This course is offered in the second term of the first year of the Degree in Basque Studies. This subject is the first part of a series of two aimed at offering students the training they need in order to acquire a linguistic competence in English at the B1+ level. In order to attain this goal, theoretical and practical lessons will be offered in which students will have the opportunity to practice the different facets of the four basic language skills - listening, speaking, reading, writing - by means of a number of formative activities that will be carried out by students both individually and in groups, and in the classroom or at home.

COMPETENCES



This subject belongs to Module M01 (Formación Básica). It contributes to the achievement of specific competences M01CM02 and M01CM06 by the end of the Degree in Basque Studies:



- M01CM02: To be able to communicate fluently in a second language both orally and in written form.

- M01CM06: To be able to understand the main ideas of complex texts in a second language.





LEARNING OUTCOMES



At this level students can:



- Understand the main ideas in oral Standard English discourse dealing with current affairs (Level B1+).

- Understand the main ideas in written Standard English discourse dealing with current affairs (Level B1+).

- Express ideas on familiar topics in predictable everyday situations (Level B1+).

- Express ideas on familiar and personal topics in written form, using correctly the sub-writing skills (spelling, punctuation and cohesion) (Level B1+).

- Use reasonably accurately a grammatical, lexical and phonological repertoire (Level B1+).

UNIT 6:

Grammar: Obligation, necessity, prohibition, advice. Can, could and be able to.

Vocabulary: At a restaurant. DIY and repairs; paraphrasing.

Pronunciation: Word pairs with and. Consonant clusters.





UNIT 7:

Grammar: Phrasal verbs. Verb patterns.

Vocabulary: Cash machines; phrasal verbs. Live entertainment.

Pronunciation: Linking. Homographs.



UNIT 8:

Grammar: Have something done. The passive.

Vocabulary: Looking after yourself. Wars and battles; historic buildings.

Pronunciation: Sentence stress. Silent consonants.



UNIT 9:

Grammar: Reported speech. Third conditionals and other uses of the past perfect; adverbs.

Vocabulary: Word building. Weddings.

Pronunciation: Word stress. Sentence stress.



UNIT 10:

Grammar: be, do, and have: auxiliary and main verbs. Revision of verb forms.

Vocabulary: British and American English. Exams.

Pronunciation: Stress on be, do, and have. Revision of sounds.

Classes focus on speaking, listening, reading and writing skills as well as vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation; each lesson will consist mainly of tasks designed around a communicative situation to help students improve their command of these skills and language components.



Classes are interactive and student-centred. As the focus of the course is communication, a number of activities will be based on collaborative learning, thus, students will do different tasks with classmates to strengthen their communicative skills.



Students will be encouraged to work both in the classroom – individually, in pairs and in groups – and at home. They are also expected to do out-of-class work in order to consolidate learning done in class. This out-of-class work includes homework assigned in class, reading a compulsory book and the students’ exposure to authentic language via extensive listening and reading for pleasure.



Each class follows a coursebook (Student’s Book plus Workbook) and teachers also use their own materials in lessons.

• Azken Ebaluazioaren Sistema
• Kalifikazioko tresnak eta ehunekoak:
  • Garatu beharreko proba idatzia (%): 20
  • Ahozko defentsa (%): 10
  • EXAMEN PARCIAL Y FINAL (%): 70

1.FIRST CALL ASSESSMENT

1.1.Continuous assessment:

The type of assessment that will be implemented in this subject is what the Normativa de gestión para las enseñanzas de grado de primer y Segundo ciclo / Graduko lehenengo eta bigarren zikloko ikasketen gestiorako arautegia for the current academic year refers to as continuous assessment. Students will be assessed according to their performance in the following testing tasks:

a.MID-TERM EXAM:20%

Students will do a mid-term exam in which they will have to show that they are using grammar more accurately, expanding their vocabulary, and strengthening their command of stress and pronunciation patterns, as well as their reading and listening comprehension. The exam consists of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation exercises, as well as a reading and a listening activity.

b.WRITING TASK:20 %

A complete text written in class will be given summative assessment (for credit; students will receive correction of mistakes, feedback and a mark). The piece of writing will be on the compulsory reading book (Dolphin Music).

c.SPEAKING TASK:10%

Students will pair up to carry out an interactive spoken activity. At the beginning of the semester, students will be handed a list of conversation topics. They will choose one topic and prepare a 5-minute conversation in which they will have to show that (i) they know the relevant vocabulary to talk about that specific topic, (ii) they can use English grammar quite accurately, (iii) their pronunciation and intonation in English are good enough as to make themselves understood without much difficulty, and (iv) they have a fairly good command of the conversation skills practised in class.

d.END-OF-COURSE EXAM:50%

The examination will consist of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation exercises, as well as a set of questions on written texts and listening activities.

1.2.Students failing to come to class on the day appointed for the assessment tasks will receive no credit (0 mark) for the missed work.

1.3.Information on the use of resources and materials for the assessment tasks/exam:

•Exam: The use of mobile or electronic devices, notes, books is not allowed. Should a student make use of these devices during the exam, she/he will receive a zero (0) on the exam. Besides, students can be asked to provide proof of their identity at any moment during the assessment tasks or exams. Students will be allowed to do so by means of their ID/passport.

•Home-assignments: the work submitted by the students must be their own work and must have been written completely by themselves. The students must identify and include the source of all facts, ideas, opinions and viewpoints of others through in-text referencing and the relevant sources should all be included in the list of references at the end of their work. Translating from other languages into English and presenting it as one’s own work is also plagiarism. Assignments containing plagiarism will receive a grade of zero (0) on the given task. (Capítulo II, artículo 11, 3; UPV/EHU’s Protocol of Academic Ethics).

2.WITHDRAWALS

2.1.Withdrawal from continuous assessment

All students have the right to be evaluated according to the final evaluation procedure independently of whether or not they have participated in the continuous assessment module. Students desiring final assessment must write the instructor responsible for the course by the end of week 9 of the course (according to the academic calendar of their centre) explicitly renouncing continuous assessment and requesting final assessment. The form that has to be filled in is available at: http://www.ehu.eus/eu/web/letrak/idazkaritza

2.2.Final assessment

Students who withdraw from continuous assessment will take a final examination that counts 100% of the final mark. This examination will consist of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation exercises, a set of questions on written texts and listening activities (70%), a piece of writing based on Animal Farm (in its original version) (20%), and a speaking task (10%).

2.3.Withdrawal from an exam call

Withdrawal from a call will be assessed as “no grade reported”.

2.3.1.In the case of continuous assessment, as the final exam is worth more than 40%, not sitting the exam on the official date of the exam qualifies as an automatic withdrawal from the corresponding call.

2.3.2.In the case of final assessment, not sitting the exam on the official date of the exam qualifies as an automatic withdrawal from the corresponding call.

The new regulation about assessment can be found at: http://www.ehu.eus/es/web/estudiosdegrado-gradukoikasketak/ebaluaziorako-arautegia

3.ONLINE ASSESSMENT:

In the case of online assessment, both continuous and final evaluation students will have to carry out the aforementioned testing tasks by means of online platforms such as eGela and/or Google Forms. The weight (%) of each testing task and the designated dates will be the same as in face-to-face assessment.

1. Continuous assessment:

The students who fail the subject in the “convocatoria ordinaria/ohikodeialdia” will have to take an exam in June. No grades from the continuous assessment will be carried over to the second call. The “extraordinario/ez-ohiko” exam will be evaluated as a 100% block on the official date. This examination will consist of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation exercises, a set of questions on written texts and listening activities (70%), a piece of writing based on Dolphin Music (20%), and a speaking task on one of the topics covered in the course (10%).

IMPORTANT NOTE: Those continuous assessment students who get “no grade reported” (Ez aukeztua / No presentado) on all the testing tasks (Mid-term exam, Speaking and End-of-course exam) will have to do the writing based on Animal Farm (in its original version) (20%).



2. Final assessment (100%):

The “extraordinario/ez-ohiko” exam will be evaluated as a 100% block on the official date of the exam. This examination will consist of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation exercises, a set of questions on written texts and listening activities (70%), a piece of writing based on Animal Farm (in its original version) (20%), and a speaking task on one of the topics covered in the course (10%).



3. Information on the use of resources and materials for the assessment tasks/exam:

• Exam: The use of mobile or electronic devices, notes, books is not allowed. Should a student make use of these devices during the exam, she/he will receive a zero (0) on the exam. Students will be allowed to do so by means of their Student’s card or their ID / passport.

• Home-assignments: the work submitted by the students must be their own work and must have been written completely by themselves. The students must identify and include the source of all facts, ideas, opinions and viewpoints of others through in-text referencing and the relevant sources should all be included in the list of references at the end of their work. Translating from other languages into English and presenting it as one’s own work is also plagiarism. Assignments containing plagiarism will receive a grade of zero (0) on the given task. (Capítulo II, artículo 11, 3;UPV/EHU’s Protocol of Academic Ethics).



4. Withdrawal from an exam call: not sitting the exam on the official date of the exam qualifies as an automatic withdrawal from the corresponding call.

The regulation about assessment can be found at the following link:

http://www.ehu.eus/es/web/estudiosdegrado-gradukoikasketak/ebaluaziorako-arautegia



5. ONLINE ASSESSMENT

In the case of online assessment, both continuous and final evaluation students will have to carry out the aforementioned testing tasks by means of online platforms such as eGela and/or Google Forms. The weight (%) of each testing task and the designated dates will be the same as in face-to-face assessment.

- Coursebook:
Latham-Koenig, Christina., Oxenden Clive, Chomacki, Kate, with Hudson, Jane (2020). English File. B2.1. Student’s Book and Workbook, with online practice for speakers of Spanish (Fourth Edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

- Compulsory reading books:
Moses, Antoinette (2017). Dolphin Music. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Continuous evaluation students).
Orwell, George (2013). Animal Farm. London: Penguin Books. (Final evaluation students).

Oinarrizko bibliografia

Murphy, Raymond (2004). English Grammar in Use (with answers and CD-ROM: A Self-Study Reference and Practice Book). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.



Vince, Michael (2009). First Certificate Language Practice. English Grammar and Vocabulary (with answers and CD-ROM). Oxford: Macmillan.

Gehiago sakontzeko bibliografia

Swan, Michael (2005). Practical English Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wells, John Christopher (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

Aldizkariak

SPEAK UP Magazine with CD-ROM.

Hot English Magazine.

Web helbideak

Cambridge Dictionaries online
http://dictionary.cambridge.org

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary online
http://www.oup.com/elt/oald

BBC- Learning materials
http://bbc.co.uk/learningenglish

British Council-Learning materials
http://learnenglish.org.uk

BBC World Service-international news
http://bbc.co.uk/worldservice

CNN-international news
https://edition.cnn.com