English II Presentation and Discussion

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to let students have as many opportunities as possible to practice what they learned in English II: Public Speaking. Through thorough exercise students can improve the knowledge and skills necessary for giving a presentation, asking questions, and holding discussions in such formal contexts as academic conferences and business meetings. Through this course, students should become better speakers in formal settings and learn how to prepare a presentation based on research of a chosen topic. For a final project, students will have to produce a multimedia presentation for which they write a script and record narration. They will rehearse the presentation during the classes and perform it in front of their classmates.

Course Goals

Students can make effective use of common words/phrases appropriate for formal spoken interactions.

Students can interact with others appropriately and effectively in formal settings.

Students can research a chosen topic and discuss their findings in their presentations.

Students develop strong voices and clear pronunciation.

Teaching Methods

This course is a practical. Students will study some of examples of speeches and short lectures by native speakers of English. During a presentation only one person speaks while about nine other students listen, so presentation success depends on the comprehension skills of the audience. About half of the preparation time will be spent on developing the skills needed to comprehend a presentation and to make it comprehensible. In order to make themselves understood, students will focus on error correction of their written drafts, then on pronunciation and rehearsal of the presentation. In addition to the preparation described above, students will prepare a slideshow as visual support of what they will communicate with spoken words in their final presentation project. Students will receive both spoken and written feedback on performance of their presentation with regard to such elements as non-verbal communication, audio-visual materials, language errors, pronunciation, voice clarity and content.

Course Schedule

1. Course introduction. Speech example: Compare and contrast: Two Kinds of Elephants. First listening and reading of the transcript. Taking notes on the speech.

2. Further listening practice with the previous speech example. Error correction. Summarizing the speech and performing the speech.

3. Speech example: A theory about species extinction and evidence for the theory. Expressing cause and effect. First listening and reading of the transcript. Taking notes on the speech.

4. Further listening practice with the previous speech example. Error correction. Summarizing and performing the lecture.

5. Speech example: Describing a historical event. Expressing causes and effects of historical events. First listening and reading of the transcript. Taking notes on the speech.

6. Further listening practice with the previous speech example. Error correction. Summarizing and rehearsing the speech.   

7. First example of a student presentation from previous years (used with permission). Vocabulary study. Note-taking.

8. Further listening practice with the first example of a student presentation. Analysis of why it was highly evaluated. Summarizing and performing the speech.

9. Second example of a student presentation from previous years (used with permission). Vocabulary study. Note-taking.

10. Further listening practice with the second example of a student presentation. Analysis of why it was highly evaluated. Summarizing and performing the speech.

11. Preparation for final presentations. Peer review and correction of scripts and presentation files. Feedback from the teacher. First rehearsal in small groups.

12. Preparation for final presentations. Peer review and correction of scripts and presentation files. Feedback from the teacher. Second rehearsal in small groups.

13. First joint session of student presentations with other classes.

14. Second joint session of student presentations with other classes.

15. Review lesson. Discussion and informal evaluation of presentations regarding the students' general strengths and weaknesses.

Self-study outside of course hours, Assignments, Preparation and Review etc.

At least one hour of preparation and review will be necessary before each class. 

Assessment Criteria and Methods

Participation and preparation 40％　Presentation assignment 60％ 

Textbook

No textbook is required.

Expectations for Enrolled Students

Attend all the classes, make efforts speak English in class, and participate in all activities. Stay on schedule with all the assignments. There are 15 classes per semester. At the end of the course, any student who has been absent for more than 1/3 of the classes, for whatever reason, cannot get credit for this course. Note that this permitted number of absences gives a student a reasonable allowance for any absences due to illnesses, injuries, and emergencies. For example, if a student were absent 4 times for no good reason, then absent once because of a serious injury, then absent again to attend a funeral (reasonable excuses for absences, usually), he would still fail to get credit for the course because 4+2=6, which is more than 1/3 of 15. Stay in contact with the teacher through your Seijo University email account, Campus Square for Web, the class website and WebClass.

In recent years, it has been necessary to conduct some lessons online or by assigning on-demand materials to study. The use of such methods will probably not be necessary in 2023, but if they are necessary, students will be informed about revised methods, content, and evaluation criteria. Regardless of the general level of risk posed by the coronavirus, there may be some students who have special health reasons for not wishing to attend classes on campus. Such students will be able to follow the course through independent study methods.

For the same reason, the teacher may have to stay home if he "catches a cold." In that case, some classes may be held online.

Method to Contact the Lecturer

riches[at]seijo.ac.jp or WebClass (email is the preferred method)