English 3

Week 1
Contact Information
E-mail (preferred): edward.hargreaves@iset.ge
Consultation hours: after class and by appointment (office
3.12/3)
Any additional information will be posted on Moodle
following our lessons
Course Rules

● Be respectful
● Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated
● Speak English, even amongst yourselves
Course Assessment: Grades
(A) Excellent – 91% and over of maximum requirement
(B) Very Good – 81-90% of maximum requirement
(C) Good – 71-80% of maximum requirement
(D) Satisfactory – 61-70% of maximum requirement
(E) Sufficient – 51-60% of maximum requirement
(FX) Marginal Fail – 41-50% of maximum requirement meaning the student
needs to work harder to pass and is given one more chance to take the exam
and to prepare for it independently
(F) Fail – 40% or less of the maximum requirement, meaning the student’s
efforts are insufficient to pass and they must retake the subject
Course Assessment
● Essay: 15 points
● Presentations: 5 & 10 points
● Midterm exam: 30 points
● Final exam: 40 points
Homework
There is no graded HW in this course, certain worksheets
(with subsequent answers) will be uploaded onto Moodle
for practice. If you ever want feedback please email me
directly with your work.

The graded content consists of two presentations (one

relaxed, one formal), and one multi-week essay assignment
worth 15 points.
Participation
The attendance grade has been removed, however this
format is liable to change.

Participation will be checked periodically (as a mixture of

verbal testing, polls, short assignments that have to be
returned by the end of class, and simple registers.)
Exam Format
All the exams are designed around genuine IELTS, TOEFL
and C1 tests, and will assess the English you have studied
at each stage. These exams will be marginally easier (in
time and grading) than their real counterparts, although
they are still demanding.

*You must score a total of 11/30 on the midterm exams

combined in order to be eligible to take the final exam.
Extra Credit

● There is no formal extra credit – only students who

consistently attend and participate will be considered
for merit-based credit.
● Extra credit may replace your lowest regular score -
resulting in a 1-point improvement to your final grade.
● (*Extra credit rules may be modified, and likely
eradicated, due to relaxed grading.)
Course Focus
● The aim of the course is to develop your use of language and
communication skills, and to study certain fundamentals that
will aid future examinations and real-life experiences.
 
● The course seeks to build on your listening, speaking, reading
and writing; specifically, to encourage verbal competency, with
a focus on your ability to communicate effectively. It will
moreover include a variety of oral and concise written exercises
at an upper-intermediate level. The lessons will further
reinforce your grammar and build on your vocabulary. This
foundation in exam preparations will also help build on various
skills for your future education and employment.
Many Universities Require (e.g.) -
● Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (C1).
● City & Guilds International ESOL 8984 Mastery award.
● (IELTS) International English Language Testing System: 6 overall,
with 5.5 in each sub-test (Academic or General).
● Pearson Test of English, Academic: 54 overall, with 54 in
Reading and Writing elements.
● University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES)
Business English Certificate, Level 3 only (BEC 3 award).
● (TOEFL) iBT Test of English as a Foreign Language: 87 overall,
with 21+ in Reading and Writing sub-tests and 19+ in Speaking
and Listening sub-tests.
Our Exam Focus
The core English exams are:
IELTS - the certificate is valid for two years and is predominantly
required by European universities
TOEFL - the certificate is valid for two years and is predominantly
required by American universities
C1 Advanced - this certificate lasts a lifetime, but acts only as
proof of English (often less useful for universities)
(GRE- a test that measures analytical and critical thinking etc.,
valid for five years)
The core aim of this course is to ensure your English is at a university
level and to highlight practical and extremely common mistakes in
exam taking.

These test are specifically designed for university students and go

beyond simple English use. They also require:
Organisation & planning
Time-management skills
Common sense & lateral thinking
You do also need to be able to structure complex sentences;
comprehend various vocal styles; understand and respond to direct
questions; and thoroughly read academic scripts.
This year we’ll be moving beyond simple grammar and onto more
typical use of English. This involves (academic focussed) reading,
writing and speaking, alongside common listening practices.

To begin with- Speaking

The most successful students use their English

as often as possible!
Naturally, we want to encourage spoken aspects of the course.
So, we’ll be having individual presentations: initially on an open
subject (to be held within a few weeks); another thereafter (in
groups) on a more specific topic nearer the end of the year. They
are both graded - the second more stringently.
For now, speak up
Discuss yourselves!
Communications
 What constitutes ‘good’ communication?

What are your personal communications needs & what

forms have you used? Where is there room for
improvement?

Ideally, how would you like to communicate in the

future?
 What makes a good communicator? Choose the most important factors.
• fluency in the language • a sense of humour
• an extensive vocabulary • grammatical accuracy
• being a good listener • not being afraid of making mistakes
• physical appearance • an awareness of body language
What other details are important in communications?
Discuss the following questions.
What other forms of written and spoken communication can you
think of?
Which do you like using and why?
What problems can people have with them? And how can they
be resolved?
How have the forms of communication changed (and how
will this continue) - and how have such changes
transformed the world?

Is written or spoken language more significant

& what are the differences for native and non-native
speakers? (Are communications the same in Georgian?)
Which of these words apply to good or bad communicators?
articulate coherent eloquent fluent focussed
hesitant inhibited extrovert persuasive rambling
responsive sensitive succinct reserved

Which have the following meanings?

1. concise 5. clear and easy to understand

2. reluctant to speak 6. good at influencing people
3. talking in a confused way 7. outgoing
4. able to express ideas well 8. reacting in a positive way
 Complete this talk from a communications expert using the verbs from the box.
digress interrupt listen explain engage clarify confuse ramble

‘Good communicators really 1…………….... to people and take in what is said. They maintain eye
contact and have a relaxed body language, but they seldom 2……………… and stop people talking.
If they don't understand and want to 3.................. something they wait for a suitable
opportunity.
When speaking, effective communicators are good at giving information. They do not
4................. their listener. They make their points clearly. They will avoid technical terms,
abbreviations or jargon. If they do need to use unfamiliar terminology they 5…………………. by
giving an easy-to-understand example. Furthermore, although they may 6………………. and leave
the main point to give additional information and details where appropriate, they will not
7…………………. and lose sight of their main message. Really effective communicators who have
the ability to 8................. with colleagues, employees, customers and suppliers are a valuable
asset for any business.’
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/09/here-s-how-
we-can-design-inclusive-cities/
 This week’s worksheet is available on
Moodle.

For guidance on basic email writing also

check my brief guide.