Grammatical structures covered include the perfect tenses, modal auxiliaries, subordinate clauses, and the idiomatic use of gerunds and infinitives. Vocabulary and grammatical structures are presented contextually, and students practice these structures in discussions designed for pair or group interaction and in writing exercises. Readings of increasing difficulty are presented. Topics include background material about American culture and current events in order to generate discussion related to the readings. Types of writing include giving instructions, analyzing cause and effect, comparing and contrasting, and describing a process.
Stress is on self-editing of recurring grammatical and structural problems.
Listening exercises focus on real-life debates, lectures, and broadcasts. Discussions of contemporary issues are used to develop skills such as listening for main ideas, identifying details and points of view, predicting, and expressing opinions. The course prepares students to take notes on college lectures, participate in class discussions, and to participate in the social activities of college life. Vocabulary and grammatical structures are presented contextually, and students practice these structures in discussions designed for pair or group interaction and in writing exercises. The course provides the comprehension skills necessary for productive academic reading.