Course Guidebook
Course title /code Communicative English Skills (EnLa1011)
Module Title Basic English Skills
Module coordinator -------
Instructor’s Name ------
Instructor’s Contact Office
Information Phone
Email
Office hour
Course ECTS 5 ECTS (135hrs)
Mode of delivery Whole semester
Teaching methods Classroom contact/Lecture, group work, interactive tutorial sessions (group and pair
work/discussions and individual work (independent learning).
Student Work Load Lecture Tutorial Lab/Practical Home study
Individual work Total
48 hrs 16 hrs -- 71hrs 135 hrs
(3 Cr Hrs)
Course Description This course is intended to develop and improve students' language competence. It is
also aimed at developing students’ communicative abilities in English which will
help students to develop their communicative skills and overall language
competence in English. Generally, this course will cover the specific language
aspects described below. Developing basic functions of English language skills:
reading (scanning, skimming, reading for details, summarizing, understanding the
structure of a text); listening (listening for the gist, listening for details, recognizing
discourse markers, noticing the structure of a lecture, understanding speaker
intentions, recognizing signposting, attending and following skills); writing
(summarizing a text, writing descriptive texts); speaking (introducing oneself and
others, interviewing, discussions, stating and supporting propositions, stating one’s
opinions, organizing and taking part in a debate, making a persuasive speech,
questioning); vocabulary (working out meanings from context, synonyms,
antonyms, collocations, definitions); grammar (relative clauses, modals, voice,
conditionals, tense, reported speech).
Course objectives Upon completing the course, students will be able to:
Express their ideas in various communicative contexts (in group/ pair
discussion, public speaking settings etc.)
Use various vocabulary learning strategies and techniques
Write and present reports
Read various materials and make their own notes
Identify the structure of oral and written discourses
Attend their academic work at ease and with clarity.
Pre-requisite None
Course Status Compulsory /Common course
.
Weeks Study Hours Main Topic/Sub topic/s/ Chapter Reading material Student
/assignments Activities
1st 1.Introductory Unit College English VL.I PP - Introduce
Lecture Hours= 1.1. Listening and Speaking: Finding out 4-10 themselves to
6hrs about other people their partners
Home Study= 1.2. Vocabulary: Learning to learn English Communicative
10hrs -find out
vocabulary Grammar pp 34-48
information
1.3. Grammar: Learning to use grammar about others
for facilitating meaning
Lecture Hours= 1.4. Reading: What is involved in - College English VL.I -Participate in
2nd 6hrs understanding text? group
Home Study= 8hrs 1.5. Speaking: Introducing oneself and - Communicative English discussions
others Skills II-unpublished introduce
1.6. Writing: A short Personal description - Writer’s Choice themselves
or story write a
personal
description
3rd &4th 2.AIDS Listen to texts
Lecture Hours= 2.1. Listening and Speaking: College English-Teacher’s and identify
6hrs 2.1.1. Understanding markers of addition Guide markers of
Home Study= 6hrs and relating addition and
relating,
2.1.2. Listening for gist
2.1.3. Responding to the speaker's purpose identify the gist
2.1.4. Writing a brief summary of a talk of the talk,
2.2. Vocabulary College Reading + write summary
2.2.1. Using component parts of a word as McCarthy of the talk
clues to meaning -guess the
2.2.2. Using topic relationships in order to meaning of
learn words Advanced Grammar in words
2.2.3. Being aware of how words collocate Use + Grammar for depending on
with each other English Language clues, topic
2.2.4. Working out word meanings from Teachers 350-79 relationship and
collocation
context
2.3. Grammar College English VL.I
2.3.1. Using relative clauses College English VL.I
-
2.3.2. Expressing warning and advice
5th &6th Lecture Hours= 2.4 Reading
6hrs 2.4.1. Identifying the intended audience of a College English VL.I + -read passages
Home Study= text and other critical reading skills and work on
10hrs 2.4.2. Relating a diagram to a text comprehensio
n questions
2.5 Speaking Public Speaking for
2.4.3. Brain storming College and Career -practice and
2.4.4. Public speaking present public
speeches
College English VL.I
2.6 Writing: Writing a short summary of a talk write
summary of a
talk
3.Culture and Values Listen to texts
7th& 8th Lecture Hours= 3.1. Listening and Speaking College English-Teacher’s and identify
6hrs 3.1.1. Identifying the structure of a talk Guide structure of
Home Study= 3.1.2. Completing a note framework the talk
10hrs
3.2. Vocabulary College English VL.I Guess
3.2.1. Using topic relationships to learn new meaning of
words words based
3.2.2. Words of Greek and Latin origin on their origin
3.2.3. Using a vocabulary network to learn and topic
words relationship
3.3. Grammar Practice using
3.3.1.Using active and passive constructions Grammar for English active and
for descriptive writing Language Teachers p.287 passive
3.3.2. using time clauses for descriptive constructions
writing
9th and 3.4. Reading College English VL.I -read passage
10th Lecture Hours= 3.4.1. Critical reading and identify
6hrs 3.4.2. Reading for main ideas main idea and
Home Study= 3.4.3. Reading for detail specific details
10hrs 3.5. Speaking
3.5.1. Understanding reference Public Speaking for -participate in
3.5.2. Brainstorming College and Career debating
3.5.3. Organizing and taking part in a debate organized in
3.6. Writing the classroom
3.6.1. Writing a brief summary of key ideas -write
from a text Writer’s Choice + summary and
3.6.2. Writing a descriptive essay about a Essentials of Writing descriptive
marriage ceremony paragraph
11th and 4.Improving Study Practices -listen to
12th Lecture Hours= 4.1. Listening and speaking College English-Teacher’s lectures and
6hrs 4.1.1. Thinking about what you do when you Guide take notes
Home Study= 8hrs listen to a lecture and take notes - identify main
4.1.2. Understanding listing and sequencing sections of a
markers lecture
4.1.3. Listening for a main sections of a talk
-work out
4.2. Vocabulary meaning of
4.2.1. Using a dictionary College Reading + words from
4.2.2. Working out word meanings from Objective English context
context
4.3. Grammar Grammar for English -Practice using
4.3.1. Using Conditional I,II and III Language Teachers p231 + conditional
College English clauses
4.4. Reading College English VL.I
13th& Lecture Hours= 4.4.1. Skimming for gist -read passage
14th 6hrs 4.4.2. Critical reading and evaluating and identify
Home Study= 9hrs 4.4.3. Using reference/textual markers College English VL. I references and
textual
4.5. Speaking markers
4.5.1. Brainstorming and discussing on what
makes a good learner Writers’ Choice
4.6 Writing -practice
4.6.1. Summarizing a talk writing
4.6.2. Summarizing an academic article summary and
4.6.3. Writing an essay on learning English essays
---
15th Tutorial= 16hrs ---- ----
16th Final Exam
Course policy Attendance: It is compulsory to come to class on time and every time. If you are going
to miss more than three classes during the term, you should not take this course.
Assignments: you must do your assignment on time. No late assignment will be
accepted.
Tests/Quizzes: you will have short quizzes and tests almost every week. If you miss
the class or, are late to class, you will miss the quiz or test. No makeup tests or
quizzes will be given. You are expected to observe the rules and the regulations of the
University as well.
Cheating/plagiarism: you must do your own work and not copy and get answers from
someone else. The only way to learn English is to do the work yourself.
Also, please do not chew gum, eat, listen to recorders or CD players, wear sunglasses, or talk
about personal problems. Please be sure to turn off pagers and cell phonesbefore class and
exam sessions
Assessment
1. Continuous Assessment (50%)
Listening 10%
Speaking-oral presentation 10%
Reading and Vocabulary-test 10%
Writing-test(5%)/assignment(5%) 10%
Grammar-test 10%
2. Final Examination (50%)
References
Dean, M.1988. Write it; Writing Skills for intermediate learners of English. Cambridge
University Press
DEFLL, 1996.College English: volume I and II.AAU.AAU Printing Press
Gregory.1999.Public speaking for college and career (Fifth Ed).New York: McGraw Hill
College
Hewings, M. 1999.Advanced Grammar in use: self-study Reference Practice Book for
AdvancedLearnersofEnglish. Cambridge: CUP.
MOE, 2005.ImproveYour English: A Course for Ethiopian Teachers (Grade 1-4)-Face to
Face Learner's Books 1&2.Addis Ababa: EMPDE
Mohammedtahir and Tibebe Kasahun, 2005.Communicative English Skills II (unpublished).
Jimma University Press
Strong, W.1991. Writer's Choice: Grammar and Composition. Illinois: McGraw Hall
