ADVANCED ENGLISH CONVERSATION(2)

This course will focus on helping students further develop their skills and confidence in conversational English. It will continue to focus on providing students with opportunities to communicate in a variety of situations, e.g., pair and group activities. Students will enhance their ability to discuss a broad range of topics; present information in a variety of contexts, e.g., informal communication, public presentation; and communicate in a manner that is both culturally appropriate and idiomatic. They will also have opportunities to increase their competence in listening and reading comprehension, vocabulary, pronunciation, oral grammar, and conversational strategy use.

General learning goals:
1. Develop students’ confidence in their ability to speak and comprehend English speech.
2. Help students prepare for TOEIC Speaking and IBT Speaking skills.
3. Help students develop "career" English skills, including job interviews and professional presentations.
4. Improve students’ vocabulary, pronunciation and oral grammar in English.
5. Introduce students to “cultural” conversation cues such as speech patterns, expressions, slang, body language, appropriateness, etc.

1. Be here. Attendance is very important in any job, and missing class will result in losing points in both attendance and participation evaluations. The attendance policy will be explained completely during the first week of class. 2. Don’t cheat. Cheating is trying to steal points and grades from other students. Cheating on tests, on writing assignments or in presentations will be punished as severely as possible. 3. Assignments are not suggestions. Each student must attempt each of the assignments. Failing to submit any assignment will mean a “0” for that assignment, a loss of one point from the participation score, and will mean the highest possible final grade is C0. 4. Smart phones/computers cannot be used during class without specific permission from the professor.

This class will be taught at the "upper-intermediate" skill level. Students in this course should already feel reasonably comfortable and competent in the fundamentals of English conversation, including vocabulary and participation.

Students will gain instruction and experience in realistic conversation situations, especially with foreigners and use of idioms and phrasal verbs, and in improving overall presentation skills. Students will learn how to prepare for TOEIC Speaking and IBT Speaking assignments. Students will get practical instruction in "career English" areas, including job interviews and professional presentations.