING, VOCABULARY, and WRITING tasks based on weekly units (see below: Exam Information)**

Evaluation Rubrics
1. You can follow the current situation of your activities by accessing EAP Wiki Management_Human Resources.
 * 1) Self- Evaluate your unit group work with this handout [[file:Specialist Wiki Units Assessment Rubric_Second semester_2011-2012-v2.doc]] by **taking the following steps:**
 * Gather your group members
 * Download the handout, change its name to the TITLE of YOUR UNIT, for example Professional Social Worker_Unit Assessment
 * Fill in with appropriate assessment of your work
 * BY ** 10.06 2012 ** at the latest, upload the document at the bottom of your central unit page, below the table with contributions under the rubric SELF-EVALUATION

Exam Information
Read through the texts below to prepare for the reading comprehension section of your paper. Week 3 -Ally McBeal - A Role Model Week 4 - The McDonaldization of Society Week 6 - One Hundred Percent American Week 8 - Poverty and Economic Injustice For this part of your paper, you should get prepared to write an argumentative essay on a topic provided by your teacher. For more information on the structure and for writing tips, please refer to **information and handouts** here: Argumentative Essays Below are the **topics** you should prepare for the exam:
 * ===Exam Date===
 * June 27, 11:30-13:00 hrs, Room 217, Marasti **
 * ===Reading===
 * ===Writing===
 * 1) “When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success.” Do you agree or disagree with the quotation above? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.
 * 2) It has been said, “Not everything that is learned is contained in books.” Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?
 * 3) Some people prefer to get up early in the morning and start the day’s work. Others prefer to get up later in the day and work until late at night. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
 * 4) Some people believe that success in life comes from taking risks or chances. Others believe that success results from careful planning. In your opinion, what does success come from? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
 * 5) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A person should never make an important decision alone. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
 * 6) Students at universities often have a choice of places to live. They may choose to live in university dormitories, or they may choose to live in apartments in the community. Compare the advantages of living in university housing with the advantages of living in an apartment in the community. Where would you prefer to live? Give reasons for your preference.
 * 7) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People are never satisfied with what they have; they always want something more or something different. Use specific reasons to support your answer.

Exam Results
Exam results can be accessed HERE. Congratulations to (almost) all of you for doing a great job! Please let me know if you have any comments, complaints, mumbles and rumbles on the results. Deadline: Wednesday 19:00 hrs p.m. Have a wonderful holiday and... see you around! CF

Plagiarism
Students who plagiarise information, be it from printed or electronic sources, will not get a pass grade. In order to recognise what plagiarism is, you can access Citations, Copyright and Plagiarism page.