English I

Objectives

At an elementary level of linguistic proficiency, English I students are expected to:

Listening: Understand simple sentences, basic vocabulary and frequently used expressions in student’s area of study. Follow clearly articulated speech and participate in simple dialogues related to field of interest. Speaking: Communicate ideas and opinions in everyday situations requiring a simple, direct exchange of information on familiar matters. Ask and answer questions and respond to direct statements with limited ability to keep conversation going of own accord.

Reading: Comprehend straightforward texts related to student’s interests and field of study. Identify the main thesis of a written text and elaborate an outline of the main points.

Writing: Write straightforward texts on a range of familiar subjects within student’s area of study by linking ideas into a linear sequence. Write accounts of experiences describing feelings and reactions in a simple text.

Program

English Grammar:

1. Present Simple and Adverbs of frequency

2. Present Continuous (present time and future arrangements)

3. State verbs vs. Non-state verbs

4. Past Simple (70 Irregular Verb List) and Past Continuous

5. Present Perfect Simple and Continuous

6. Future “Sense”

7. Modal “will” and other Modal Verbs/Expressions

8. Repeated past situations vs. Past Perfect

9. Negatives and Contractions for various verb tenses (vs. possessives)

10. Yes-No Questions

11. Information Questions

12. Phrasal Verbs, level 1

Language Functions:

1. Asking and talking about friends, relatives and well-known people

2. Describing relationships and family life and recounting stories of relationships

3. Helping people and dealing with stressful and conflictive situations

4. Talking about hobbies, interests and past experiences

5. Transmitting information and evaluating news presented in the media

6. Considering aspects of European reality, yesterday and today

Teaching Methodologies

According to foreign language teaching methodology, classes follow a controlled presentation of the English language by the teacher, leading to less-controlled and free practice among the students. To reduce 1st language interference, attention is given to contrastive analysis and error analysis of problematic areas for Portuguese speakers. Sessions include explication of grammar aspects, exemplification of grammar in use, practice exercises of varied types (completion, matching, substitution, transformation, reorganization etc.), and activities structured around pair or group work (dialogues, improvisations, sketches, role-plays, games, discussions, debates, interviews and presentations). Students are expected to participate actively in class; non-working students must attend at least 75% of the classes.

Bibliography

EASTWOOD, J. (2003). Oxford Practice Grammar, Oxford UP.

KAY, S. & JONES, V. (2000). Inside Out, New York: MacMillan Publishers.

AZAR, B. (1990). Understanding and Using English Grammar, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

BRYSON, B. (2000). The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way, Harper Collins.

COIMBRA, O. & COIMBRA, I. (2000). Gramática Activa 1 & 2, Lisboa: Lidel.

Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa Contemporânea (2001), Lisboa: Verbo.

LEECH, G. & SVARTVIK, J. (1996). A Communicative Grammar of English, Longman.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (1995). Essex: Longman.

NAYLOR, H. (2007). Essential Grammar in Supplementary Exercises, Cambridge UP.

SWAN, M. (1995) Practical English Usage, Oxford UP.

SIMAS, R. English and Portuguese: 2 World Languages (level 4 of six levels of lessons).

VILELA, M. (1999). Gramática da Língua Portuguesa, Coimbra: Almedina.

WEINER, E. & DELAHUNTY, A. (1994). The Oxford Guide to English Usage, Oxford UP.