Academic Spoken English

Special Topics: EAP 5937 (Summers Only)

ASE 5937 Homepage

Course Materials

Textbook: Speechcraft: Discourse Pronunciation for Advanced Learners, by Laura D. Hahn and Wayne B. Dickerson. Available at Textbook Brokers U of F, 1127 W. University Ave.
American English-English dictionary (recommended: American Heritage)
High-speed internet connection
QuickTime Player 7

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to work on the aspects of your spoken English that are most likely to cause communication problems in your interactions with American English speakers, particularly in an academic setting. You will practice culturally effective presentation and discussion skills, everyday and classroom speech, and strategies for interpersonal communication. You will also learn the sounds, rhythms, and intonations of American speech. Other topics may be included, based on the instructor's assessment of individual and class needs.

Remember that satisfactory completion of this course does NOT certify that your spoken English skills are sufficient to qualify you to teach at the University of Florida. The Florida legislature has mandated that international teaching assistants must demonstrate proficiency in spoken English. At UF this means scoring a minimum of 45 on the SPEAK test. In this class we will concentrate on the specific skills which are tested by the SPEAK test only as they fit into the development of general competency in communication.

Course Requirements

Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. Missing more than 3 hours of class will result in a failing grade. Three tardies of 10 minutes will count as one absence. Let the instructor know if you will be away for a professional conference or other unavoidable absence.
Bi-Weekly Transcripts: Every two weeks you will record yourself speaking with a native speaker of American English in answer to a specific assignment. Regardless of the length of the conversation, you will transcribe (type) word-for-word the first 2 and last 2 minutes of the conversations. Place your transcript and audiotape, cued to the first two minutes, in the pocket folder.
Daily Homework: At ASE we understand how busy the average graduate student is. We will ask for assignments to be brought to class for each class period to facilitate the lessons covered in class that day. These will be tend to be readings, short exercise work, or on-line listening activities. These are all very valuable to your improvement in English. Other homework assignments include Journals and Language Focus cards. Language Focus Please use 3x5" notecards. One one side of the card write the word or grammar item that you wish to practice, on the back side write an example. Five cards are due each week. Please number the cards 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, etc.
Semester Project: This is a small group project (3 to 4 students) with the intent of facilitating communication between international students and people in the surrounding community. All groups are expected to work together to produce a single, comprehensive booklet or webpage for future ASE use. Each group will present on their progress twice during the semester. Specific guidelines are on the supplementary handout.

Grades

The above listed requirements must be complete to earn an "S" in this course. However, attendance and active participation in each class will be the primary criteria considered in grade assignment. In language teaching, those who always attend and grab every opportunity to speak consistently show improvement.

REMEMBER: Think of Academic Spoken English as a skills laboratory. You are trying to develop or change habits, and that is not easy. You will have to invest time and concentrated effort to achieve better listening and speaking ability. You are not here to learn about English as much as to use the language. You will practice, practice, practice in many situations so that your use of English outside of class will become comprehensible, fluent, and automatic. Every skill you learn in ASE will be tested and refined by your real world experiences. The more you use your new skills in every interaction in Gainesville, the more you will own them and be able to rely on them after you finish this semester. The amount you personally will improve will directly correlate to how many opportunities to speak you take.

Topics To Be Covered This Semester

Pronunciation Skills (lab work)
Conversation Skills
Presentation Skills
Discussion Skills
Active Listening Skills
Asking & Answering Questions
Persuasion & Negotiation
Cross-Cultural Communication
Group work

Last modified 9 May 2008
Programming: drjdg <drjdg(at)ufl(dot)edu>