English Listening/Speaking for Sophomores--Fall 2011

Instructor: Mr. Michael Krigline, MA        Xiamen University,  International Economics and Trade

  www.krigline.com.cn

Oral interview; 25 points

         Each student will get up to 25 points this term for “oral ability,” and your oral interview/discussion will help me decide how many points you deserve. Your performance and participation during class (role plays, etc.) will also influence this score.

         Interviews will be done in groups of four or five (at a scheduled time, at dinner or in room 113), talking together about one of the topics below. Each group will have a leader (as shown on the class list). Your group will get together to choose two possible topics. When you arrive for the scheduled time, your leader will tell me your two choices and I will choose one of them. The leader will also phone (or SMS) each group member a few hours before your appointment to be sure no one forgets!

         When your time comes, I’ll ask questions and try to get short answers from each person. I may also interrupt to ask for clarification or additional comments. Group members should also feel free to comment on each other’s statements (not interrupting, but more like a conversation). You can get together to practice this before you meet with me. However, a few previous groups have created a script for their “conversation”—this is NOT what I want, so they lost points. You can think of questions in advance, but it better not sound like a rehearsed “role play.”

            The oral exam will last about 10 minutes. Your grade (25% of your term grade) will reflect your ability and willingness to speak English.

Finding Forrester Discussion:

When you were a child, did you and your friends dare each other to do things? Tell us about something you learned from doing (or not doing) a dare. In different contexts, Jamal had to use Ebonics and “standard English.” Is that fair? Talk about the good and bad aspects of China’s multiple languages, and the context in which people use them. The movie talked a lot about the western view of plagiarism. What questions do you have about this, and do you think Chinese and western understandings of plagiarism are different or the same? Explain. Also talk about what this concept means for people who wish to study abroad or work with people from English-speaking countries. The description of this film says Jamal’s unlikely friendship with Forrester helped both to “reach their dreams.” Explain this statement, or say why you don’t agree with it. Describe the friendships in this movie (Jamal/Claire; Jamal/Forrester; Jamal/Fly or T or others; etc.), then talk about how an “unusual friendship” in your own life helped you in some way.

International Holidays in China

In the past few years, more and more Chinese people have been doing something special during the Christmas season. Some people/stores put up a tree or decorations, others give gifts, while many even go to church. Unique Chinese “Christmas traditions” have even started, such as giving apples on “ping an ye” (which is not done in any other country). Discuss the positive and negative aspects of celebrating international holidays like Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Valentines’ Day. If your best friend wanted to celebrate one of these holidays, what would say to him/her? How do people in your parents’ and grandparents’ generation feel about this topic? If you think “smaller” Chinese holidays (other than National Day, New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival) are becoming less important, give practical suggestions for giving them more attention. Be able to explain your answer, and to ask "follow up" questions to your classmates.

I’ll add to this list before the end of the term.

Here is the grading scale I intend to use:

“Average” means that I can normally understand them, and so can the others present, and they seem to be able to understand me most of the time. Higher scores go to those with “better than average” pronunciation, those who volunteer to answer first, or even like to talk a lot, those who ask questions to their classmates, etc.

Quiz 1 preview, Fall 2011: English Listening and Speaking

As I said in class, you need to be familiar with the ENGLISH instructions that will be on your quiz. If you don't understand something, please ask BEFORE the quiz starts. Otherwise, concentrate on the vocabulary we have studied so far this term.

This resource was created for our students under my understanding of "fair use" for educational resources.  

© 2011 Michael Krigline, all rights reserved. As far as I am concerned, people are allowed to print/copy it for personal or classroom use.

 (see Website Standards and Use Policy)

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