Inglês IV (925) develops English language skills at the upper-intermediate level (CEFR level B2). Students who successfully complete Inglês IV:
1. Can speak clearly and fluently, despite occasional first language interference, and can express opinions, give accounts, develop arguments, and engage in extended conversations on topics related to his/her field and experiences;
2. Can write clear, detailed, descriptive, narrative, analytical and argumentative texts;
3. Can read with a high degree of independence, and can select and process written content;
4. can follow extended speech and complex lines of argument, and can easily understand recorded or broadcast audio/video material in standard dialect.
Learning outcomes of the curricular unit
Inglês IV develops English language skills at the upper-intermediate level (CEFR B2+). Students who successfully complete Inglês IV:
1. can speak clearly and fluently, despite occasional first language interference, and can express opinions, give accounts, develop arguments, and engage in extended conversations on topics related to their field and experiences;
2. can write clear, detailed, descriptive, narrative, analytical and argumentative texts;
3. can read with a high degree of independence, and can select and process written content;
4. can follow extended speech and complex lines of argument, and can easily understand recorded or broadcast audio/video material in standard dialect.
Syllabus
1. Listening and speaking practice: analyzing films, debating and discussing important issues, developing skills for public speaking.
2. Reading and writing practice: analyzing and responding to writing and films, developing skills for analytical writing, revising and editing written work.
3. Grammar focus: review and further study of nouns and determiners, adjectivals/adjective clauses, intensifiers, comparatives/superlatives, conditionals, noun clauses, logical connectors (additive, adversative, causal, sequential), paragraphing (spatial and climactic arrangement, cause/effect, comparison/contrast) followed by written and oral exercises (mainly from The Functions of English Grammar).
Demonstration of the coherence between the syllabus and the learning outcomes
The skills detailed in the objectives are reinforced by the content in the syllabus. Grammar topics are covered in chapters 10-14 from the course book The Functions of English Grammar, supplemented mainly by The Grammar Book, and made available to students via Moodle. Exercises from the course book develop a range of skills, and are generally prepared at home (written) and presented orally in class. Listening and speaking practice is further reinforced with feature films (English language with English subtitles), organized class debates/discussions, writing workshops, and presentations of student writing. Reading and writing skills are further developed via the Moodle forums (which can function as writing workshops), an analytical writing assignment presented in class, an independent writing project, relevant chapters from College Writers, and links to professional writing. The semester concludes with an analytical essay written in class.
Teaching methodologies
Inglês IV utilizes a systematic and cumulative teaching approach that develops English language skills at the upper-intermediate level (CEFR B2+). The program focuses on relevant genres while exploring respective vocabulary and structures. Practice in the four skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) is complemented by revision and consolidation of grammar and syntax.
One grammar-based test (30%) follows the course book chapters, and the semester culminates with the writing of an analytical essay (20%) in class. The writing portfolio (30%) is composed of an independent project and Joycean prolusion (both workshopped and revised). Additional activities supplement the participation/attendance grade (20%), such as quizzes, writing workshops, class discussions, Moodle forums, and course book exercises from The Functions of English Grammar (prepared at home and presented orally in class).
Demonstration of the coherence between the teaching methodologies and the learning outcomes
The systematic and cumulative teaching approach begins with written and oral exercises that develop a range of skills, from mastering form and controlling grammatical meaning, to productive fluency. Films/screenplays (English language with English subtitles) serve to generate analytical writing (Joycean prolusions) and class discussions, and the semester culminates with an analytical essay test based on a short story/novella, a task that is detailed in chapter 11, College Writers. The development of this analytical ability is essential as students continue to acquire English language skills and transition to producing content in both academic and professional settings. Via the workshop method and the independent project, students further develop vital editing and revision skills in English, along with a deeper appreciation of the relevant genres and an enhanced ability to analyze, interpret, and produce content in alternate, precise, and creative ways.
Bibliography
Azar, Betty Schrampfer. Understanding and Using English Grammar. 3rd revised ed. New York: Pearson Education, 2004.
Bernard, Sheila Curran. Documentary Storytelling: Making Stronger and More Dramatic Nonfiction Films. 2nd ed. St. Louis: Focal Press, 2007.
Celce-Murcia, Marianne and Diane Larsen-Freeman. The Grammar Book. 2nd ed. Boston: Heinle & Heinle, 1998.
Field, Syd. Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting. New York: Bantam Doubleday, 1994.
Giannetti, Louis. Understanding Movies. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1998.
Holschuh, Louis W. The Functions of English Grammar (The Holschuh Esl Grammar Ser.). Cambridge University Press, 1994. [updated in 2024]
Kent, Michael L. "The Power of Storytelling in Public Relations: Introducing the 20 Master Plots." Public Relations Review, vol. 41, no. 4, 2015, pp. 480-489.
Reid, Stephen. The Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers. 9th ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2011.
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